Avinash Kaushik stops by to talk about Web Analytics 2.0
Published November 9, 2009 by Garry Przyklenk Analytics Tools, Interviews, web analytics
You’re sure to remember that back in June, I interviewed Avinash Kaushik in advance of his appearance at SES San Jose 2009. Well, he’s agreed to come back and talk to us again, and this time we’re chatting about his new book Web Analytics 2.0, which is on sale now. Just like his old book Web Analytics an Hour a Day, his new book is chock full of great advice and helpful life lessons when it comes to web analytics, plus proceeds of his book go to great causes (Smile Train and Ekal Vidyalaya).
Garry: Avinash, as always, it’s a great pleasure to have you back again. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us about the new book. Just from the title, I’m reading into a possible dichotomy: the separation of modern web design methodologies or technologies available and the application of insightful web analytics. Can the web analytics beginner pick up your book and get started right away, or is there a bit of a learning curve if someone didn’t read “Hour a Day”?
Avinash: Thank you so much for the chance to do this interview! To your question, if you want to start with a much more gradual slope, then Web Analytics: An Hour A Day is perhaps the optimal choice. With Web Analytics 2.0, even more of a business book than the first one, there is a shallow end of the pool where even complete newcomers can wade in and get comfortable.
But in WA 2.0 the slope gets steeper, faster. Translation: You’ll get smarter at a faster clip, though a light amount of passion and willingness is all that it takes to jump the curve.
Garry: With all the talk at recent conference sessions seemingly centered around multi-channel or multi-touch campaign attribution (and audiences being packed to the rafters), plus all the new tools available from vendors such as ClickEquations, it appears as though you’re tackling some hot-button topics. What are some of the elements of multi-channel or multi-touch attribution do you address in the new book?
Avinash: I think we all, every tool / agency, are answering the wrong question in the quest for doing multi-touch campaign attribution analysis. The question we are answering is: Who should get credit for my spend?
The question we should answer is: In the portfolio of online media options, how best can I allocate my budget?
These questions might seem similar, but they are not. In WA 2.0, I cover attribution in four parts:
- What is it?
- Before you freak out, how to identify if you should worry about attribution and if it is an issue at all for you.
- Dissection of the five attribution models that exist today, pros and cons.
- Two analytical approaches that hold promise as a better solution for this issue and answer the right question.
If you have the book, jump to Chapter 12.
Garry: I see your book as a “choose your own adventure” type of read and so should everyone (in a philosophical sense), no skipping ahead! I have to say though, your concept of the holy trinity of search is brilliant. Would you consider internal search an analytics ninja’s easiest win, with PPC a close second, and SEO more of a long term commitment? How do you see overall customer intent changing per segment?
Avinash: I must point out, like any other generalizer in the world : ), that each case is unique and given your business conditions things might be different for you.
But.
I would ideally recommend businesses to order them as:
- Internal Site Search: This is so darn easy. Three button clicks and you have data from your site, you have customer intent, accept it as a gift from God and start analyzing the data and improving your site in two days.
- SEO: It is a crime against humanity not to start to invest in SEO just as soon as you can. Achieving nirvana with SEO takes time and love. But it is astonishing how some simple attention to cleaning up URL’s and titles and content and making the site a bit more indexable will help boost your profile with Bing, Google and Yahoo!
- PPC: As an Analyst I have to say I love Paid Search, if for no other reason than the fact that it is such a complex and fun challenge. But PPC is also, for me, a very strategic weapon to be deployed very deliberately to get in front of people I otherwise can’t, to make up for where other campaigns are lacking or simply to crush competitors.
With internal search you get intent of the customer on your site. With Organic and Paid I have never found a really clean intent break for the head, but for the long tail where the “impression virgins” exist. So keep an open mind.
Garry: Yeah, I love PPC too, but mainly because of the instant gratification. As you mentioned though, crushing people is fun also! The world is also abuzz with excitement over measuring and monetizing channels such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and countless other social or new media sites. Can you give me a bit of a sneak preview of how you tackle the social media beast, especially determining the mood of the beast?
Avinash: In the book I cover both Twitter measurement and Youtube in some detail. The magnificent “secret” behind my recommendations? Simply understanding what makes these channels unique, I mean really unique, in terms of the customer connection and then figuring out what are the optimal desired outcomes.
So for example with Twitter it means not just measure the growth in followers (which is an ok primitive metric, like Visits in web analytics tools), but rather measuring message amplification (# of Retweets Per Thousand Followers). Why? Because today the best chance I have to reach people on Twitter is 14,374, but if my message is amplified then I have the possible chance to reach 1,172,804 unique folks! That’s measuring success.
The book shares other ideas like that one.
Garry: Yeah, my own personal reach could use a bit of amplification, but the point is that regardless of personal reach, anyone can tap into the potential amplification power of social media. Turning to touchier subjects… Like many others, I’ve had my own issues with creating a data-driven boss (not lately of course, don’t hurt me)… But how can you leverage one data-driven voice over a sea of seemingly infallible expertise? Do you think analytics ninjas need a bit of “sales” blood in them?
Avinash: In the book (and of course on my blog) I do cover both things: How to create a data driven boss and how to create data driven organizations (surprisingly two completely different problems!).
To answer your last question first, you are going to have to be a Marketer and in this case you are going to be convincing people the value of using data (just like P&G would do with Tide or how Dell would with touch screen monitors).
When it comes to transforming bosses the key is this: depersonalize decision making. Translation: What you present can’t be your opinion. Very often we’ll get into these meetings and say “this is how I think we should change this or I think we should do that” etc.
Take yourself out of the equation.
My weapons in this fight?
- Competitive Intelligence, I have yet to meet a boss whose ego was not completely crushed when I showed (competitive intelligence) data that showed how we were missing major opportunities and our competitor was not.
- Voice of Customer, I have, again, never met a boss that was brave enough to ignore voice of the customer, especially when the customers were blatantly pointing out all the problems.
So you want to create a data driven boss? Leverage your new BFF’s: your competitors and customers. You’ll do just fine.
Garry: That’s it for me, buddy! Glad we could connect once again, and hope to see you around soon.
Once again, the book is called Web Analytics 2.0 and is available at all finer book retailers across the country. Pick your copy up today, and remember, all proceeds go to some great causes. Even if you aren’t a “web analyst” or “analytics ninja” per se, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy anyways, Avinash will make you a better online marketer as well.
Tags: avinash kaushik, competitive intelligence, data-driven boss, data-driven organization, organic search, paid search, web analytics, webanalytics 2.0 book
