Ottawa Web and Social Media Events May 2011
May 13, 2011
Ottawa’s marketing community continues to impress me with its increasingly rich offering of web and social media related events. I’m sure I’ve missed several, but the month is flying by me and I wanted to get these one published:
- “Better Leads. Richer Insights. Bridging the web analytics and CRM divide“, presented by Zone5ive, OCRI‘s Tech Marketing Forum on May 12th, 2011 at the Marshes Golf Course. Kudos to Alex Langhshur and Tyler Gibbs of PublicInsite who presented a valuable case study on exactly how they’ve helped Ottawa’s own Dragonwave Inc to convince their sales team of the worth of the web channel by integrating web analytics data into Dragonwave’s CRM
- “Content Strategy from A Global Perspective“, presented by Content Strategy Ottawa Meetup. Billed as an informal night of networking, the group meets at Blue Cactus Bar & Grill in the Market on May 13, 2011 at 6pm
- Now SOLD OUT – “People Before Pixels“, a one-day user experience workshop offered by Follow the UX Leader, on May 16, 2011 at the Courtyard Restaurant
- “Between the Lines of Privacy“, a breakfast with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Jennifer Stoddart, presented by WXN. the Women’s Executive Network on May 17, 2011 at the Rideau Club
- “Results, not more Reports“, a free web analytics seminar offered by Unilytics also on May 17th, 2011 at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel
- “Designing for Humans“, a presentation by Martin Gomez of Sparkart from SMBOttawa (Social Media Breakfast Ottawa) at 7:30am on May 18, 2011 at the Great Canadian Theatre Company
- “Stop Searching. Start Finding.” a full day of information architecture training provided by Follow the UX Leader at the Courtyard Restaurant on May18, 2011
- “Creating Web Content that Clicks“, a one-day web writing course also from Follow the UX Leader on May 19, 2011, also at the Courtyard Restaurant
- Ryan Short from Teknision will be the speaker at the next Web Analytics Wednesday at the Heart & Crown ByWard Market, hosted by PublicInsite on May 25, 2011 at 6pm
- FUN for Tech Women event to be held at DiVino’s at 225 Preston Street on May 30th, 2011 from 6pm-8pm. To register, call DiVino’s at (613) 221-9760
- Canada’s Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization, or SEMPO Canada, is holding its first SEMPO Ottawa Members Only Meetup on May 30th, 2011 at 6pm at Johnny Farina on Elgin Street
- “New Era Marketing Mosaika: A Spectacular Multimedia Creation” with Guy Laflamme from the National Capital Commission, presented by CMA Ottawa on May 31st, 2011 at 11:15am at the Hampton Inn and Conference Room
If I’ve missed any, comment away, and I’ll be sure to add it to the information.
Hope to see all of you at one or more of these events!
Content Measurement: Looking Beyond Webtrends & Google Analytics
April 19, 2011
Kristina Mausser of Content Strategy Ottawa (Meetup) / ContentStrategyYOW (Twitter) very kindly invited me to meet Ottawa’s content strategists on April 18th, 2011, to chat about “Content Measurement: Looking Beyond Webtrends & Google Analytics.” For a quick introduction to the whys and wherefores of the topic, view this brief video (1 minute, 10 seconds).
Thanks to everyone who joined us at the Exchange Pub; it was a pleasure meeting you all (I’m happy to report that my BlackBerry Torch survived it’s inadvertent Corona bath!) and I thoroughly enjoyed our discussions.
POST UPDATE: Kristina has now posted photos – have fun tagging!
As promised, below, please find my list of the resources I mentioned last night. Here goes:
1. Learn to love Excel’s “AutoFilter” feature (look under Data > Filter) for all of your analysis, regardless of data source. Ideally, export whatever web analytics report you’re interested in and then import it into Excel. Enable AutoFilter, roll up sleeves and begin analysis! To do that, insert a new column(s) and begin categorizing, or segmenting, the rows of data so that you start to look for patterns and anomalies. Once you’ve got things rolling on the categorization side, you can easily begin to group the segments in a way that allows you to dig around in the details per category and reach some conclusions (see – look at you doing analysis!). How?
