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Web Analytics Association
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As the New Year begins, I pledge to better myself by helping others more.
As the old year fades into the past, I pledge to help grow the industry by being more inclusive and broadening my reach.
As the daylight dwindles and then returns, I pledge to expand my vision to every marketing metric I can get my hands on, whether it’s web data, email data, social media data, mobile data and/or etc.
As I struggle to write “2012” instead of “2011”, I pledge to tell people I am in marketing analytics, digital analytics, even business analytics, rather than saying I am in web analytics.
As the WAA enters its seventh year, I pledge to encourage new people to join and current members to participate while continuing to recognize those who contribute so much.
As the “United Nations General Assembly has declared 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives, highlighting the contribution of cooperatives to socio-economic development, in particular recognizing their impact on poverty reduction, employment generation and social integration” (Wikipedia), I pledge to help new people find jobs in marketing analytics and continue my social media activities to improve our common bond.
As 2012 has been designated Alan Turing Year in recognition of the centennial of his birth, I pledge to be more tolerant of all people and less tolerant of times that I sound more like a machine than a person.
As more senior executives recognize the value of customer data exploration and correlation, and consider multiple analytics alternatives, I pledge to embrace new ideas and methods rather than denunciate others for encroaching.
Oh!…and eat less and exercise more.
Can’t forget that.
Jim Sterne
Chair, WAA Board of Directors
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to witness first-hand one of the things that I love most about WAA. I originally joined WAA for a few reasons: to meet other analysts, to gain knowledge about the analytics discipline, and to learn what other companies are doing. All of these things came to life earlier this month at the WAA Seattle Symposium.
This year, the Seattle Symposium drew 350 analysts to the Microsoft campus to learn from a range of knowledgeable and gifted leaders in the field. We heard from some of the most recognizable names like Jim Sterne from eMetrics and Joe Megibow from Expedia as well as others, like Kevin Hilstrom, that were new.
We also heard from an incredible panel comprised of practitioners, consultants, and vendors that was probably one of the best panels I’ve heard in a long time. My favorite part of the discussion was the role of analytics in the recent Netflix debacle. You have to check that out.
And we have an easy way for you to experience the Symposium yourself with video from the Symposium accessible on the WAA website.
WAA also has Symposiums this coming year planned for:
- Philadelphia – November 2
- Los Angeles – January 18
- Austin – February 9
- Atlanta – May 2012
I hope you have the chance to view or attend a Symposium this year. Maybe you’d be interested in organizing one in your city. It’s a lot of work, but the WAA provides support with logistics, etc. and what a great way to build community among your local analysts.
Are you a new analyst looking for a way into the digital analytics industry? An analyst looking for advice on how to grow in your role or be promoted? Looking for a new opportunity?
For the past year, the WAA Membership Committee has been working on an initiative to provide WAA members with information regarding careers in the digital measurement industry.
We are pleased to announce two new resources available for WAA members, to help you understand the opportunities in the industry.
- Compiled from the insight of a representative sample of industry perspectives (client, vendor, agency and consulting side), the WAA’s Career Guide for Digital Analysts (members only link) is an overview of careers in the digital measurement industry, including:
- The types of companies analysts can work for;
- Typical hierarchy and responsibilities for each role;
- Educational and skill set requirements, including the importance of emerging skill sets; and
- Advice for those looking to break into the field, be promoted or find a new opportunity.
- A panel-based session at eMetrics New York (Friday 10/21 at 2.05PM) where client, agency and consulting side practitioners come together to provide an overview of a career in their type of organisation, and discuss their advice for a successful career in digital analytics.
At the same time, we are kicking off an initiative to encourage careers in digital analytics. As many of us know, the digital measurement is industry suffering a shortage of talent in the industry. This program is aimed to provide information and encouragement to people to consider a career in digital measurement.
Interested in learning more or getting involved? Please contact the Membership Committee.
Download the WAA Career Guide for Digital Analysts (members only link)
If you are someone who likes to "think globally but act locally", then you'll be excited to learn more about the WAA Local Chapter Program. I can speak to the benefits of the local chapter program personally as a WAA Member because in addition to my "global" responsibilities as WAA's president, this year I've been involved with our local WAA Seattle Chapter.
