June Dershewitz on Web Analytics

X Change 2008 News and Deals

Have you heard?  The X Change web analytics conference is coming up in San Francisco on August 17-19, 2008. At X Change you'll share the table with seasoned practitioners, vendors, consultants, bloggers and industry experts without feeling like you're subject to a formal speech or a sales pitch.  You'll all have an equal stake in the conversation, thanks to the small-group discussion "huddle" format.  You won't just be an attendee, you'll be an active participant.

If this sounds like something you'd enjoy, here are a few things you can - and should - do soon:

Get a room

X Change will be held at the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco.  It's a classy place and the service is phenomenal.  Our discounted room rate of $329 USD per night is only available through June 30th.  If you want this rate you must reserve your room before the end of June; the discount code will be provided when you register for X Change.

Get a discount

Members of the Web Analytics Association are eligible for a 15% discount to X Change.  Use the code "XCWAA15" when you register for the conference.  If you are not a member of the WAA, I most certainly encourage you to join today.  Event discounts are among the many benefits of membership.

Get a free ride

Wish you could come to X Change but lack the funds?  Well, this year we are awarding a scholarship - including conference admission, a room at the Ritz and reasonable travel - to one talented individual, possibly you. Read the scholarship details and get started on your essay.  The conference will be a great place to network, and the scholarship will make an impressive addition to your resume.

If you've got any questions about X Change you can contact me directly at <june@semphonic.com>.  See you there!

eMetrics Recap in 100 Words

Highlights from eMetrics SF 2008:

Tom Davenport’s keynote was inspiring. He communicates what we’ve known all along – the importance of analytics - straight up to our executives.

Jakob Nielsen’s presentation was captivating. His videos of user testing sessions drew laughter; we can all relate.

Industry Insights Day was 100% worthwhile. Sharp minds; lively conversation.  Similar in spirit to X Change.

Zero newsworthy vendor announcements. Google Analytics unveils “almost” real-time processing. Ho-hum.

WAW was a smashing success. My super co-host Eric Peterson applauds the feat – and fête.

Our Twitter backchannel was a fun experiment.  Let's do it again, Clint.

That's all!
 

 

Speaking, Listening, Partying, Learning and Otherwise Engaged at eMetrics SF

The eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit happens May 4-7 and I'm so looking forward it!  Although the conference is practically walking distance from home I still think of it as a Big Trip.  Here's what I'm excited about:

I get to speak.  James Gardner and I will do a modified reprise of the presentation we gave at eMetrics DC last fall, and we'll be sharing the hour with the inimitable Dylan Lewis and Mark Brooks.  The four of us have worked out a nicely-coordinated set of talks focused on career development and staffing in web analytics.  Read about our track.

I also get to listen.  With gusto I will attend as many sessions as I can.  After the conference I'll do a write-up on my blog.  If you just can't wait that long I may also post some juicy tidbits on Twitter (tsk, Twitter) so feel free to follow me.

And I am throwing a big party. Have you not heard?  Web Analytics Wednesday happens on May 6th and you're invited.  Muchas gracias to Eric T. Peterson, David Rogers, our fine sponsors (Coremetrics, SiteSpect, ForeSee, Tealeaf and eMetrics), our super volunteers and every single participant.  Sign up now if you haven't already. We already have more than 160 web analytics professionals signed up to attend!

If you're attending eMetrics and you'd like to meet, please introduce yourself - I still look like the picture on my blog, except I have a new short haircut.  If you are in the vicinity but you can't spring for an eMetrics ticket, don't despair!  There are 3 associated free activities during the week: Web Analytics Wednesday, the WAA Raucous Caucus, and the eMetrics Expo-Only pass.

Here's to eMetrics.  It's going to be a busy week but a lot of fun.

Omniture Summit Report: March 6, 2008

Seth Godin, in his masterful and highly entertaining keynote presentation at the Omniture Summit, made the point that marketing should be considered in relation to any business activity rather than as a cherry on the top.  We need to rethink our definition of marketing, he says.  Perhaps, when we express concern that web analytics has been "hijacked" by marketing, we're really just thinking about the old definition of marketing, not Seth's new one.