2. Use your Excel “Pivot Table” feature. Instead of giving a tutorial here, the best way to get introduced is to search for videos that can help you learn how to use these. Examples include:
My examples about how a content strategist might use Pivot Tables included:
a) Export your Google Analytics Keywords report (under Traffic Sources) to categorize your entry phrases in any number of ways e.g. brand, service, geography, etc. in order to identify the phrases you are getting traffic from. Now, turn that idea on its head – which phrases would you have expected to get traffic on, but are not? Use that list to begin brainstorming potential content improvements, and keep track of them in your editorial calendar;
b) Export the results of your on site search engine e.g. Google Analytics Site Search or Webtrends On-Site Search Terms (Found and Not Found). As above, categorize them so that you can begin to analyze how your website’s search engine is being used – which phrases are looked for most often? How does that compare to your navigation labels? Are they comparable or is there a gap? If so, how could you address it in the content? Ideally, you can use the results of this analysis to accomplish two different things – identify the content you need to ‘merchandise’ (and yes, government folks, I expect you to merchandise content too!) by better surfacing it across your website – and identify the content you’re missing – e.g. what are people searching for for which you offer No Results?
c) Export the results of your keyword research tools e.g. Google AdWords Keyword Tool or Wordtracker, and exactly as above, categorize the phrases so that you can begin to identify topics that for which there is demand that you might consider writing content for (or encouraging your client to write content for).
3. Combine your exported Google Analytics Content reports or your Webtrends Pages (Site Design > Pages) reports with the chart function in Excel and create long neck / long tail graphics to explain the concentration of content demand to your client. Help them understand which content is getting consumed more / less across all of the content they offer. However, first understand the core differences between the two theories:
- Chris Anderson‘s “The (Longer) Long Tail” (decreased distribution costs encourages niche markets) versus
- Gerry McGovern‘s “The Stranger’s Long Neck” (cluttered websites created dead and useless content that decreases and potentially destroys value)
and how each applies to your analysis. Are you trying to understand if there’s value in keeping long tail content or in eliminating excess content from your website?
To learn more, here’s the link to Jeff Parks‘ podcast with Gerry McGovern. Enjoy!
4. I’m a big fan of the All in One SEO Pack plugin for the WordPress content management system (CMS) installations because it allows me to see my or my client’s <TITLE>, description and meta tags on one screen across multiple pages. In one quick glance I can see if I’m missing the opportunity to improve my content’s findability with clearer, more specific <TITLE> tags or improve usability with a more useful <description> tag. The plug-in allows me fix content problems on the fly.
5. If you or your client don’t use WordPress, fear not. The alternate way to improve your findability is with the Web Analytics Solution Profiler (WASP) – It’s a Firefox Add-In, and although this sounds like a tool that only a web analyst could love, it’s actually a brilliant tool for content strategists. It automatically scans a website for you, extracting, among other things, your <TITLE>, Description and Keyword meta tags. Once the scan is complete, save this file as an Excel spreadsheet, turn on your beloved auto filters, add a new column for “Status” and populate each row as Current. Then, add new rows per URL and rewrite those tags to your heart’s content. Your client can now see the “before and after” and your tech folks have an easy way to either script / upload the new versions, or at least cut and paste cleanly per URL.
6. Qualitative “voice of customer” data from online surveys tools such as FluidSurveys, 4Q, and SurveyMonkey offer excellent insight into what visitors think of the content you’re providing on your website. However, like web analytics reports, the volume of data can appear overwhelming – especially if you’ve just been told that thousands of free form text comments have been captured this month. If no one knows what to do with it, follow along with me:
Again, your best approach is to analyze through segmentation, using your fabulous AutoFilter and Pivot Tables (I’m such a geek) features in Excel. To provide a specific, step-by-step approach – export all those comments from your survey tool and re-import them into Excel. Add your categories column and assume three choices – positive, neutral or negative. Turn on your auto filters and assign one category per comment; now filter those comments so that you are able to isolate only the negative ones. Begin your analysis: Do those categories need to be broken down into subcategories – e.g. topic, or product, or feature or time frame? If yes: Add a new column and get classifying! Rinse and repeat for your positive and neutral comments. Create a few Pivot Tables and see what patterns begin to emerge. Ask what actions could you take for the different subcategories and how you might group those action items. Perhaps by implementation complexity? By audience? By responsible party? By urgency?
Before you know it, you’ve analyzed the data and you have a plan that captures what you or your client will be doing about it.
