Web Analytics Training

Now that we know the definition let's look at what really is web analytics, is it merely a 'cool term' used to cloak the boring world of Web statistics, or is there more to this term?

Quite commonly Web Analytics gets confused with Web Site Statistics; but it is not so. There exists strong distinction between the two.

 Web site Statistics is just what it states, it merely gathers the factual data for your website, and presets to you in a statistical format.

Whereas Web Analytics takes this data a step ahead and works by analysing the statistical data to present meaningful results and conclusion to you regarding your website.

In I state a factual figure that 240 visitors visit your website, of them 150 leave from homepage, 20 from page No 2, 30 from Page No 3 & So on. What information did you get out of this, mere figures, which do not provide any underlying meaning. As a website owner, you will be more interested in knowing as to why are 150 of your visitors leaving from homepage itself... or why are your visitors leaving at all.. The numbers by themselves are useless.

Web Analytics will solve this problem for you, it will take up these numbers, and analyse them using different statistical and analytical tools. Final result will be a trend line of your visitors, a flowchart of the pattern followed by your visitors etc. The same number which held no meaning by themselves, now make sense. They embody certain trends and behaviour patterns.

This is what web analytics is all about, it's about delving deeper into the data, looking beyond the superficial and finding out the lines that interlinks them. Analytics is about connecting the dots until a recognisable pattern emerges and then presenting it to you.

Web Analytics works on answering the why of things. It focuses on explaining to you, the cause behind the numbers and the bringing forth the hidden pattern they form.

No we are not denying the overlap, after all statistics forms the base of Analytics; however, while statistics is a part of the jigsaw puzzle, analytics is the whole jigsaw puzzle itself.

This brings us to the next question, how does all this happen?

While statistic may sound like an intimidating word to many. The working of analytics as a whole is quite simple and streamlined:

1st you require the Raw Material, which is in form of Data

This can be found in 'Access log' a log file contained in every website, or for the smarter geeks, most analytics provider have special 'JavaScript' code which can be used to 'tag' a website and collect data from it.

2nd Analysis

Here you have to do minimal work, as this is majorly the headache of the Analytics provider. A host of software's and programs are used to analyse the raw data collected from your website.

3rd Assimilate

This is totally up to you. Once the data has been analysed, the results are there for you to study, while some analysis can be taken on face value, most serious 'Analytics consultant' work on the analysed data with their own set of programs, and superior intelligence ;) to produce more clear patterns while may bring out some deeper meanings and hidden trends.

This information is then used to shape up your website, spruce it up, and make it more effective and result oriented. And viola! Web analytics has performed their magic for your website J

Next up, Does Analytics really make a difference?

Didn't we just explain how analytics works magic on your website:-O however we know some of you will still not be convinced, so here's some more point to make you see how sweet Analytics is. Don't ask us again:

• Web analytics will help you discover answer to the most important unanswered question about your website, why does a certain thing happen; e.g. 'why are customers not contacting you?' how effective is your website; e.g. 'how effective is your new content?'
• Web analytic provides you with solid leads, new information and insights to work on to improve your website, and its related parameters
• Information gleamed from analytics can be used to improve the effectiveness of your marketing and advertising strategies; it helps increase the impact of the various strategies you have and seek to implement as well.
• Importantly Analytics helps you tremendously by acting as the 'Feedback Loop' from your customers. This feedback will help you to make your website much more customer friendly
• In case of ecommerce website, Analytics works wonder to revamp your website and understand customer flow pattern

MOST IMPORTANTLY:

Analytics provides you the crucial feedback from your customer about your website, any new changes made, new promotion/ marketing strategy every single thing about your website has been designed to please your customer, but how well are these designs working? Do customers really love your new website? These decisive questions can be answered only by Web Analytics.

So now you know what's Web Analytics, how does it work and most importantly what benefits can it offer to you and your website. Hope this has piqued your interest in fascinating field. Do get in touch with us, for any related queries. And if you want to know more about Web Analytics, do get in touch with us by filling up Contact us form.