2012

All posts from 2012

Digital Strategy Conference Vancouver 2013 Agenda Live

by Kelly Kubrick on December 21, 2012

A few weeks ago, we announced the launch of the Digital Strategy Conference, which will deliver in-depth content on the essentials of planning, organizing, integrating and implementing digital initiatives.

To help you understand exactly what that will entail, I’m very happy to report that the agenda for Digital Strategy Conference Vancouver 2013 is now live, and its chock-full of fantastic speakers. Take a look at what we’ve got in store:

Over the course of three days, you’ll be taken on a guided tour through Defining Digital Strategy and Establishing Digital Maturity with a from Grace Carter, Online Experience, eCommerce, Aritzia. After that, we leap into five key areas of learning:

1. Organizational and Operational Readiness – learn from Dan Pontefract, Author – The Flat Army and Sr. Director Learning & Collaboration, TELUS, Michael Tippet, CEO, Co-Founder at Ayoudo and Christopher Berry, Co-Founder, Chief Science Officer, Authintic.

2. Content Strategy will be taught by industry expert Rahel Anne Bailie, Content Strategist and Author of Content Strategy with a case study about the City of Vancouver presented by Gordon Ross, VP and Partner, OpenRoad.

3. Mobile to Multiscreen Strategy – learn from Scott Michaels, Vice President, Atimi Software and guest speakers Pete Smyth, President & CEO at iamota and Shawn Neumann, President & Founder at Domain 7. After that, get the scoop on M-Commerce from Brian Flanagan, Sr. Director, Product and Retail Canada & LATAM, Expedia.

4. Social Strategy: Earned Media and Community Development, taught by Sandy Gerber, Founder, NEXT Marketing with a case study from Nancy Richardson, Vice-President, Digital & Brand Strategy at lululemon athletica.

5. Making Sense of Advertising / Paid Media: The Eco-system and Mixed Media Measurement – learn from Kevin Curtis, Sales Manager, Western Canada, Exponential and more from Christopher Berry.

Register now – you don’t want to miss out!

 

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Kelly KubrickDigital Strategy Conference Vancouver 2013 Agenda Live

Digital Maturity: the Data Strategy Dimension

by Kelly Kubrick on December 20, 2012

Originally published on the Digital Strategy Conference blog; republished with permission from dStrategy Media.

The third dimension of digital maturity is your Data Strategy. It is one of Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity™ assessed in the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model™, a business planning tool to help organizations improve their digital processes against an established standard.

Data Strategy icon from the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model An organization’s data strategy “reflects all the ways you capture, store, manage and use information.” Without a data strategy, organizations struggle with

  • Uncertainty about what data is collected / available
  • Poorly understood data standards, and how that can lead data quality issues
    • Is it ‘stale’?
    • Is ‘clean’ and / or ‘trusted’?
    • Is it ‘usable’ / is it ‘accessible’? In which formats?
  • Deciding how long they should store data
  • Who / which roles should be responsible for protecting and securing data
  • A lack of recognition of the strategic value of the data collected

Now, think about your organization’s approach to your data:

  1. Could you inventory the different data sources your organization has available? Within each, do you know what data you are collecting?
  2. How would you characterize your organization’s collection of customer data such as email addresses, ecommerce sales data, or member information?
  3. How would you characterize your organization’s use of data?
    • How ‘clean’ is your data?
    • Do you trust the data?
  4. Who is responsible for collecting and cleaning the various data sources?
  5. Are you collecting the data needed for you to take action with it?
  6. How quickly does your organization act on the data (offline / operational, customer, or digital) you are collecting?

When assessing your level of maturity in data strategy, think about the data you collect, how you use and share it and how frequently and how quickly you act on it.

Answering these questions is will help your organization determine if it is in the best position to implement your digital initiatives. What do you think? Have you got the right data strategy in place to ensure your organization’s digital success?

Next: Content Strategy

Next, let’s take a look at the fourth dimension, your organization’s content strategy.