7. I realize this last one might not be at the top of everyone’s list, but as a fan of cost per click (CPC) or pay-per-click (PPC) advertising not only as an acquisition tactic but also as a form of market research, I hope some of you will consider this option. By default, Google AdWords shows you the performance of your “bid” phrases. However, you need to dig a little deeper for reports relating to the actual “search” term used which triggered your ad (look under your Keywords tab > See Search Terms > All) which might be very different from than what you assumed your audience was looking for. Perhaps they combined your keyword phrase with some other concept – a question or task, a local geographic reference, an adjective – in a way that you hadn’t thought of. Each combination might give you ideas for new landing pages that you could offer.
Finally, the third variation requires you to create a custom filter in your web analytics reports. Essentially, you’re asking your report system to show you even more detail relating to actual phrases used by searchers that triggered one of your ads (but that had no clicks in the last 30 days, which is the cut-off for the report mentioned above). For instructions on how your web analyst can create the filters for you, my thanks to all the great bloggers who’ve posted detailed instructions. Where would we all be without you? I’ve tried those listed below, and the data that does result certainly offers intriguing information:
- Update to an Old Favorite – Detailed PPC Keyword Data in Google Analytics (November 2008)
- Exact Keyword Tracking with ga.js (February 2008)
- How to Get Detailed PPC Keyword Data from Google Analytics (November 2006)
So – there you have it; one web analyst’s recommendations for her fellow content strategists. As continued proof that I think we can indeed combine Shakespeare and analytics, see “To Measure or Not Measure, That Is the Question“. Now – tell me what you think. Did I miss any of your favourites? Comment away!
eMetrics Toronto 2011 agenda posted
February 6, 2011
I’m very pleased to share the news that the agenda for the 2011 Toronto eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit agenda has been posted. It’s looking good, and I’ve already got my eye on several of the sessions including:
- Stéphane Hamel, famed analytics Immeria blogger on “Establishing your Web Analytics Maturity”; I’ve had the bad luck of conflicts at past eMetrics Summits when Stéphane has presented his web (now online) analytics maturity model. However as a long-time fan – that’s it this is my year!
- We’ve got a double serving of Canadian business icon Research in Motion (RIM) as Dan Quinn compares panel notes about “How Decision Makers Consume what Analysts (and Agencies) Produce” and Simon Austin will be tackling Social Media Metrics – more of that is always better…
- Anne Nash from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will share stories about “What Happens when the Home Page is NOT your front door”
We’ve got attribution sessions, managing multiplicity (multiple data sources), measuring mobile, measuring video, best practices of testing, the value of data and more – tons of great topics. As usual, there’s far more sessions that I’m hoping to catch than I expect time will allow.
I’m also very honoured to announce that I’ll be speaking this year, with my web analytics compadres, Alan K’necht from K’nechtology and June Li from ClickInsight. We’re part of the eMetrics Campaign and Acquisition Optimization track where we’ll be answering audience questions on the Fundamentals of Acquisition Optimization. Our session will be held from 1:15 – 2:00 PM on Thursday April 28th, 2011. Hope to see you there!
Call for Speakers – eMetrics Toronto April 2011
November 4, 2010
Calling all Ottawa companies, organizations and associations – we need you! Toronto’s eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit is on the hunt for speakers for the April 26-29, 2011 summit to be held at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel.
The speaker submission deadline is December 12th, 2010.
In particular, eMetrics is looking for stories that tell the ” how-to and how-much, about the challenges you overcame, the experiments that failed, how you won a budget increase for online marketing because your ROI rocks! And, how you are evangelizing online marketing analytics and experimentation in your organization.”
In other words, open your measurement kimono! Consider sharing the good, the bad and the ugly from your recent analytics learnings. Why would we ask such a thing? Simply because it works – eMetrics is about receiving golden nuggets of learning from fellows and friends in our burgeoning analytics industry. Having attended three eMetrics summits myself, I can tell you the best presentations were those where practitioners described the particular digital measurement problem they tried to solve and explained the results. No holds barred.
Memorable speakers for myself include Breanna Wigle, who proposed an “RFF Score” (Recency+Frequency+Number of Facebook Friends) as a methodology for social network analysis for Military.com. Then there was Alain Tremblay from Bell Interactive who walked us through identified points of failure in a shopping cart, and explained how qualitative data analysis pointed them towards solutions. Wonderfully concrete. Or the always charming Vicky Brock who delivered a great case study on understanding visitor behaviour when you don’t sell online. She described specific content improvement actions that could be taken based on her analysis of a university’s onsite search engine data. Great stuff.
I’m hoping that Ottawa folks will consider submitting a speaker proposal – whether it be for an analytics or a social marketing outreach campaign within a federal government department, or a search marketing program at a private sector company, or a social media membership recruitment effort from an association. I know you’re out there, fellow Ottawans – let’s make sure we let the rest of Canada know it!
