What is Web Intelligence?
October 15, 2007
For those of you new to the term “Web Intelligence” it refers to the ability to collect data, mine data and analyze data from activities on the website or e-commerce business. It runs hand in hand with Web Analytics because in order to build intelligence about your company’s web activities you need to understand the analytics behind the way in which your website currently runs.
You may have heard of business intelligence or “BI” as it’s referred to sometimes. According to Wikipedia, Business Intelligence is a business management term, which refers to applications and technologies that are used to gather, provide access to, and analyze data and information about company operations.
As the web becomes more prominent in terms of helping businesses achieve and maintain objectives the lines between business intelligence and web intelligence will become blurred.
Visual Sciences Web Analytics Certifications: Are they worth it?
October 10, 2007
With the Web Analytics industry becoming bigger and bigger it is only natural that vendors like Visual Sciences who sell the WebSideStory’s HBX Analytics suite of products start to develop certification paths for those interested in studying the HBX Analytics platform. That being said, not all certifications are created equally. Many certifications are not worth the paper that they are printed on unless you are doing a job that requires you to be certified. For those people who are seeking an education in Web Analytics you may be confused about the path to achieving this education.
I wrote a while ago that I was studying the Award of Achievement in Web Analytics at UBC (University of British Columbia) because at the time when I was looking around it was really the only course of its kind that I could find. Vendor certifications are biased in teaching you about their specific product and how it works and not giving you the basic skills and tools you need to be successful in Web Analytics. For those of you with an analytics backgrounds wondering about the various certifications that Visual Sciences offer keep on reading.
Certification Levels for Visual Sciences Products
- Visual CERTIFIED Analyst - this prepares you to be an end user
- Visual CERTIFIED Architect - this prepares you to configure and construct datasets using the Visual Sciences Platform
- Visual CERTIFIED Solution Consultant - this prepares you to represent and sell HBX and Visual Site
All certifications that Visual Sciences offers cover the HBX and Visual Site product line. People that will benefit most from these certifications are people that are looking for in-depth knowledge of HBX, Visual Site and Visual Sciences products but again if you are new to web analytics then you will probably want to look elsewhere for training and certification. Here are some resources that may help you…
- UBC’s Award of Achievement in Web Analytics
- Web Analytics Association (WAA)
- Web Analytics - An Hour a Day by
If you happen to know of any other excellent resources then feel free to post them in the comments section of this article. As the web analytics field expands and changes you’ll still need a base knowledge of Web Analytics so finding a course or courses that can train you is the first step.
Luc
Website Lead Generation: Are You Doing it Right?
October 10, 2007
I found an interesting article from the great people over at MarketingExperiments.com that deals with lead generation. Most people use their website in one way or another to generate leads but are you doing it effectively or not can sometimes be confusing. This article includes some case study related information and if you’ve never been to MarketingExperiments.com then the website is worth checking out because it has tons of information related to optimizing, maximizing and marketing to your customers.
ROI Revolution Releases a New ROI Calculation Spreadsheet Tool
October 4, 2007
I recently received ROI Revolution’s newsletter that highlighted a new tool they’ve been working on to track Google Analytics ROI. If you currently use Google Analytics for PPC, tracking or site optimization then this is well worth having a look at. Included are the steps to setup a non-AdWords ROI Calculation based off of Google Analytics data. Both the Excel 1997-2003 and 2007 are available for download and are well worth it. Enjoy!
Luc
What is a Web Analyst?
October 4, 2007
I am currently involved in UBC’s Award of Achievement in Web Analytics and I have to say that I have really been enjoying the course. The Award of Achievement in Web Analytics prepares you to become a Web Analyst. So what is a Web Analyst anyways?
Skill set you need to become a Web Analyst
- Analytical and Detail-Oriented
- Human Physiology
- Marketing and Brand Building
- Business
- Technology
- Information Architecture
- HTML and Website Development
- User Behavior and Habits
What does a Web Analyst do?
- Educating Business Users
- Identifying Appropriate framework
- Identifying Appropriate Business Owners
- Ensuring Appropriate Metrics
- Selecting Tools and Services
- Developing new metrics
- Choosing appropriate analytics techniques
- Communicating the results
- Creating new initiatives
Being a “Web Analyst” borrows skills from number crunching, understanding people, being a geek (geeks rule!!!), designing websites, running a business, and being a master mathematician.