Participate in the dStrategy Digital Maturity Benchmark Survey

For specific questions that measure the human resources dimension of digital maturity, take the dStrategy Digital Maturity Benchmark Survey. We will share our collective results at the next Digital Strategy Conference.

Learn how to measure your organization’s digital maturity

Or, to measure your organization’s digital maturity across all six dimensions, register for our upcoming Mapping Digital Maturity Workshop, a practical, hands-on learning session to help your organization create a road map for digital success.

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Kelly KubrickDigital Maturity: the Data Strategy Dimension

Digital Maturity: the Technology Resources Dimension

by Kelly Kubrick on December 10, 2012

Originally published on the Digital Strategy Conference blog; republished with permission from dStrategy Media.

The second dimension of digital maturity is Technology Resources. It is one of Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity™ assessed in the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model™, a business planning tool to help organizations improve their digital processes against an established standard.

Which technologies are in your technology toolbox today?

Technology Resources icon from the dStrategy Digital Maturity ModelHow has your organization addressed the availability and investment in the technology necessary for implementing your digital initiatives?

What types of digital initiatives are underway?

Are you publishing web content? Social media content? Email content?

If you are publishing digital content, are you managing your website internally or does your agency? Are you (or they) managing those efforts via content management systems?

As data is one of the outputs of web, email and social content management systems, are you using any kind of analytics tools to help generate insight in how those efforts are performing?

Are any of your people trying out any tools that let them collaborate more easily? Perhaps Google Drive or Dropbox to share files with your agencies? Perhaps Skype to avoid expensive long distance phone bills?

What kinds of rules and processes or governance do you have for the use of all of these digital technologies?

Answering these questions is will help your organization determine if it is in the best position to implement your digital initiatives. What do you think? Have you got the right technologies in place to ensure your organization’s digital success?

Next: Data Strategy

Next, let’s take a look at the third dimension, your organization’s data strategy.

Participate in the dStrategy Digital Maturity Benchmark Survey

For specific questions that measure the human resources dimension of digital maturity, take the dStrategy Digital Maturity Benchmark Survey. We will share our collective results at the next Digital Strategy Conference.

Learn how to measure your organization’s digital maturity

Or, to measure your organization’s digital maturity across all six dimensions, register for our upcoming Mapping Digital Maturity Workshop, a practical, hands-on learning session to help your organization create a road map for digital success.

read more
Kelly KubrickDigital Maturity: the Technology Resources Dimension

Digital Maturity: the Human Resources Dimension

by Kelly Kubrick on November 20, 2012

Originally published on the Digital Strategy Conference blog; republished with permission from dStrategy Media.

Introduced in the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model™, the first dimension of digital maturity is Human Resources.

In the model, a business planning tool to help organizations improve their digital processes against an established standard, we proposed six process areas – “The Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity™” – each of which is crucial for organizations to address in order to achieve success in digital.

Human Resources icon from the dStrategy Digital Maturity ModelThe first is your people – the human resources – working on your organization’s digital initiatives. Think about your organization’s approach to them:

Who works on digital initiatives?

Think of three different groups of people:

  1. People currently working with digital technology and processes: publishing, sales / ecommerce, marketing / communications, or collecting / analyzing data;
  2. Senior management / C-suite looking at threats and opportunities resulting from digital, and the impact of digital on your organization’s business model; and
  3. People who are not using digital technologies, processes or media, but who could be, ideally finding increased efficiencies.

Who are those individuals in your organization? How many are there in each group?

Where do those people “live” in your organization?

  • Who are they and what level are they at?
  • Is digital their primary responsibility or is it an ‘off the corner of their desk’ prioritization?
  • Do they work alone or as part of a larger team?

What kind of organizational support is provided to them?

  • Do they report to management who have digital training and or expertise?
  • If part of a team, is the team predominantly working on digital or non-digital initiatives?
  • What kind of training – in digital – is provided to your people?

