Web Analytics Management

2012 Semphonic Non-Profit Analytics Challenge is On!

I hope that you were able to attend last week’s webinar on Web Analytics for Non-Profits.   It was a great conversational session with Emily Fisher of Oceana and Linda Shum of United Way of the Bay Area, our 2011 winners of Semphonic’s X Change Non-Profit Analytics Challenge.  Both shared how they applied what they had learned through the Challenge analyses of their web sites to achieve real goals, such as boosting donations, spending their marketing budgets more effectively and getting more engagement in their programs.  (We just made the presentation available if you weren’t able to catch it.)

This was exactly what we hoped for when we introduced the first Non-Profit Analytics Challenge last year at about this time.  After selecting Oceana and United Way of the Bay Area, we assigned Semphonic consultants to each of the organizations to audit their Google Analytics implementations and get them prepped for the data collection necessary for the analysis conducted by over 50 web analytics experts who attended X Change. 

It was certainly our interest to come up with best practices for non-profit web analytics through the collective work, but we didn’t really know what direction that would take until the groups went to work and presented their findings and recommendations.  The collaboration between digital analysts from different backgrounds, perspectives and experience was about as rich and creative as we thought the exercise could be when it was discussed by 2010 X Change attendees.   As a group, we came up with a whole toolkit of ways to improve content strategy and digital strategy through focused use of Google Analytics and other tools like Google Insights for Search, Wordle, Google Analytics Campaign Stacker and analytics methods such as visit segmentation.  The collective wisdom is organized into the Non-Profit Guide to Google Analytics that we released last month.

So, with X Change coming up in September it’s time to start looking for the next two non-profit organizations that will be featured in the Non-Profit Challenge.

Open Season for the application process starts now, and goes until June 30. We’ll then select our winners, and start the process once again…culminating in a half day analysis scrum at X Change. Hope you’ll give it a go, and that we’ll see you in September.

Like to help us get the word out? Feel free to Tweet:

Semphonic 2012 Non-Profit Analytics Challenge now accepting applications http://svy.mk/LTb360

Thanks…

How Non-Profit Organizations Get Results with Web Analytics

Non profit revenue is driven by a more complex series of channels than most for profit businesses.

I’ve learned this after working with a number of non-profit organizations since establishing Semphonic’s Washington DC practice 5 years ago. In our engagements with National Geographic, The Nature Conservancy, American Chemical Society, American Society of Clinical Oncologists, the American Institute of Architects, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Biotechnology Industry Organization and others, I have learned just how bottom-line focused non-profit organizations have needed to be so that they can accomplish their mission.

Why is the non-profit revenue model complex?  It is a true multi-channel structure with revenue coming from donations, dues, conference and event registration, sponsorships, conference exhibitors, publications, grants, subscriptions, partnerships and merchandise. More and more of the non-profit focus, especially for national organizations is online and I have found that there is a high degree of sophisticated thinking around visitor segmentation, engagement and how this plays into focusing marketing and content. Read The Importance of Analytics, a case study about The Nature Conservancy’s use of analytics for donation strategy if you’d like to get a detailed perspective.

Perhaps this is “old news” to those of you who’ve been in the non-profit field, but it was a fascinating discovery for me…and it is one that makes digital analytics for non-profit organizations an incredibly rich and interesting endeavor…as well as seeing some real world results when analytics is conducted effectively.

With this as a back drop, I’m really looking forward to our upcoming webinar on Wednesday, May 9 1pm EST/10am PST, How Non-Profits Get Results with Web Analytics.

Linda Shum, AVP Interactive Design and Strategy at United Way of the Bay Area and Emily Fisher, Online Editor at Oceana are going to share how they applied the recommendations that came out of the Non Profit Analytics Challenge that Semphonic ran for the first time at  X Change last year.

Much of the focus of the session is going to be how to improve branding, boost donations, attract new members and engage volunteers.  I think it’s going to be a really informative session.  To register go to: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/796787512

If haven’t yet gotten your free copy of Semphonic’s recently published The Non-Profit Organization Guide to Using Google Analytics to Improve Branding, Donations and Member Activity, I hope you download it and find it to be a useful reference.