As if Day 1 of Summit wasn't action-packed enough, I've got notes from sessions I attended on Day 2:

Leveraging User-Generated Content to Increase Consumer Interaction & Loyalty 
The presentation included some very practical examples for building a community of content contributors, although it was all based on the assumption that the UGC activity actually occurs on your own site.  This is not always the case.  Reviews happen everywhere, ratings happen everywhere, media uploads happen everywhere.  If you are only focused on measuring on your own site activities you are missing a big chunk of the action.  See Dennis Mortensen's great post on the Online Business Measurement Quadrant for more on this topic.  I've written about Flickr stats in the past, and I intend to continue writing about UGC measurement.

Using APIs to Get the Right Data in the Right Place
When I walked in 10 minutes late the powerpoint slide on the screen read, "Reporting Web Services: So easy, even a marketer can do it!!"  This new API is bidirectional - you can push data into SiteCatalyst and also pull data out.  I thought the push component was interesting, but by the time I arrived, and through the rest of the hour, the presenters were discussing how to pull data out.  Make Mac dashboard widgets, create Flex applications, the sky's the limit.  Developers in the room were salivating. There were a lot of questions about billing, which is based on somewhat nebulous "token" usage. 

Closing Session: Product Road Map
Everyone told me that this would be a highlight of the Summit, and it certainly was.  Brett Error, the ironically-monikered Omniture CTO, lead a town hall session where audience members got to suggest product improvements.  Maybe it's a sign of our field's maturity: most of the suggestions were either quite minor or already available (but perhaps not obvious enough).  My favorite suggestion was the ability to see the open rate for executive reports sent via email.  Laughter from the crowd; it's an issue we all face.

A number of other web analytics bloggers attended Summit, so you should read their accounts, as well:    Stephane Hamel, Manoj Jasra and June Li (my doppelganger).

Here's a picture I snapped out the window at the fantastic Salt Lake City Public Library, where I've written this post:

Omniture Summit Report: March 5, 2008

"This," arms spread wide, gesturing to indicate the expanse of our meeting hall, "must be the largest gathering of web analysts I've ever seen in one room."

If there's a theme to the conversational buzz at the Omniture Summit, it is the formidable size of our crowd. Omniture CEO Josh James, in his welcome address this morning, said that there are over 2000 people here at the show.

My favorite part of the morning session was a live demo of newly-released SiteCatalyst 14.  New features drew hoots and hollers of genuine approval from the audience.  Of note:  Sparklines!  Ajax calendar!  Tighter link between SiteCatalyst and Discover!  Also a nice demo of Search Center highlighting useful data integration at the upstream (keyword buying) and downstream (ie Salesforce or other Genesis Partner) endpoints.

In the afternoon I went to a well-attended session entitled, "Think Big: Using Analytics to Win in Today's Economy." The thesis was, those who continue to spend money on marketing during a recession will become more competitive.  I wasn't entirely convinced by the argument, but so be it.  As an industry I think we'll be talking about this subject a lot more in the year to come.

A few other general trends in talks:

• Data integration
• Social media
• Marketing/IT conflict
• Campaign attribution

And now, pictures.

Josh James on the jumbotron.  Am I the only one who thinks he looks like a young David Letterman?

David Yoakum from the Gap, speaking in the Retail Industry Track.

Lance Armstrong, who told an incredible story about his fight with cancer.

One Omniture-green beverage.

I neglected to bring my camera to the Flight of the Conchords show, but it was great.  Nametag-wearing conference-goers gave an exceptionally enthusiastic round of applause for the binary solo in the robot song.

Where You'll Find Me in February and March

Last week you would have found me sitting beachside in the tropics, drinking out of a coconut and reading Japanese crime fiction.  From this point onward, however, you'll find me involved in the world of web analytics.  Here, here and here:

Omniture Summit

On March 4-7 I'll attend the Omniture Summit in Salt Lake City.  I'm looking forward to seeing Lance Armstrong's presentation (and, wow, a Flight of the Conchords show!!), but even more so I'm looking forward to catching up with my Semphonic clients, my  own former colleagues, and anyone who cares enough to read this blog.  If you see me there please say hello, and if you'd like to meet feel free to send a note in advance.  I'm june@semphonic.com

Web Analytics Wednesday

On February 6 and March 12 (and onward, monthly) I will gladly participate in my favorite local event, Web Analytics Wednesday.  On the agenda for February: a trip to the movies.  We're going to see Untraceable, the newly-released web analytics thriller that Ian Thomas filed under "humour" on his blog.  Thank you Web Analytics Demystified, Inc. for providing this event's sponsorship.

