Digithoughts

Last week, Digitaria’s Analytics team attended the regional LA/Southern California chapter’s inaugural Web Analytics Association Symposium in Santa Monica. After a busy train ride to L.A., the Digitaria analytics team rode in unaccustomed limo style (pictured) to Santa Monica.

The one-day event allowed SoCal analytics experts to share learnings in an ever-changing industry. We heard success stories (and cautionary tales) and discussed what the industry should anticipate in 2012. Here’s a brief overview on what’s new -- or news -- in the world of analytics:

1. Web Analysts should be specified and delineated as either Business Web Analysts or Technical Web Analysts. Focusing on a specialty will enhance the quality of work and the expertise of the analyst.
~ Gigi Geiger, Sr. Analyst & Web Analytics Evangelist

2. Reports should be digestible in five minutes or less. Summarize key findings up front before delving into more detail, since stakeholders will most likely not have time to read through everything.
~ Hayley Bruton, Web Analyst

3. The new phrase for quality assurance of data collection is Forensic Analytics. It's accurate, and it makes you sound cool like Willows and Grissom.
~ Adam Rosenberg, Web Analyst

4. Commitment + Resources + Tech Alignment + Organizational Clarity = Successful Enterprise Analytics
~ Adam Rosenberg, Web Analyst

5. While analysts have been busy talking about mobile and social in largely separate conversations, users have been busy tweeting from their phones and downloading the latest social media apps. In practice, there should be more overlap between mobile and social analytics.
~ Christine Wu, Sr. Analyst

6. Precision > Accuracy —But, you need to know exactly how off your data is, and be able to explain discrepancies.
~Jay, Yoo, Web Analyst

7. The four hats of a Web Analyst: Analyst, Information Architect, Creative and Project Manager
~ Mark Kegley, Sr. Analyst and Web Analytics Evangelist

8. Appropriateness of Analysis: As with analytics, always connect social media to a deeper business goal when reporting on findings.
~ Hayley Bruton, Web Analyst

The first Web Analytics Association Symposium was well worth the trip (even without a limo!) and we look forward and will support the event in hopes it becomes an annual excursion.

Nicole Rawski Sr. Analyst

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