Under the leadership of Casey Doyle, Olga Spaic, David Barber and many other local WAA members, the Seattle Chapter has flourished. In fact, we are just getting ready to host our 2nd Annual WAA Seattle Symposium that is shaping up to be a huge success.
Other local chapters have been (or are soon to be) established in Austin, Philadelphia, Boston, Los Angeles and, Chicago.
The WAA wants to make starting and operating a chapter as easy as possible, therefore the association will work with members to build strong and successful chapters.
At their core, chapters are local organizations run by local members and the ongoing activities will be in the hands of local organizers. The WAA has developed a chapter development document guide, which will be available at the WAA Industry Meeting at eMetrics, to help in the starting and operation of a chapter.
Chapters are extensions of WAA. Local volunteer organizers have the power to plan and conduct activities using their knowledge of the local industry and area.
Along with the numerous advantages of being part of WAA there are a few important obligations: Chapters are expected to be self-supporting financially, follow WAA’s regular policies and procedures and abide by WAA’s chapter policies as described in the Chapter Development Guide.
A local chapter is an extension of the WAA, the HQ advocate for web analytics - and now it’s right in your home town. Think of it as an educational branch office of the association.
Attend the WAA Industry Meeting during eMetrics in New York at noon on October 20 to learn more. If you are not attending, here is what to do:
- If you are interested in getting involved in one of the chapters mentioned above then email us for how to get involved.
- If you are interested in forming a chapter in your area then email us and we will help you get started.
The answer is rarely the same. Unlike other careers, like accounting or law, web analytics professionals generally don’t follow a standard career development path.
It’s a newbie industry and each of us is, to a degree, a professional pioneer. Ivy League credentials are good, but the ability to unearth data to improve business results and increase customer satisfaction is what matters most.
However, we are the first wave of analytics professionals. We’d be short-sighted to think that the pioneer path is a sustainable model for developing the next generation of analytics leaders. If we want to nurture analytics professionals for generations to come, we have to think differently.
And WAA has several initiatives underway.
First is the Web Analytics Certification Program. The purpose of the program is to provide a mechanism for individuals to obtain professional recognition after demonstrating their knowledge of and competency within the web analytics industry. Certification will be issued to each qualified person upon meeting WAA’s required education, experience, and examination requirements. Corry Prohens, owner of IQ Workforce, said it best:
“The Web Analytics Association's Certification™ program, as a symbol of excellence, represents a huge advance for the web analytics community and a victory for all companies and organizations that want to be data-driven. We know that having the right tools and technologies is only half the battle. Acquiring the talent that is capable of taking the data and making an impact on the business is where the rubber meets the road.”
To that end, I’m excited to introduce two new related projects:
Analytics Career Development: The goal of this program is to create resources for WAA members that tell them more about what a career in digital measurement looks like, the roles and how they fit into corporations, job expectations, etc.
The project is led by Michele Hinojosa, Red Door Interactive, and winner of the “Rising Star” award at the WAA Gala this past spring. The team has conducted a number of interviews with folks in the industry and is putting the finishing touches on the written plan.
They also will start talking about this topic at upcoming conferences. To that end, there will be an "Analytics Career Development" panel at eMetrics NYC on October 21. The panel will consist of the following WAA Members: Shari Cleary (MTV, client-side, large team perspective), Nancy Koons (Vail Resorts, client-side, small team perspective), Matt Gellis (Keystone Solutions, agency/consultancy perspective), and Michele Hinojosa.
Encouraging Careers in Digital Measurement/Web Analytics: The goal of this program is to address the shortage of talent in the industry and help attract more people to careers in digital measurement. This program is aimed to provide information and encouragement to people to consider a career in digital measurement. The plan is to form a Task Force to help guide the development of the program and get it started quickly. As a first step, WAA will create a section of the website that will contain articles as well as provide resources. An outreach program will also be designed to contact universities and other educational organizations to spread the word to their students.
For more information on, or to help out with, either of these projects, contact the .