Please contact me if you have any questions about the event or to discuss ideas or topics you are considering. To help you brainstorm, the 2011 eMetrics content focus includes the following topics:
- Digital Management
- Media Analytics: Cross Media, Cross Platform
- Site Optimization and Usability
- Campaigns and Acquisition Optimization
- Social Mobile Marketing Metrics
Good luck!
Get the web analytics edge – enter to win $675.00 of learning!
January 26, 2010
Attend OCRI Zone5ive Marketing Forum on Thursday February 11, 2010 in Ottawa, Canada and enter to win $675.00 CAD worth of learning from UBC’s Award of Achievement in Web Analytics!
The Web Analytics Association (WAA) has collaborated with The University of British Columbia (UBC) Continuing Studies to offer the UBC Award of Achievement in Web Analytics. This series of courses is delivered 100% online so that this educational commitment fits into your schedule and is available to working professionals around the world!
Supported by Online Authority, this month’s Zone5ive speaker is Jim Sterne and his topic is “Translating Web Intelligence into Business Value.” Jim Sterne is Chairman of the Web Analytics Association and Founder and Chairman of the eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit
Contest details:
- Contest open to paid registrants and attendees of the OCRI Zone5ive Marketing Forum, Thursday February 11th, 2010 at the Travelodge Ottawa Hotel and Conference Centre Centennial Ballroom from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
- Course voucher will be awarded via random business card draw to be held following the speaker’s closing remarks. The winner of the draw must be present to receive the course voucher.
- Course voucher is issued by University of British Columbia Continuing Studies and is valued at $675.00 CAD. The course voucher may be used by the bearer towards the tuition fee (before taxes) for one online UBC Continuing Studies Web Analytics Course beginning on or before March 1st, 2011. The course voucher must be surrendered at the time of registration (in person, by mail or phone). No refund will be made should the course tuition be less than $675.00. Course voucher not redeemable for cash.
Jim Sterne in Ottawa, Canada February 11th, 2010
January 22, 2010
Online Authority, OCRI and Zone5ive are pleased to announce that Jim Sterne, Chairman, Web Analytics Association and Founder and Chairman of the eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit will be returning to Ottawa, Canada on Thursday February 11th, 2010. Jim’s topic is:
Translating Web Intelligence into Business Value
Session Summary:
We started out counting hits just to prove that our website was being seen. Then we started measuring more closely in order to make our websites better. It turns out that web data can be valuable much more broadly. Jim Sterne walks us through the stages of using web intelligence to get to know our customers better, to optimize our marketing and finally to improve the business as a whole. Web analysis is now about what customers want, how they respond, and what they will buy. Marketing analysts can now deliver actionable insights that lead to higher profits, lower costs and improved customer satisfaction. Come to this session and learn how simple tools and techniques can help marketing get down to business.
Speaker’s Biography:
Jim Sterne is Chairman of the Web Analytics Association and Founder and Chairman of the eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit. As an author, a consultant to Fortune 500 companies, and a public speaker, Jim Sterne focuses his twenty years in sales and marketing on the changing landscape of the Web as a medium for creating and strengthening customer relationships. With a special focus on Web metrics, his company, Target Marketing, is dedicated to helping companies understand the possibilities and manage the realities of conducting business online.
Event Information:
Date: Thursday, February 11, 2010
Time: 11:30 a.m.– Registration/networking lunch, 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. – Presentation
Place: **NEW LOCATION** Centennial Ballroom, Travelodge Ottawa Hotel & Conference Centre, 1376 Carling Avenue
Cost: Early Registration (received by OCRI no later than 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday February 9, 2010)
$40.00 – OCRI and Web Analytics Association (WAA) Members (plus 5% GST)
$80.00 – Non-members (plus 5% GST)
$15.00 – Students (plus 5% GST)
Late and On-Site Registration (received by OCRI after 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday February 9, 2010)
$50.00 – OCRI and Web Analytics Association (WAA) Members (plus 5% GST)
$90.00 – Non-members (plus 5% GST)
$25.00 – Students (plus 5% GST)
Event pre-registration closes February 10th at 5:00 p.m.
Register online* or contact Tanya Calvo, Conference Administrator, Membership & Corporate Programs, OCRI at (613) 828-6274 ext 224 or tcalvo@ocri.ca.
On-site registrations are welcome.
*Online registration must be made by credit card
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