Archive for March, 2007

What vendors could learn from the Emetrics Summit

March 31, 2007

Vendors should also educate themselvesAfter a very nice bath, a good nights rest and some usual Saturday grocery shopping, I finally got René out of his week-end siesta and decided it was time to start my first post about the Emetrics Summit we attended, together with Siegert, during the end of this week in London.
As usual, there is a lot to digest after such an event but, in contrary to last year, it was more about networking and confirmation of our own issues and findings than real new knowledge and great surprises. Call me ‘blasée’ or just really focused.

In any case, please allow me to start with some kind of rant through a list of things I heard from vendors and found misplaced, ridiculous, utterly stupid and shows how little some of them (not all by afar) actually know about the business they’re in.
I’m aware of the fact that these are harsh words but as more and more vendors seem to be walking the education path for their own personnel as well (on top of their clients apparently), I would just like their statements to be more than simple words.

(more…)

Posted in Business Tips and Tricks, eMetrics, Emetrics Summit London 2007, Events, Web Analytics, Web Analytics Industry News | 3 Comments »

Questions time: Web Analytics Vendors, what’s your unique selling proposition?

March 31, 2007

Emetrics London 2007Yesterday, during the Emetrics Summit in London we were given the opportunity to ask questions to a panel of Web Analytics vendors that covered most of the top players of the Industry. Jim called it the ‘Vendors Variety Hour‘. It was a pity that Ian Thomas could not participate as Microsoft hasn’t yet launched Gatineau 😉 (looking forward to see you in the panel next year).

Web Analytics Vendors Panel Emetrics Summit London 2007

From left to right we had:
– SAS – Omniture – ClickTracks – WebSideStory (VS) – Unica – WebTrends – IndexTools – Google

Last year during the Emetrics there was a question ‘Vendors name one thing you do better than WebTrends‘. This year I decided to bring again the question, but with a twist ;-):
‘Vendors, what would be your unique selling proposition?‘ And the twist was for Avinash that was actively representing Google: ‘Avinash you cannot say that GA USP is it’s free‘.

The answers to the question were: (more…)

Posted in About us, eMetrics, Emetrics Summit London 2007, Events, Google Analytics, Web Analytics, Web Analytics Industry News, WebTrends | 4 Comments »

Emetrics First Day… Astonishing

March 30, 2007

It was a great day yesterday here at the Emetrics. We had the pleasure to see some great presentations. If I was to pick only two I would recommend Jim’s and Avinash’s. More to come here in our blog in the coming days.

In the meantime I leave you with a video from Jim as he seems to enjoy the YouTube Video Buzzing 😉

Posted in eMetrics, Emetrics Summit London 2007, Events, Web Analytics | 1 Comment »

Emetrics London 2007 (-1day: Web Analytics Gridlock)

March 29, 2007

Aurélie and I arrived at noon to London to attend the Emetrics summit (Siegert was joining us this evening).
The day started with a funny video sent by Jim this morning that I saw while I was having my morning coffee (Jim please keep doing these they are really refreshing!):

So, what have we been up today? (more…)

Posted in About us, eMetrics, Emetrics Summit London 2007, Google Analytics, Web Analytics | 4 Comments »

Google Analytics: there’s more to it than meets the eye

March 26, 2007

Google AnalyticsAs we just came back from Ireland where some members of the Web Analytics European Dream Team (WAEDT) followed the Google Analytics Authorised Consultant Training (GAAC), I thought like sharing what we’ve learned back in Dublin, unfortunately – to Julien’s discontent – one week after St. Patricks’ Day. Hey, Jules being allowed into those great Google offices is already quite an experience, you can’t have it all but next time, I promise I’ll buy you a Guiness!

It was a great honor to be part of the 30 or so members of the European GAAC training in order to discuss best practices and optimal uses of Google Analytics. It’s not every day that Google reaches out to third party consultants and discussing with Danish, Italian, Spanish, Irish, German, Dutch & English representatives was really a treat, while you actually realise that issues in these countries are quite similar to what we see in our little Belgium (I know, I’m Dutch but as I’ve been here for over 15 years, one could assume I’ve been adopted, right Sieg?).

It was also interesting to see all those features explained, one after the other in order to get a more complete picture of what is actually going on with this product and how far reporting can stretch for what remains a free tool. As Brian Clifton already mentioned during the eMetrics summit in London last year about the price quality ratio of GA, it’s unbeattable. I would add to this that after Dublin, I’m actually even more convinced than ever.

But let’s start with the beginning… (more…)

Posted in About us, Business Tips and Tricks, Google Analytics, Web Analytics | 10 Comments »

Going to Emetrics Summit London 2007!

March 25, 2007

This week, Aurélie, Siegert and I will be attending the first Emetrics Summit of the year in London.

For those of you who don’t know Emetrics, it’s the best WA related event worldwide gathering the best professionals of the sector. We will make some posts afterwards as we use to. In the meantime, you can read our previous posts about Emetrics of view this video that explains the concept.