Stay in the loop regarding San Francisco Bay Area WAW events by joining our Yahoo! group and/or Facebook group.  We cross-post all announcements.  Also, if you have attended WAW in the past and can vouch for how much fun it is, please share your experience on the WAW site.

In "Print"

Oh, and I'm online 24-7: fellow web analytics consultant Anil Batra has just published an interview with me on his blog.

Ask Semphonic Q&A Webinar on Dec 11

Join me on Tuesday, December 11th, 11:00-11:45am PDT for a free Q&A webinar: Ask Semphonic.  The topic of the day is Omniture's recent acquisition of Visual Sciences.  A whole gang of Semphonic analysts, myself included, will be on hand to field your questions. 

If you're reading this you're invited.  In order to participate you will need to 1) RSVP here and then 2) submit your questions to analytics@semphonic.com.  The RSVP part is mandatory, the question submission part is optional - but I really do encourage you to send in some questions.  The better the questions, the better the answers, the better the webinar.

I'm looking forward to it and I hope you can attend.

San Francisco Web Analytics Wednesday Event and Resources

I ♥ SF.  I have lived and worked in the city of San Francisco since 1999; although I was not born here it feels right to call it my hometown.  Over the past 2 years I have helped organize Web Analytics Wednesday in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Through my participation in WAW I have met a great group of like-minded professionals, and I know I'll be running into these people again and again over the course of my career.  Need I mention that you could benefit similarly by attending WAW events, either here in the Bay Area or wherever you happen to be?

Here's our next local gathering:

Wednesday, October 24th, 6:00-8:00 pm
Zebulon Cafe and Bar
83 Natoma St, San Francisco, CA
Look for us downstairs; we'll have a sign on the table.
Drinks and light snacks provided courtesy of this month's sponsor, Web Analytics Demystified, Inc (thanks, Eric!).
Please RSVP so we know to expect you.

If you'd like to stay in the loop regarding future events, please join the Bay Area WAW Yahoo! group and/or Facebook group (you need a Facebook profile to follow this link).  All of our events are cross-listed, so either group will do.

If you're not a Bay Area person, thanks for enduring this locals-only announcement.  If you organize - or would like to organize - WAW in another city, I'd be glad to offer my advice.  I can be reached at june-at-semphonic-dot-com.

What is the Career Trajectory in Web Analytics?

I've just returned from eMetrics in DC and, as is the case after any great gathering, I am inspired by what I've learned, percolating with questions, and reallllly tired.  Over dinner on Tuesday a fellow conference attendee referred to my personal interest level in web analytics as "rabid."  No wonder I'm tired; I've been in mad dog mode for 3 days straight.

I spent a great deal of time this week thinking about careers.  My own career, the careers of those around me at eMetrics - we're all trying to find our spot, adapting as the web is changing, as our tools are changing, as our personal priorities are changing.  Career management is a tough issue, and it's something I believe anyone who is in this field or thinking of entering this field absolutely must consider.

I was fortunate enough to co-present, with James Gardner from Aquent Staffing, a talk entitled Career Management Strategies for Web Analytics Professionals.  I shared the story of how I've managed my own career in web analytics, then I gave some advice on the topics of job-hopping, freelance consulting, and the "swiss army knife" approach to skills development.  James rounded out the talk by describing what I think is a really useful framework for career management.  Bottom line: Nobody cares about your career as much as you do; it's up to you to decide where it takes you.  Our slides are here:

Presented at eMetrics From:

June Dershewitz

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We knew someone would ask a certain hard question during Q&A, and indeed it did get asked, "So ... what is the career trajectory in web analytics?  I'm in the field now, but where do I go with it?"  Here's the summary of our answer plus some follow-up thoughts:   

On a personal level, know that there is no single exemplary career trajectory you should follow.  YOU need to think about what would suit you best based on your own goals and dreams.  This goes back to self-responsibility - it's up to you to choose the direction you take.  If you prefer management, do that.  If you prefer individual contribution, do that.  There's not one "right" way to do it, so choose what makes you happy.