Every year, WAA surveys web analysts around the globe. In reviewing this year’s results, it struck me that our industry has evolved from the youthful childhood stage into the thrilling, but somewhat awkward, teenage years.
On the positive side, it doesn’t look like we’re having any problem getting money from Mom and Dad. In 2009, 40% of respondents said that getting funding would be their biggest challenge. This year, it didn’t even make the top ten concerns; only 15.5% said funding would be a challenge.
But, like a typical teenager, we don’t feel like anyone understands us, or listens to us. Respondents ranked their #2 challenge as “the perceived value of web analytics.” 31% of respondents said that their Executives lacked awareness of, and support for, web analytics.
Despite this, the hormones are raging and we’re ready to attack the problem. 70% of survey respondents said that ensuring business decisions are driven by analytics will be their top initiative this year.
This got me to wondering. How you would turn that goal – ensuring that business decisions are driven by analytics – into an initiative? To do so you’d need a deep understanding about how people and institutions make decisions.
That’s generally not the realm where data analysts thrive. We’re really good at reading numbers and analyzing how to optimize them. But, we’re not so good at reading people and knowing how to optimize their decision making. How many web analysts have you met that have formal training in psychology?
We’re constantly seeking ways to make the data more actionable, but I wonder if we should be more focused on making the analyst more influential.
Despite what traditional economists want us to believe, decision making is driven by emotional and cultural dynamics more so than rationality and cool-headed risk/reward analysis. So your data may be more action-packed than Pirates of the Caribbean, but if it’s not delivered in-tune with cultural dynamics of the group you are trying to influence; it’s never going to become the blockbuster you want it to be.
Toward that end, I’ll suggest a book to put on your summer reading list that sheds light on this topic: The Social Animal by David Brooks. You can read an excerpt of the book in this New Yorker article. It’s an entertaining read that unpacks a treasure trove of academic and business research on this topic.
And if you’re interested in seeing the results of the WAA Industry Survey, members can get the full results.
No, we don’t want you to marry fellow WAA members. Instead, you are probably familiar with the term “you only get out of it what you put into it.” That especially applies to associations like WAA. Throughout the first five years of its existence, WAA has relied on members to volunteer to create and maintain excellent member benefits. The hiring of our Executive Director, Mike Levin, has resulted in many new programs as well as ideas for additional member benefits. WAA continues to be dependent upon members to volunteer so that existing programs can be maintained and improved and new programs can be created and implemented. In short, WAA NEEDS YOU!
More importantly, you need WAA too! One of the most tangible benefits an individual can receive by participating in an association is the development of business skills. From project management skills, to the ability to work with diverse individuals from around the globe, to leadership skills and more, volunteering your time to help an association will help you in ways you probably have not connected with being a member of WAA.
There are many channels within WAA for you to hone your business skills while helping your association and industry. This newsletter includes a request from the WAA Education Committee for assistance with specific projects. Education is one of the key pillars of WAA and your help is needed to ensure that WAA is providing the courses and materials you need to advance your career. And there are many other committees which you can match your interests and skills as a volunteer. Find out about the other WAA committees. Then, contact and let him know how you want to become engaged.
Do you ever wonder what the WAA Board talks about? What issues we are discussing, debating and making decisions on?
Well, we had a face-to-face board meeting in Boston last week where our agenda was full! First, we spent some time orientating our newest board members:
- Shari Cleary, VP of Digital Research, Entertainment & Games, MTV Networks, Practitioner, USA
- Jodi McDermott, Senior Director, Product Management, comScore, Vendor, USA
- Joe Megibow, Vice President, Mobile & E-Commerce Optimization, Expedia, Practitioner, USA
- Bob Page, VP Data & Analytics Platform, eBay, Practitioner, USA
There is a lot going on across WAA and it takes time to orient and ramp up the new board members, as well as giving them a chance to discuss where they would like to make an impact.
Then, we focused on three core strategic areas for the association:
Marketing: Last year we made a commitment to focus more on marketing the great work WAA is doing. We tend to be more of an association that likes to get stuff done and move on to the next thing. But, we need to do a better job of communicating and promoting the work that we do. We formed a Marketing Committee recently, spearheaded by Board Member Matthew Langie and Committee Chairs Michael Kaushansky, from Ogilvy & Mather, and Jared Vestal, from Restaurant.com.They have put together a marketing plan and now the board needs to make some decisions on which aspects of the plan to prioritize and fund.