Answering these questions is the first step in understanding whether your organization is in the best position to resource, and ultimately implement your digital initiatives. What do you think? Have you got the right people involved to ensure your organization’s digital success?

Next: Technology Resources

Next, let’s take a look at the second dimension, your organization’s technology resources.

Participate in the dStrategy Digital Maturity Benchmark Survey

For specific questions that measure the human resources dimension of digital maturity, take the dStrategy Digital Maturity Benchmark Survey. We will share our collective results at the next Digital Strategy Conference.

Learn how to measure your organization’s digital maturity

Or, to measure your organization’s digital maturity across all six dimensions, register for our upcoming Mapping Digital Maturity Workshop, a practical, hands-on learning session to help your organization create a road map for digital success.

read more
Kelly KubrickDigital Maturity: the Human Resources Dimension

Introducing the Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity, aka the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model™

by Kelly Kubrick on November 19, 2012

Originally published on the Digital Strategy Conference blog; republished with permission from dStrategy Media.

Do any of these sound familiar?

  • A digital campaign launches without measurement
  • A new product launches but the online customer support content doesn’t get updated
  • A new technology conflicts with an existing process in the online sales channel

Given all that we know about digital business today, how do these things happen?

It starts innocently. The pressure to launch – a responsive website, a Twitter account, anything – everything! – is such that the project kicks off without a clear, let alone known, process.

The requirement for action overwhelms the time available to plan. Suddenly, your digital presence suffers from the old “Fire, Ready, Aim” joke.

We promise there is a better way. Take advantage of established business planning tools such project plans and budgets. And, maturity models.

Take advantage of maturity models

A maturity model is business planning tool to help your organization improve processes against an established standard. Maturity models include assessment criteria and a method to score your efforts relative to the criteria.

The lower your score, the more opportunity there is to improve. The higher your score, the more you have optimized a given process, and the higher your maturity rating is.

Most importantly, the simplicity and clarity of a completed maturity model provides everyone in your organization a common starting point: the equivalent of the arrow on a map saying “You are here”.

 

What is a digital maturity model?

A digital maturity model is a business planning tool specifically intended to help your organization assess its digital processes against an established standard. Doing so will provide a framework – a road map, if you will – to progress your digital efforts.

By knowing where you are today, you are better able to decide where you could be in the future – and how you will get there. Assessing your digital maturity will help you visualize your path forward and set priorities for digital process improvement.

 

Introducing the Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity – the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model™

We created the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model, including assessment criteria and a rating method – from Zero, through Low, Medium and High – to help you assess your organization’s current digital maturity.

Image of the Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity - the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model

Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity – dStrategy Digital Maturity Model

Our assessment criteria span six dimensions, each of which is necessary for the successful execution of digital strategy. The Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity™ are described at each link below:

  1. Human Resources
  2. Technology Resources
  3. Data Strategy
  4. Content Strategy
  5. Channel Strategy
  6. Social Business Strategy

We look forward to discussing the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model™ with you here, and at the next Digital Strategy Conference.

In 2013, we introduced the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model™ at Digital Strategy Conference Vancouver, British Columbia and Ottawa, Ontario. Our audience not only confirmed the tremendous value that the Model provides, they asked, “What’s next?”

Share your insights

Next, we’re happy to report, is the dStrategy Digital Maturity Benchmark Survey. Now in it’s third year, we invite you to share your insights.

Learn how to measure and map your organization’s digital maturity

Then, you asked us how you could map your organization’s digital maturity and how you could apply and act on your assessment results. We listened and launched the Mapping Digital Maturity Workshop Corporate Training, a practical, hands-on learning session to help your organization create a road map for digital success.

We look forward to the next step in our collective path to digital maturity with you!

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Kelly KubrickIntroducing the Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity, aka the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model™

What is Digital Strategy?

by Kelly Kubrick on November 9, 2012

Originally published on the Digital Strategy Conference blog; republished with permission from dStrategy Media.