And stay tuned...we'll soon be announcing "open season" for this year's application process for the Non-Profit Analytics Challenge.

 

42 Rules for a Web Presence that Wins

42 Rules for a Web Presence that Wins by Philippa Gamse is a slender tome that gets right to the point on developing practical web site strategy.  Targeted primarily to the SMB market, I think there’s a lot in the book that larger organizations, as well as non-profit and government web site managers could very well be reminded of when it comes to web site management best practices. Specifically, as my paraphrasing of Philippa puts it:

• 95 percent of web presences leave money on the table, and usually the owner has no idea.
• Most websites fail to make the emotional connections with visitors who are crucial to creating and sustaining meaningful…and profitable…online relationships.

Having been working in the internet space since 1991, Philippa knows what she’s talking about and has a great historical perspective that transcends “flavor of the day” points of view that tend to proliferate in the online world.

What I like about Philippa’s point of view as a web strategist is that she is really focused on the bottom line and results, so she’s a natural fan of digital analytics, dedicating an entire section of her book to “Measuring Results.” Not only is she an advocate for using analytics, she continually and consistently ties it back to deriving intelligence that can be acted on. I can think of more than a few digital analytics managers who could use some of what’s here for ammunition to use for convincing stakeholders and senior leadership that there’s more to life than high level traffic reporting.

You can find out more about 42 Rules for a Web Presence that Wins or order the book from Philippa’s site Websites that Win International. I definitely think you should check it out.

So, will Web governance make your digital analytics program run faster, jump higher and make you smarter?

To conclude this year's Profiles in Analytics - Does Web Governance Drive Analytics, I wanted to leave you with some general takeaways on how to move towards a better Return On Investment on your program...regardless of whether your organization is driven by a solid governance model or not.

So, will Web governance make your digital analytics program run faster, jump higher and make you smarter?

Like any programmer will tell you “it depends.”

The Profiles in Analytics research indicates that enterprise-wide Web governance is generally a good thing. The operational processes, the roles and responsibilities, and the overall standards that come out of governance help get everyone in an organization on board with implementing strategy. This appears to help the institutionalization of digital analytics throughout the organization.

There does appear to be a gap between where enterprise-wide governance ends, and where digital analytics governance begins. Whereas Web governance creates a space for digital analytics to grow, the depth of influence and making real change is only beginning.  The dichotomy between the considered priorities of digital analytics teams and the time spent on tasks shows that there are constraints that detract from analytics reaching its full potential as a way for organizations to learn from their experience in the digital channel.

How to clear the constraints?

• Invest in a Web governance process that provides insight on where digital analytics should sit in the organization. The level of influence that digital analytics has within the organization is tied to the office or department in which it resides and the influence of an executive champion in fostering cooperation.
• Conduct an audit of digital analytics operations to understand priorities, roles, responsibilities, tasks and processes. Senior management and digital analytics management need to be on the same page. There needs to be frank and open discussions about constraints and roadblocks that prevent digital analytics in being an effective voice in providing insights throughout the organization.
• Facilitate cooperation between digital analytics team and potential partners within the organization where there are opportunities to complement and leverage resources. Digital analytics programs that succeed depend on a network of resource support beyond the direct team. IT, Procurement, Marketing, Content Management, Business Intelligence, Finance and Operations are among the groups that a Digital Analytics team must interface with and work with to operate effectively. It helps to have these relationships facilitated by senior leadership so it is clear to all that analytics are recognized as a management priority.

This year’s Profiles in Analytics research suggests that it isn’t enough for organizations to pronounce that they are “data driven.” There is a lot more work to do around overall Web governance, development of analytics management expertise, and figuring out the best place in the organization for digital analytics so that it can have real influence.

Interested in continuing the conversation? Email me at pkemelor@semphonic.com.

 

Has Digital Analytics Made it into the Digital Production Lifecycle?

