It is painfully heartbreaking to realize that a very small tiny number of people who have access to web analytics tools actually use them. I mean really use the tool. Ravage all the features. Exploit every possible button. Produce built-in visualization magic. Poke into the hidden crevices and discover exotic delights. Nourish yourself with the info snacks that the tool's Engineers and Product Managers cooked up.
We have more web metrics and data than there are stars in the universe (slight exaggeration!). Yet we stink at informing decisions. Our reports are ignored. Sites & online marketing continue to suck. A large part of the reason is that a large part of our job seems to consist of glorified data puking, hoping someone will be impressed. After all there is so much data in those reports!
The world of the intertubes should be a lot more data driven and awe-sexy than it really is. Yet for all our collective efforts at writing and tweeting and kvetching online marketing is still based mostly on faith. Not data. Surprising at so many levels right?
The hardest kind of "analysis" to provide is in response to open ended questions. That is why I love asking open ended questions!
They expose a person's critical thinking ability (something I highly recommend you test when you hire web analysts: Interviewing Tip: Stress Test Critical Thinking. Please).
They also help you understand if someone really grasps key concepts.