Defining Digital Strategy: Finding Common Ground

As a relatively new concept, there is no commonly understood definition of digital strategy. Many would say that digital strategy has to do with incorporating email, websites and social networks into marketing and communications efforts. Some might say it has to do with accepting electronic payment, registrations or donations. Others would say that it relates to going mobile.

Depending on your sector and industry, the perception and role of digital changes radically. To some, it’s disruptive in the worst possible way. To digital–first companies, it is their native habitat. To many, it hints at new opportunities – and to far too many, it is threatening, impacting roles and job expectations.

To muddy the waters further, the rationale for digital is ever evolving. Initial efforts focused on substitution – uncovering cost savings and improved efficiency. Then, focus shifted to identifying what we could sell online. And today, focus has shifted again, as we find ourselves asking how to use digital to improve the overall business.

Which brings us to this:

Digital Strategy Leads to Competitive Advantage

Digital strategy is the process of identifying, articulating and executing on digital opportunities that will increase your organization’s competitive advantage.

A competitive advantage is found when your organization “acquires or develops abilities” – such as technology or people – that allows you to create value, which no other organization is capable of. Those in the public or not for profit sectors might bristle at the term competitive, but we believe it still applies when seen through the lens of a competitive–comparative set.

A critical word in our definition is “process”. If a digital strategy is a process, remember that a process presumes a progression – from an initial starting point, to the approach of and overtaking of milestones to destinations both identified and unknown.

A practical and efficient way to do this is to take advantage of established planning tools such as maturity models. In our next post, we’ll introduce you to the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model.

We look forward to discussing our definition with you at at Digital Strategy Conference.

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Kelly KubrickWhat is Digital Strategy?

Introducing Digital Strategy Conference

by Kelly Kubrick on October 19, 2012

dsc_logo_4c_vert-OptimizedI’m very proud to announce Online Authority’s involvement in the launch of Digital Strategy Conference, an in-depth educational experience developed for managers and directors of marketing, communications, sales, customer service and information technology.

The inaugural conference will be held in Vancouver April 23-25, 2013 at the University of British Columbia’s Robson Square facility. Imagine a 3-day, deep dive into digital strategy with industry experts to teach you the essentials of planning, organizing, integrating and implementing digital initiatives.

In addition to the introductory sessions in Defining Digital Strategy and Establishing Digital Maturity, there are five key areas of learning:

  1. Organizational and Operational Readiness;
  2. Digging into Content Strategy;
  3. Mobile to Multiscreen;
  4. Social Strategy: Earned Media for Community Development; and
  5. Making Sense of Advertising / Paid Media.

Through the three days of content, there will be several digital strategy case studies presented to you from those who are ‘walking the digital strategy walk” today – peers who are grappling with the very same issues you are.

The conference came about through conversations with my colleague, Andrea Hadley, based on our observations of our collective need for “digital de-fragmentation” – or an opportunity to step back and get perspective on the never-ending demands for organizations to embrace  digital. We are very fortunate to have a strong Advisory Board that provides a much-appreciated guiding hand.

For more information on the logistics of the conference itself, please take a look at answers to our Frequently Asked Questions for Vancouver.

Finally, if you’re game – why don’t you consider submitting a Case Study proposal? The Call for Speakers is open until November 30th, 2012.

See you in Vancouver!

Updated: The detailed Digital Strategy Conference Vancouver 2013 agenda is now available

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Kelly KubrickIntroducing Digital Strategy Conference

Feeling fragmented by digital?

by Kelly Kubrick on October 15, 2012

Working in digital is like being caught in a earthquake of change.

Late in April 2011, after many conversations with my web analytics industry colleague, Andrea Hadley, I made a fateful comment. Since first meeting in 2008 and as a past member of her advisory boards for Internet Marketing Conference, SMX Canada and eMetrics Canada, we had spent many hours debating the future of our industry.

