It is general perception that "Web Analytics" is all about numbers. But numbers on their own do not add any value unless they are fitted into a context.
Eric Peterson in his book "Web Analytics Demystified said that “The numbers on their own are less interesting and less informative than changes in the numbers over time.” . However this is just one aspect of web analytics. The other and the most important one being to infuse critical business objectives/ goals into identifying, tracking, reporting and analysing the numbers.
So ultimately this boils down to the following 2 most important criteria while analysing web analytics data, they are:
1. To choose the correct, accurate and comprehensible numbers with context. The context could be time period, segments, sections, formats, etc.
and
2. The business goal/ objective that the task will achieve thereby adding value and ensuring ROI to the business.
The companies that have realized that web analytics is all about measuring and forecasting customer relationship with the business have benefited a great deal. This brings us to the next level in web analytics eCRM, which is extending the knowledge of web analysis to all other points of contact with the customer apart from the digital medium. And the task of integrating these two disparate data and knowledge to deliver better and add more value to the customer and also to enhance the businesses bottom line, credibility and brand value.
