Mymotech

Two of my favorite web analytics stars are at it again. It wasn’t difficult to see before that the divergence in their thinking centered around Eric Peterson stating that Web Analytics is hard, and Avinash Kaushik stating that web analytics is complex, and now it is out in the open.

But what is truly at issue here? Is this really the throw down between complexity and hardness?

When I got involved in web analytics back in 2004, I was surprised at how easy it was get good reports out of the tools. But I was also amazed at all the little details I needed to know to make sure my reports were as accurate as possible. Things like whether or not my PDF downloads were throwing off multiple 206 return codes and giving me way too many download counts, or trying to figure out why 80% of my visitors came from Reston, VA. and other stuff like that. Because of this I started saying, “Web analytics isn’t rocket science it is just a lot of information.” In other words, Web analytics is complex.

As I progressed in this field I started to realize that producing the world’s most accurate reports was one thing, getting someone to do something about it was quite another. The actionability crisis was on. And this is where things got difficult. To make an organization that was unaccustomed to paying attention to web metrics to make decisions on this new data set was a monumental task that required not only a strong understanding of their business but also enlisting the participation of executives who could effect change within their organization and bring about a metrics revolution. This is where web analytics is hard. Really really hard. That is why many organizations today still struggle with what most web analytics experts think is commonplace; picking a KPI and then doing something about it. It is hard to get organizations in the habit of doing that. Especially organizations that don’t reward risk taking. In this way, web analytics is hard.

When the Giants beat the Patriots in the SuperBowl, they used the same combination. It was hard to beat the patriots, and to do it they utilized complex schemes of attacking the QB with different guys coming free at Brady. And on the offensive side of the ball they used complex patterns and routes for their receivers and tight ends. Beating the Patriots was hard and to do it they had to implement a complex strategy.

So, at the end of the day web analytics is hard and complex. As excellent web analysts we must be comfortable with both the complexity and the hardship of web analytics.

Eric Peterson and Avinash Kaushik are both right.