Kelly Kubrick

Kelly Kubrick, Vice-President and Partner, dStrategy Media, producers of Digital Strategy Conference

andreahadley_100

Andrea Hadley, President and Partner, dStrategy Media, producers of Digital Strategy Conference

Andrea is as passionate as I am about digital, and also happens to be a conference producer, based in Vancouver. She and I regularly discussed how it seemed that everyone we spoke to felt increasingly overwhelmed by the never-ending tactical options in digital.

The only advice out there seemed to be “You should quit; go work for someone who ‘gets’ digital”.

We didn’t like that advice. How could our industry build capacity in digital if the only advice was to encourage churn? We’d get nowhere as an industry or country.

“You should bring a conference to Ottawa”, I said. Innocently. Not understanding the significance of the gleam in her eye…

Within the year, we formed dStrategy Media, producers of the about-to-be-launched Digital Strategy Conference.

Introducing Digital Strategy Conference

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In digital, not only are we challenged by the need to juggle multiple dimensions – our people resources, our technology resources, our data, our content and social strategies…but on top of it, there’s non-stop fragmentation: new platforms, new channels and new business models.

What do do? Join us at Digital Strategy Conference. It will be a deep dive into digital strategy, bringing together senior directors and managers with industry leaders to learn the essentials of planning, organizing, integrating and implementing digital initiatives.

Digital Strategy Conference is an instructor-led, three day educational event intended to explore the fundamentals of digital strategy. We’ve outlined the key areas of learning so you know what to expect. Learn more here:

The first Digital Strategy Conference will take place in Vancouver, British Columbia in April 2013 followed by Ottawa, Ontario in June 2013. In each city, we’ll be tackling the following topics:

  • Defining Digital Strategy
  • Establishing Your Digital Maturity
  • Data Strategy and Performance Measurement
  • Digging into Content Strategy
  • Mobile to Multiscreen Strategy
  • Social Strategy
  • Making Sense of Paid Media

The call for speakers for both Vancouver and Ottawa is now open, and we look forward to reviewing your submissions. We hope you can join us!

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Kelly KubrickFeeling fragmented by digital?

About dStrategy Media

by Kelly Kubrick on August 15, 2012

Digital Strategy Conference is produced by dStrategy Media, co-founded by entrepreneur, marketer and industry advocate Andrea Hadley, and digital analytics professional Kelly Kubrick, President of Online Authority.

Andrea Hadley, Partner and President of dStrategy Media

Andrea Hadley, Partner and President, dStrategy Media

Kelly Kubrick, Partner and Vice President, dStrategy Media

Kelly Kubrick, Partner and Vice President, dStrategy Media

dStrategy Media resulted from our shared observation of a need for “digital defragmentation”.

We watched senior managers and directors become increasingly overwhelmed by never-ending tactical opportunities for digital, and noted a lack of framework to address organizational expectations and readiness around digital.

As experienced digital practitioners, we believe there is an opportunity for our collective community to bring perspective across the digital landscape.

We believe in in-depth educational experiences that bring together – and resolve the conflicts between – business, marketing, communications and technology groups.

We believe that digital impacts horizontally across function, and that its lessons can be leveraged across sector and industry.

[slogan]We provide practical, relevant and applicable insights and education, while encouraging discussion, knowledge and solution sharing with peers.[/slogan]

dStrategy Media produces events that help our audiences achieve perspective. dStrategy Media was created to provide you with perspective so that you can better execute, take action and deliver success within your organization. We achieve this through our brands including:

In addition to our in-depth domain expertise – from the early days of e-commerce, online customer service, email and search marketing, community management right through to today’s world of content strategy, the social business and 24/7 anywhere and everywhere connectivity, we have developed bench-strength in producing events and developing communities – finding and bringing together those who can change the direction of an industry for the better of all.

Contact us today to learn more about getting involved in dStrategy Media’s Digital Strategy Conference and Workshops.