A fellow from a large company came up after my talk and said he felt like he's had a lot of success with his own career path.  He started out as a web analyst, then was a manager of web analysts, and now is working as a business strategist with fairly wide-ranging responsibilities (all at the same company, no job-hopping).  He feels strongly that his background in web analytics has given him a good foundation for the broad work he does now.

Others see management as the direction they'd like to head but face obstacles along the way. Just because you see the potential for expanded use of web measurement in your organization doesn't mean you will get the executive buy-in you need in order to grow your team.  If you want to manage a team of analysts but lack the budget to hire anyone, how do you advance your career?  How frustrating!  Megan Burns from Forrester Research provided strategies for overcoming this barrier in her eMetrics presentation entitled The Business Case for Web Analysts.

Career advancement is less well-defined and more difficult for web analysts who enjoy individual contribution.  I, for one, am a details person - I love to actually DO analysis work - and I'm aware that a pure management role would distance me from the activities that attracted me to web analytics in the first place.  To that end I prefer the variety and challenge that I get as a consultant, and I believe it's possible to become a leader, acting as a mentor to others rather than moving up the management ladder in the traditional sense.   If you are an individual contributor you absolutely must make an active effort to ensure that you continue to move forward with your career; be creative and don't get stuck in a rut. 

This bifurcation between individual contribution and management paths is not unique to web analysts - it does happen in other career specializations.  Take sales, for example.  Say that you get your start in sales and find that you excel at it; eventually you'll have to make a choice about how you advance your career.  Do you continue to sell, working on larger and more prestigious accounts?  Or do you stop selling and move on to manage others who sell?  There's no one right answer.  It's up to you to choose.

Thoughts?  Stories?  I welcome your feedback.

WebTrends Engage '07: What Happened in Vegas

Was I there to bask in the legendary Las Vegas ambiance?  Or was I there to learn about WebTrends' new product offerings?  In all honesty, a little of both.

I've just returned home from the WebTrends Engage conference, held October 9th and 10th, in Las Vegas.  I'd never been to a vendor-sponsored show before.  It was a little odd to be surrounded by many (though not all) of the usual suspects in the field of web analytics - clients, vendors, consultants - but conspicuously absent were some of my favorite people who happen to work for (or are clients of) competing vendors.  I enjoy events like X Change and eMetrics precisely because of the lack of tool focus - vendor neutrality makes it easier for participants to transcend the whole discussion of tools and talk about what really matters to us and the businesses our work supports.

BUT, as I said I was there to experience Vegas and learn about WebTrends products.  Mission accomplished.

First things first: Vegas ambiance.  WebTrends threw a fabulous party on Tuesday night at the Palms hotel.  The club was totally over-the-top: retractable moon roof, smoke machine, cheesy cover band, guys from the conference dancing somewhat awkwardly while still wearing their name badges.  Dave Navarro showed up later in the evening.  Really. 

And then there was my hotel room.  Although I paid the normal room rate, hotel staff inexplicably (mistakenly?) upgraded me to a penthouse suite - 6 rooms, 4 couches, 3 TVs, panoramic view of the Strip, etc.  Ha!  I was hardly even there.  I was out at the conference, as I said, learning about WebTrends products.

As the name of the conference suggests, WebTrends is pushing the concept of engagement.  One of their new products, Score, makes it easier for marketers to create custom engagement metrics and then assign a score to every single visitor.  How cool is that?!  On Tuesday there was a panel discussion on engagement involving a great cast of thought leaders in our field, including Semphonic's own Gary Angel.

There's definitely some debate on whether or not we think engagement is real or fluff.  Regardless, tools like Score will make it possible for practitioners to see if engagement is a useful thing to concentrate on in real life, not just in theory.

Score was actually the second-most interesting/useful product I learned about at the conference.  The real reason I was there was to learn about Visitor Intelligence.  You can bet I took notes.  I will share some thoughts on Visitor Intelligence in another post.  In the meantime, check out this thorough review written by my fellow conference attendee, Jacques Warren.