Speaker slides from the Mezzo Labs event held on 25th Sept 2013. Peter spoke about whether Google Analytics is an opportunity or threat?

1. Google Analytics
Threat or Opportunity
Getting Ahead in Web Analytics

2. Who am I?
 G’day, I’m Peter...
 I am Australian – with a strong aussie accent
 Founder of L3 Analytics
 Also Founder of MeasureCamp
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3. Google Analytics – the Threat
 It is definitely a threat to other web analytics
vendors
 Also to digital marketing agencies/vendors
 Increases access to data
 It can also be a threat to organisations
 As it can change the perception of web analytics
 First, a definition/reminder
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4. Purpose of Web Analytics
 To provide intelligence that informs business
actions leading to an improvement in
performance for online organisations
Page 4
 To provide intelligence that informs business
actions leading to an improvement in
performance for online organisations
25th Sept, 2013

5. So what is the threat?
 The value proposition of a free tool
 If Web Analytics is viewed as free, it is discounted
by directors as something that can:
 Provide intelligence
 Inform business actions
 Lead to an improvement in performance
 GA can drag down the perceived value of all tools
 Be aware – GA is NOT free
 Set-up costs
 Invest in analysis – no different to other tools
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6. Moving on – the Opportunities
 Why are you here?
 Are you recruiting?
 Looking for a new job?
 Looking for consultancy/contract work?
 Other?
 You have more opportunity due to GA!!
 More people have web analytics exposure/skills
 More companies have web analytics headcount
 More companies recognise they need help
 This opportunity is only going to get bigger in the
future
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7. Recruiting
 All web analytics tools are just tools
 It doesn’t matter if you use SiteCat, Webtrends or GA
 They are all dumb tools
 If a person is a good web analyst with GA
 Grab them fast…
 DO NOT assume GAIQ = good web analyst
 My criteria
 Smart
 Curious
 Passionate
 The pool of applicants is growing…
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8. Searching
 The number of hooks in the water is growing even
faster…
 More companies are aware of web analytics
 A high proportion use GA as their primary tool
 If you know SiteCat/Webtrends, you can learn GA
 Many companies don’t want to commit
 Plenty of support opportunities around
 Need to decide if contract/consultancy
 Potential size – should be at least equivalent to
digital marketing budgets
 Note: Web Analytics is not a specialism in itself
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9. Web Analytics Tasks
 Define business requirements / KPIs
 Define web analytics set-up requirements
 Set up campaign tracking
 Perform implementation – with or without a TMS
 Configure web analytics tool
 Set up reports – inside/outside web analytics tool
 Provide training throughout a company
 Perform Analysis – regular, ad hoc & deep dive
 Manage a team
 Change a company – culture, processes, structure
 Performance optimisation
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10. Web Analytics Roles
 Web analyst
 Implementation specialist
 Business analyst
 Data scientist
 Optimisation specialist
 Manager (Director)
 Project/Product manager
 Management consultant
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11. How to learn Google Analytics
 Take a training course
 Online or offline
 Read the book (Brian Clifton)
 Practice
 Web Analytics Exchange
 Your own website
 Offer to help someone out
 Practice more
 Start with the basics
 Learn how to implement/configure
 Start playing with the more advanced features
 And try & keep up…
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12. What can you do with Google Analytics
 Anything you can do with a paid tool
 They can dumb tools remember
 Key limitations
 Sampled data in reports at 500k visits
 Only five or 20 custom variables (more with premium)
 No SLA or dedicated support (available with premium)
 After that, it’s up to the real deciding factor
How good is your analyst?
 What I can do with Google Analytics…
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13. My take-away thoughts
 Google Analytics is just another web analytics tool
 It has increased the size of the market
 More companies have web analytics installed
 More demand for practitioners
 More opportunity to get practical experience
 It is pushing the other vendors to improve
 Any web analytics tools is powerful (at any price) if:
 You know what you need to know
 The information is available
 You know how to get at that information
 Give Google Analytics the respect it deserves
 and the same for GA specialists
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14. QUESTIONS
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15. THANK YOU
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I can be found at
• peteroneill@l3analytics.com
• @peter_oneill
• +44 7843 617 347
• www.linkedin.com/in/peteroneill
25th Sept, 2013