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Kelly KubrickAbout dStrategy Media

Critical tidbits from a Web (now Digital) Analytics bookshelf

by Kelly Kubrick on July 19, 2012

Online Authority's Digital and Web Analytics bookshelfLike many of us in the web analytics industry, I’m indebted to every colleague who has put fingers to keyboard and documented our ever-evolving world of (now) digital analytics. Over the years, as new books have released, I leap to them and have always found a critical tidbit or two (or ten). To express my gratitude, I’ve noted what I’ve found valuable about each book. I hope this helps as you consider additions to your analytics book collection. Enjoy!

Advanced Web Metrics with Google Analytics (Third Edition) by Brian Clifton, 2012

I love this book for the sheer amount of detail it contains; it’s been an invaluable resource to me and I’ve returned to it, and its earlier edition(s)* repeatedly. If you are looking for specifics on Google Analytics implementation, this one’s for you. Brian’s instructions and recommendations on customizing the Google Analytics Tracking Code are crystal clear, precisely detailed and very pragmatic. The fact that he also publishes the Advanced Web Metrics blog to support the (book’s) community, was Head of Web Analytics for Google EMEA for three years and was instrumental in creating the Google Analytics Individual Qualification program (making him a “Xoogler” – per Brian, pronounced “zoogler”, and it refers to ex-Google employee) is just icing on the learning cake.

* Previous editions: first edition published in 2008, and the second in 2010.

Google Analytics, by Justin Cutroni, 2010

Similarly, if you need implementation specifics for Google Analytics, you need to own this book. It covers the full range of questions you’ll bump into, from a great chapter on Must-Have Profiles right through to mobile application tracking. Hit the ground running by taking advantage of Justin‘s chapter on creating your analytics implementation plan and you’ll never look back. The book offers is a more detailed version of Justin’s 2007 Google Analytics eBook, also published by O’Reilly, but together, they reinforce the wealth of analytics insight Justin has shared that you will find immediately applicable.

Web Analytics 2.0: The Art of Online Accountability & Science of Customer Centricity, by Avinash Kaushik, 2010

I’ve long admired Avinash‘s accessible writing style – humorous, practical and laden with metaphors that illustrate and amuse. From the man who brought us HiPPOs (Highest Paid Person’s Opinion) and Analysis Ninjas vs Reporting Squirrels, this book drew my attention in its consideration and treatment of emerging analytics: social, mobile and video. Further, every single analyst must read Chapter 2, Step 2: “Ten Questions to Ask Vendors Before You Marry Them”. Back in my Time Warner days, I learned how to interview potential vendors, and over the years, it has proven an invaluable skill. With Avinash’s help, you can now take crash course yourself. Go for it!

Actionable Web Analytics, by Jason Burby & Shane Atchison, 2007

This book is for those of you who face analytics issues relating to change management and organizational structure issues. There are two full chapters on addressing business culture landmines that analysts ignore at their peril and on the inside scoop on how to work successfully with analytics agencies (and the ZAAZ guys should know!). Finally, there’s also an incredibly useful section on how to staff your web team: the skills and roles you’ll need and the team structures you might want to consider. If you are responsible for building out an analytics area of practice at your organization, you can thank Jason and Shane for providing you with an instruction manual.

Web Analytics: An Hour A Day, written by Avinash Kaushik, 2007

Talk about an eagerly anticipated book! I was definitely a “pre-order” buyer and still think the hour-a-day format works. I’ve regularly recommended this book to managers trying to get new analysts up to speed because of how straightforward it makes the analytics learning path. An hour of web analytics a day? Talk about a simple instruction to give and receive. Within, you’ll find gems like Avinash‘s 10/90 rule: Allocate “10% of the budget on tools and 90% on people (brains) responsible for insights.” Gloriously helpful when budgeting. One of my favourite sections is a step by step guide to measuring PPC campaign cannibalization rate (vs. Organic). If you’ve ever had to go toe to toe with someone over the relative value of SEO vs. PPC and that person is unfamiliar with the concept of making decisions from data, Avinash has built your case for you.