Previous Emetrics posts:

Emetrics London 2006:
We went to Emetrics Summit London 2006!
Emetrics Summit London 2006: Vendors, name 1 thing you do better than WebTrends
The State of European Web Analytics: moving the right way!
IT responsibles taking the lead in Web Analytics?
Del.icio.us, competitor to Google?
Top 10 Web Analytics problems
Top 10 Web Analytics KPI (Key Performance Indicators)
Web Analytics: what about Packet Sniffing?
Emetrics Washington 2006:
Arrival at Emetrics – Washington – The Big Picture
Web Analytics Journey Index (WAJ)
eMetrics Summit – Washington 2006 : A big thank you to you all!
The Web Analytics product spectrum: from Google Analytics to Visual Sciences
After eMetrics, an urge for Web Analytics European professionalism
Visual Sciences’ Promise

Hoping to see many of you there 😉

René

P.S. I’ve heard from Jim that it hasn’t yet sold out, so if you’re tempted, register asap before it’s too late 😉

Posted in About us, eMetrics, Emetrics Summit London 2007, Events, Web Analytics, Web Analytics Industry News | 3 Comments »

BeCommerce Awards winners & Web Analytics

March 23, 2007

BeCommerce Awards 2007Following the example of Julien with his research on the web analytics tools used by CAC40, IBEX35 and DAX30 companies, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the 2006 and 2007 BeCommerce Awards winners (see post BeCommerce Awards 2007) as well, to get an idea if the best of Belgian eCommerce is doing any web analytics überhaupt and which is their prefered tool.

To be complete, I also included the companies which were attributed the BeCommerce Label (and this for the first time in Belgium). These companies received this label as their ecommerce website fullfilled different conditions such as respecting the privacy, solving complaints, prtecticting minors, etc.
As they respresent the best of breed, I wondered if they analyse their web site behavior to improve their Return On Investment?

Let’s start with the list of winners and label owners, and the web analytics tool they use: (more…)

Posted in Business Tips and Tricks, Events, Web Analytics | 5 Comments »

On tag placement and related mechanisms…

March 16, 2007

I was having a stimulating conversation with Maxime, our Technical Web analytics Specialist (in-training).

It’s a technical debate but it fits clearly in our role as Web Analytics education provider.

When it comes to implementing a Javascript, tagging-based, Web Analytics solution, we are usually faced with one of three scenarii:

  • Manual insertion of the tag
  • Automatic insertion of the tag via a scripting stack, CMS or other Web application package
  • Automatic insertion of the tag by means of a server-based mechanism

(more…)

Posted in Technical tips and tricks, Thoughts and Ideas, Web Analytics | 3 Comments »

Our new WebAnalytics.be website is online!

March 6, 2007

WebAnalytics Banner

I know that our previous WA website was not very user-friendly (our stats confirmed that). It’s been over a year that we wanted to change it but as usual we always had more important projects to work (our clients’). Hopefully, thanks to the arrival of Julien we have been able to come up with a new version.

WebAnalytics DesignThe design has been implemented by Manuela (view her portfolio). Her purpose was to illustrate a complex concept as Web Analytics through appealing and somehow shocking (or at least ironic) images without loosing the objective to get the right message across. The nature themes were already present in our previous WebAnalytics.be communications and we wanted to pursue that path and bring something new. We continued using green as a main color to keep a coherent graphical identity.

Every concept (one per main section) has been divided in two steps (two images and texts) to reflect the most common mistake that we see around Web analytics: it’s not as obvious as you might think. Very often we speak with potential clients that get a wrong idea about Web analytics, we always have to explain that in WA there are NO SILVER BULLETS or as Avinash would like to say, tools are not everything, what you do with them is what matters.

The structure of the design reflects the divine proportion rule to evoke the mathematical and natural balance that exists within Web Analytics. It also evokes continuous improvements (never ending cycle). The messages are voluntarily short and clear to create impact and reflection in contrast with mainly vendor related content.

We have tried to keep it simpler than the previous version, so I hope that it will be easier for you to browse through.

Please if you have any comment or suggestion, don’t hesitate to post it here or send it directly to rdo AT ox2 DOT be.

Enjoy 😉

Posted in Web Analytics | 4 Comments »

DAX30 & Web Analytics

March 2, 2007

Max Raabe

“Meinen Damen und Herren, Mambo Nummer fünf”

So I’ve been listening to Max Raabe und das Palastorchester a bit too much lately but what can I say, this guy cracks me up 😀 But anyhow, to paraphrase Max (and Britney Spears – hallowed are her eBayed locks) : Oops, I did it again!

In this installment of European Stock Exchange companies and Web Analytics, I chose to examine the Frankfurt DAX30 index.

CAC40 & Web analytics

First of all, here is a description of each company site and which WA solution they use: (more…)

Posted in Euro WA Index, Web Analytics | 1 Comment »