Continuing on with Part 5 of this year's Profiles in Analytics - Does Web Governance Drive Analytics...or get the whole analysis, survey data and digital analytics profiles at Semphonic.

Has Digital Analytics Made it into the Digital Production Lifecycle?

For all of the aspirations on how to create digital cultures and data driven organizations, when it gets down to basics, simply making sure that data collection occurs is a back burner issue. While Web governance oriented organizations may have processes in place and top down commitment to ensure that analytics is part of the development cycle, that it is only at around 60 percent says that there is room for improvement.

While non-governance organizations have roughly the same compliance, that there is such a high level of dissatisfaction with the process of implementing code changes, tells you something about an underlying issue that can sabotage whether accurate data is available when senior leadership wants to use it for appraising the role of the digital channel.

The Details

It stands to reason that organizations with established Web governance have more formalized processes around production of new content and applications for the digital channel, than organizations that don’t have strong governance.

Web development process. Nearly twice the number of organizations with governance includes digital analytics in the process “all the time” versus those that don’t, as seen in the chart below. Still, at 25 percent, there is clearly more work that needs to be done in this area. Interestingly, once you combine “all” and “most” of the time responses, you get roughly 60 percent in all organizations.

The research shows that there is still a great deal of work that needs to be done in the area of integrating analytics to the digital development process. While there is an increasing amount of project management best practices aligned with enabling analytics, analytics itself is often implemented after a project has launched. With the advent of mobile applications and social media initiatives, there are new opportunities for using analytics, and at the same time a repeat of the poor practices that have left analytics out of the fixed Web development process.

Implementing data collection code changes. The research showed the biggest difference between governance and non-governance when dealing with the process for implementing changes to data collection code, as seen in the chart below.

Anecdotal research tell us that the application of data collection code, considered to be the least glamorous element of analytics, to be a universal and significant hold up in the analytics process.  Because there are often other projects in the queue ahead of analytics, or analytics is considered expendable if content or applications need to meet a deadline for launch, data collection coding may be held up for weeks and even months in certain organizations.  

The “not acceptable” level of satisfaction among organizations without governance is a situation that if addressed, could show immediate improvements to the availability of analytics and potential value of metrics created with the data.

Next week: So, will Web governance make your digital analytics program run faster, jump higher and make you smarter?

Get the entire research at Semphonic.

Are Web Governance Oriented Organizations “Better” at Using Digital Analytics?

Continuing on with Part 4 of this year's Profiles in Analytics - Does Web Governance Drive Analytics...or get the whole analysis, survey data and digital analytics profiles at Semphonic.

Are Web Governance Oriented Organizations "Better" at Using Digital Analytics?

Enterprise Web governance may contribute to high quality digital analytics for the enterprise, but it does not guarantee success. At the same time, lack of enterprise Web governance doesn’t necessarily doom an analytics initiative to failure. However, programs seem to stop short on delivering all that they can deliver. 

In both cases, analytics programs appear to be primarily centralized entities that focus on dashboard development, reporting, providing analysis and recommendations.  While there is service to multiple stakeholders, the lack of time dedicated to training, encouraging self service and creating analytics standards that may be used throughout the organization fosters a somewhat isolated digital analytics culture. So, while multiple stakeholders are potentially served through distribution of reports, the value of what’s being conveyed in the reports may or may not be understood.

The Details

If you serve more stakeholders more efficiently does this mean that you are providing a high quality analytics product? Perhaps, but not necessarily. This is like saying that a Super Size meal is better than a 4 oz filet mignon. Quantity doesn’t mean quality.

To determine the level of quality, the research focused on three elements:

• Digital analytics program priorities of digital analytics managers
• Whether the program priorities were in line with senior management
• Priority tasks of the digital analytics teams

Top priorities.  In looking at alignment in priorities between digital analytics managers and their management, it appears there is actually more alignment among those in organizations without Web governance councils.

 

 

It is altogether positive that there is fairly strong agreement between digital analytics managers and senior management that the primary mission is delivering recommendations and analysis, even if it is not completely equivalent.