Google Analytics, by Mary E. Tyler and Jerri L. Ledford, 2006

This book raced to hit the shelves very quickly after Google purchased Urchin and released the now ubiquitous Google Analytics. Unfortunately, due to how closely the book content adhered to the Urchin interface the screen shots feels dated (for a Google Analytics book). Although the next edition, Google Analytics 2.0, published quickly, the first edition remained helpful for analysts still working with Urchin. In particular, Part 3 of provides a thorough explanation of the old Executive, Marketer and Webmaster dashboards and the reports contained within, and frankly, provides more detail than the Urchin documentation ever did. Now that Google has elected to retire Urchin, this book may prove its value primarily as archival content, but nonetheless, if you must navigate Urchian-waters, you may still find it helpful.

The Big Book of Key Performance Indicators by Eric T. Peterson, 2006

Ahh – the memories. Thanks to Eric and his downloadable e-book and its companion spreadsheets, many of us were able to get a handle on what web analytics KPIs (key performance indicators) were, and what they were not. Eric gave us definitions, examples, and explained the value of thresholds and how colours would help communicate said thresholds. He raised awareness levels of non-maths how-did-I-become-a-web-analyst persons by clarifying the whys and wherefores of averages, percentages, rates and ratios. He helped us classify KPIs by business type. My personal epiphany related to the onsite search KPIs – Searches per Visit, Percent Zero Results, Percent Zero Yield, Search to Purchase Conversion Rate, Search Results to Site Exits Ratio. Sigh. Now I’m feeling nostalgic. Most importantly however, you can get your hands on this treasure trove  – free – due to Web Analytics Demystified’s very kind free book offer. Have fun!

Best of Web Analytics Guide: 12 Timeless Articles & Insights from Marketing Experts, by ClickZ Network, 2005

I could not resist including this little guidebook, as it serves as a reminder of the old saying “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose” or “the more things change, the more they stay the same”. It’s a series of 2004 and 2005 articles from the ClickZ Network, compiled and sponsored by Webtrends (back when they were WebTrends!). It’s a great snapshot of early web analytics lessons that still apply in today’s world of digital analytics – how to improve A/B testing, why audits should precede redesigns and not being afraid to fail. Like I said…plus ça change!

Web Analytics Demystified, by Eric T. Peterson, 2004

As someone who grew up professionally on the ecommerce / transactional side of web, I was very clear on how my “offline” i.e. magazine circulation marketers measured success. At Time Inc, concepts around acceptable acquisition cost and lifetime value were drilled into us, and we were asked to explain how the web source might impact those numbers. However, as the web source became more critical, we web-folk needed to learn more about what to count online and how to count it. Enter Chapter 2 and 3 of Eric‘s book – talk about lightbulbs! If you need clarity on the techniques and technologies used in web analytics, read this book. Then, give a nod to our pre page tag data collection days and romp your way through Eric’s advantages and disadvantages of log files versus page tags. Seriously. We aren’t considered geeks without good reason.

Winning on the Web: The Executive Pocket Guide to Smarter Marketing by NetIQ Corporation, 2002

Who remembers when NetIQ owned WebTrends (now Webtrends!)? I do. Who remembers those early vendor conferences when swag ruled? I do! Wait. I guess that still happens. Long live swag! Which is why I must mention this little guide, which introduced me to R.A.D.A.R. or Report, Analyze, Decide, Act and React. As anyone who’s taken my Webtrends course knows, if you want to know how to apply web analytics to your work plan this year, that acronym still contains value. Although, I also still think it should be R.A.D.A.R.R (the last R being “repeat”). So – my thanks to Webtrends (WebTrends?). Your efforts were appreciated!

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Kelly KubrickCritical tidbits from a Web (now Digital) Analytics bookshelf