Education Strategy: We are making positive gains with the WAA Certification program, but a common piece of feedback we receive is that there are not enough educational materials to assist with passing the exam. We are going to look more closely at this feedback and try to determine the best strategy for growing the WAA educational ecosystem.
Local Chapter Development: This past year 5 WAA local chapters have formed and local interest continues to build. To provide some structure and scalability to the chapter model, we are developing bylaws for local chapter development that include important elements like the revenue sharing arrangement between local and national, chapter structure, chapter support, etc… The board will be reviewing and voting upon the adoption of the local chapter model.
Got something you want to say about any of those topics? Feel free to send me or anyone on the board a note.
Also, for those of you that want more info about what the board is discussing, you can always read the Board of Directors Meeting Minutes on the WAA website.
Cheers,
Peter Sanborn
WAA President
Never has web analytics been more misunderstood and treated with more suspicion in Europe than now. Legislators and members of the public could be forgiven for thinking that we analysts spend our days laying sneaky traps to steal their personal data and ram back-to-back behavioural advertising down their throats.
Data protection and privacy legislation, even what constitutes personally identifiable information, is more complex and fundamentally different to that in the US –with Germany very much at the forefront of this (see examples here). Any widespread negative business or industry wide impacts from this legislation will in no way outweigh the rights of the user.
European analysts potentially face the stark prospect of either better communicating the value of what they do to the public & their representatives or finding the tools and techniques of their profession severely constrained.
And why is this? It is because web analytics is entirely synonymous with advertising and marketing, an industry that is often viewed with suspicion (often unjustified) by those it seeks to influence. And because advertising and marketing thrive on really getting to know customers to the nth degree, European legislators start to become uneasy when they feel that a line is crossed and personal data is being collected and profiled without the participants’ knowledge. It’s a cultural thing and is seen as protecting consumers from more predatory forms of the market and influences.
But those of us in the industry know that web analytics is about so much more than marketing and advertising. Web analytics is also about website optimisation, including accessibility and user experience.
Through our guidance, we also help make web sites easier to find, easier to use, accessible to all and accessible from multiple devices. We make it possible for citizens to participate far more actively in news, community and civic events. We allow businesses to trade widely and consumers to have choice.
In this the web analytics industry is working directly in the interests of the public, by trying to make their internet experience fairer, better and more productive. To restrict this due to issues relating to advertising targeting is to do a disservice to those internet users.
It is no exaggeration to say that EU based web analysts play a role in delivering on European Commission objectives, for example by:
- Ensuring that users in multiple countries have equal access to quality, reliable information and that the public can successfully answer their questions & solve problems online
- Providing the online resources that mean citizens can travel, study, work, trade and shop across the single market
- Providing citizens with ways to participate in the governance of the EC and to hold their governments accountable for expenditure and actions
- Ensuring their own organisations’ websites meet the specific EU commitments to guaranteeing digital access to all users, including those with disabilities
As a European based Board Director of the WAA (and to be transparent here, a Google Analytics Certified Partner), I believe that to have a role in the European privacy debate, the web analytics industry needs to actively demonstrate to governments that we are in fact working for customers, not against them; for transparency, not against it. And, yes, things like the WAA Code of Ethics are a part of this.
To achieve this I believe we need to prove the value of what we do to the public – in terms that benefit them and not simply us. As I said in a recent interview – I want businesses that use my data to show me how my life improved as a result. (And sorry, but behavioural targeting ads do not constitute making my life better – being notified of a delay and easily rebooking my cancelled flight from my Blackberry does).
That means getting beyond talking of advertising and business optimisation and demonstrating what’s in it for the user. For tying the fate of web analytics too closely to online advertising and behavioural targeting is a risky one – and a path that does not, in my experience at least, reflect the working reality of many European web analysts.