There is a fairly strong sentiment among senior leadership around the importance of developing dashboards and reports in organizations that have Web governance. This suggests that there are a number of senior leaders who believe that success in analytics is based on getting reports into as many peoples’ hands as possible. 

But there is more to this story…

Top tasks. When asked about the tasks the analytics team spends the most time on, there is an interesting disconnect from the goals and perceptions described previously…the prominence of implementation and maintenance of the analytics tools, as seen below.

 

Neither Web analytics managers nor senior leadership wants to consider that this is a top priority. However, lack of recognition of the importance of this task is akin to driving a car and not wanting to get it serviced regularly. Negligence can catch up in a number of ways. In the scenario of mutual denial, analytics teams may not have sufficient resources to provide more valuable insight from analytics.  However, the question is whether they make the business case to request these resources. Conversely, senior leadership may not be aware of the amount of time and effort required to maintain and improve the Web analytics implementation.

Finishing among the top three tasks analytics teams spend their time on, and what also doesn’t show up as a priority is “conducting ad hoc analysis.”

Like implementation and maintenance tasks, there would be agreement that this would not be a priority; however, because so much time is spent on this task, it takes away from potentially other more valuable tasks. It is worth noting that organizations without Web governance indicated that their team spends more time on this than any other task. However, this activity actually occurs more often as a second and third task than non-Web governance organizations.  Reasons for this can range from positive to negative: a focus on conducting deep dive analyses, “drive by” requests, weak or non-existent request management and evaluation process, or a need to improve quality and distribution of dashboards.

Regardless of whether the organization is driven by Web governance or no not, the tasks that could potentially drive high value throughout the enterprise are given the lowest priority among both Web analytics teams and senior leadership. These tasks also get the least amount of analytics team attention:

• Train and educate on the use of analytics
• Provide strategic direction on the use of analytics
• Create organizational analytics standards
• Developing culture of self-service analytics

Next week: Has Digital Analytics Made It into the Mainstream of the Digital Production Lifecycle?

Get the entire research at Semphonic.

Time to Contribute Your Profiles in Analytics

I've just posted up the new Profiles in Analytics survey. Like last year, I'm interested in collecting and sharing collective wisdom about how people are managing their digital analytics programs...what's working, what's challenging, how to meet challenges.

I published everyone's  responses from last year and plan to do the same this year as well. There were tons of great ideas and insights.

I'd appreciate it if you could fill out the survey and pass the link to others who you think would be interested.

Link to survey: http://svy.mk/pz0IYp

Link to last year's Profile in Analytics results: http://bit.ly/acMePk

On another note, I'm looking forward to seeing you at X Change in September. I'll be teaching pre-conference ThinkTank on Managing a Digital Analytics Program, a class I introduced last year and also teaching a class I introduced at the recent JBoye conference: Beyond Visits and Page Views...How to Develop Actionable Web Metrics, Reports and Analysis. Hope you'll be joining me.

 

 

 

Home Stretch for Semphonic Web Analytics Non-Profit Challenge Applications

When we closed last year’s X Change with a Town Hall session, there was a real interest in doing a live analysis project for a non-profit organization…an opportunity for all the great web analysts who come to X Change to collaborate together, learn from each other and provide the organization with analysis that could help them understand how to get more out of their web channel.

We launched the Non-Profit Challenge a few months ago, and have since gotten some great applications…from large and small non-profits, some well known, and some that are highly specialized.

We’re really looking forward to focusing the experience of the X Change participants on this project. From our perspective, it’s a natural extension to what the X Change experience is about…small group, shared wisdom, high quality, collegial and an opportunity for serious web analysts to participate and engage…without distraction from vendor presentations or sales booths.

With our deadline approaching to receive applications from non-profits for the Challenge, I’d like to encourage you:

• Apply to the Challenge if your organization is non-profit
• Help a non-profit apply to the Challenge
• Help get the word out about the Challenge to your networks and communities

Here’s the link: http://bit.ly/gOBKwJ

Stay tuned for some exciting announcements about this year’s X Change from our low chatter Twitter feed @Semphonic.