First Web Analytics Book Club Review: Web Analytics an Hour a Day, by Avinash Kaushik
My team has been in the web analytics space for a few years now, so obviously we know Avinash Kaushik – which is to say that we know who he is. I have personally bugged him enough at eMetrics conferences and other events, so that I think there is at least a 30% chance he could pick me out of a lineup, as well. I know about Avinash’s rise in esteem within the web analytics community. But to tell you the truth, I never really understood the whole thing. Why this guy?
Now I get it. Now I understand why he is not just respected – he has followers.
In short, if Avinash can explain web analytics to an English Lit major like me, he can explain it to anyone. The book is virtually idiot-proof. He starts with a simple concept: Companies in the web analytics space spend millions of dollars on web analytics, chasing optimization of hundreds of millions of dollars being spent on campaigns and their websites, which are in turn chasing billions of dollars of online revenue. That is what is at stake.
He then breaks down the book into three parts:
- The Foundation of Web Analytics: Includes a deft summary of how we got to this point (this point was 2 years ago). He gives credit to people and products that I frankly had never heard of before, but it is really interesting how they laid the groundwork for modern day web analytics. Like the rest of the book, this story is concise and conversational.
He then gives an overview of the disciplines within qualitative and quantitative analytics — the promise and the costs of each. He explains that qualitative analysis can’t be ignored because while quantitative analytics are great at telling us what is happening, that data is limited in value unless you can understand WHY it is happening. This is where art meets science. - The Trinity Approach: Includes the basic goals that should be guiding the department and the organization (have success by focusing on outcomes instead of behavior), the ideal org chart for the department, the qualities of successful web analysts, tool selection, implementation (including the all-important "So What" test for KPI’s…)
- Implementing the Plan: A nuts and bolts plan to roll out web analytics for different types of businesses (ecommerce, lead gen, brand/advocacy and Support…). Presumably in an hour a day (although there is a disclaimer based on your experience level and the scope of your business. For example, I could personally not run web analytics and research at Intuit in one hour per day. I would if I could.). The plan incorporates not only the what, but the who, when and ultimately the why. Again, the magic happens in the why. It is clear in this section that Avinash is not an ivory tower guy. He is a practitioner. He gets down to nitty-gritty detail on how to overcome many of the common challenges that arise when executing each phase and step this plan. He helps you avoid pitfalls and is always directing you on how to get the best ROI out of your time. Immensely practical. Trinity… focus on outcomes… what is the data really telling you…
Avinash’s unique voice and syntax survives the editing process. The result is an experience quite close to a several hour conversation with him about web analytics (minus the f-bombs):
"True delight comes from knowing how you are doing vis-Ã -vis your competitors…"
"If you are running the program then it is important that you first get over yourself. If you are going to convince everyone else that testing and validating opinions should be a way of life, you should first truly drink the Kool-aid"
My book came with a cd rom — a collection of podcasts, a 45-minute video presentation, PowerPoint presentations, etc. I have not gotten through all of it yet, but it is all good stuff — in any case it gives you a chance to see Avinash in action…
I think this book has a lot of value for web analytics professionals at all levels. Avinash is the quintessential analyst that can talk to non-technical people. There are probably hundreds of web analytics professionals out there that would say that they already know a lot of the stuff in this book. It was written a couple of years ago and the community has really grown… To those people I say read it anyway. What you will learn (or at least witness) is virtually a "how-to guide" on speaking to non-technical people. I have not come across many people that are better in this regard. There are even fewer that can teach while being entertaining. His enthusiasm for the subject is contagious.
For non-experts the book will tell you what your web analytics function should look like and why. If you are setting up or optimizing a web analytics department (whether it is a fraction of 1 person’s job or a department of 10) this book will tell you who should be in the department, how they should be spending their time and budget, and why. Avinash gives you a paint-by-numbers on how to get that rolling and producing results. He cuts through bullshit like a laser and tells you what you need to know. From there if you want to do a deeper dive into the many disciplines within digital analytics (and we certainly will), there is plenty more out there to learn and to read.
For me it was a great first web analytics book. I got my web analytics history, brushed up on the qual and quant disciplines, and I have a great picture in my mind of how a web analyst’s day should be spent to produce results. What makes some people successful, some departments successful…
Better yet, a portion of my $19.79 will go to a couple of great charities that Avinash supports (The Smile Train and Doctors Without Borders).
We would love to hear your feedback and comments on this review and this book.
This is a great book if you are starting out in Web Analytics. It really gives you WA history and a step by step approach to gaining Actionalble Insights and Metrics instead of just sending basic clickstream data reports.
Great review! It is indeed a great book and a recommended read for anyone in the field. I had stumbled upon his blog and I’ve been following it for a couple of years now….his writing is simply brilliant!