June Dershewitz on Web Analytics

5 Industry News Tidbits from the First Half of the Year

In an effort to get myself all caught up on what happened in the web analytics industry while I was on leave, I've been sifting through posts and press releases from the first half of 2009. Here are 5 noteworthy items:

1) Microsoft adCenter Analytics beta closes

The already-slim web analytics vendor market loses another player. Here's the development team's announcement from March.

2) GA launches certification for individuals

The new Google Analytics Individual Qualification test costs just $50 USD - and all of the course materials are public domain. Will it become a must-have bullet point on a web analyst's resume?

3) Twitter reaches critical mass

Somehow in the past 6 months every web analyst and their dog joined Twitter, Eric T. Peterson whipped up this incredibly popular Twitalyzer tool, and even Omniture says via press release that they can measure brand activity on Twitter.

4) New web analytics books

Dennis Mortensen and Steve Jackson - both very smart gentlemen - have published new web analytics books this year.

5) Web Analytics Association elects 7 new board members

It's an honor to have such a qualified set of WAA board members; I look forward to working with everyone over the next year.

Hello Again!

I have spent the past few months offline - welcoming my new baby - and now I am making a gradual return to the professional world. I plan to work part-time at Semphonic through the summer and then go full-time in September 2009 when my daughter enters daycare.

Ever the analyst, I have recently occupied my time with child-rearing data geek tools like the Itzbeen (it goes everywhere I go) and Trixie Tracker (oooh, pretty charts). Now, though, I am ready to pick up where I left off with the web analytics industry. I look forward to exploring all sorts of data and writing about the experience here on this blog.

It's great to be back. Thanks for reading.