It is my opinion that the vast majority of web analysts are not interested in using or collecting personally identifiable information, they are interested in assuring that their organisation’s web activity is effective and accountable – to its stakeholders, shareholder and the public/market. They are interested in understanding what is failing so they can identify how to fix it and create a win-win situation.
They may not be accountants – but they do work in accountability. With that comes a responsibility to the user.
The tools we use and the practices we follow are an extension of the European Commission’s stated goals on delivering a valuable, accessible for internet for all (see EC policy details in the postscript below).
On behalf of the WAA and its members in Europe, I would like to collect evidence that shows the industry champions the internet user and positions web analytics as an essential part of delivering on the EU’s vision of that accessible information society – not as the enemy of it.
Do you agree?
Do you have examples that can help us build an evidence base of how organisations in Europe and beyond are improving the experiences of their users through the use of web analytics? If so, please feel free to share your ideas here or email them to .
Vicky Brock
Highland Business Research
Postscript
In April 2004 the European Commission published its communication strategy1 with one of its main objectives “to use the internet to associate the public in European decision making and to listen to the public and their concerns in order to improve the perception of the EU and its institutions and their legitimacy”. A further commitment followed in 20062 with the Commission “aiming to become a first class e-administration and improve its efficiency and transparency through the best use of Information and Communication Technologies.” In 2007 the Commission launched a new Internet strategy3 thereby further embracing the Internet culture and aiming at making full use of the recent online developments in communication for a more participatory experience for EU citizens.
Further EU Policies on web accessibility also must be considered by organisations – and by implications their web analysts: In November 2009 the Council authorised the conclusion of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on behalf of the Union (UNCRPD). The Convention identifies accessibility as one of its general principles and states that States Parties shall take appropriate measures to promote access for persons with disabilities to new information and communications technologies and systems, including the Internet. In 2008 the Commission adopted the Communication “Towards an Accessible Information Society” reinforcing the European Commission’s commitment to web accessibility and calling upon all stakeholders to step up their efforts in this area. In the 2006 Riga Ministerial Declaration on “ICT for an inclusive society”, agreed that all public web sites should be accessible by 2010.4
1. Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on implementing the information and communication strategy for the European Union
2. e-Commission 2006-2010: enabling efficiency and transparency [PDF]
3. Communicating about Europe via the Internet – Engaging the citizens [PDF]
4. Source: EU Accessibility Policy
The Web Analytics Association Membership Committee is working on an initiative regarding career development, and you can contribute and help current and future web analysts.
We are working on a guide for WAA members, especially new analysts, on the directions their career could go. For example, what career options are there on the client, vendor, agency or consulting side? What does a “typical” career path for web analysts look like? (As much as such a thing exists …!) What do the requirements to advance a level tend to be?
So how can you help?
We are looking for any and all contributions of career path information that you are able and willing to share. This could include role hierarchy information, job or role descriptions, team size and/or structure, as well as specific requirements at each level.
This information will be compiled into one overarching career development guide, and does not have to tie individual responses to a company. If you are willing to share information about your web analytics team structure and hierarchy, but only confidentially, we will ensure that it is kept that way. If you’d like to shout it from the rooftops, we’ll find you a megaphone!
At the same time, we’re also looking to compile an archive of useful materials for career development. For example, articles, blogs and blog posts, anything that deals with the topic of career development for web analysts. Written a great article or post? Send it our way!
So how do you go about contributing?
Email whatever materials (or links) you would like to contribute to us:
Michele Hinojosa: michelekhinojosa@gmail.com,
Michael Healy: mdh@michaeldhealy.com and
Joy Billings: joyabillings@gmail.com
Don't have enough time to email?
Contribute via Twitter to the web analytics lists on TwtPick.in:
Your favorite #measure Twitterer:
http://twtpick.in/list/AW-measure-twitterati
Your top 50 Analytics and Conversion Websites:
http://twtpick.in/list/5o-analytics-and-conversion-websites
Your Top web analytics academic resources:
http://twtpick.in/list/AE-web-analytics-academic-resources
Your Top web analytics career resources:
http://twtpick.in/list/AI-web-analytics-career-resources
Your top web analytics events:
http://twtpick.in/list/AH-web-analytics-events
We hope to hear from you!
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