callyway's score

It's the experience ...

Thought I would change the color of the blog; decided not to go with fall colors, though.

Those are all around now.  Reminds me that soon the trees will be bare; and I will be cold.

All winter long.

So, instead, I decided to switch to blue -- to remind me of the ocean.

Warm sunshine, sand and sea.

And that, of course, makes me think of body-boarding in the Pacific.  

Which takes me right back to the reason I even do the things that I do: the real point: to be happy.

When visitors come to your site: what do you think they feel?

Does the experience bring a smile?  Should it?

Do you want your visitor to enjoy your site?

Or are you merely thinking of conversion - the sale?

For some sites, that will be okay.  If you give me a deal, I don't need to feel happy when I visit.

But you better not make me feel any of the following during that deal process: 

frustrated

confused

cluttered

(that's a stretch for some I am sure, but it's currently a big one for me -- 

I am looking for the clean, clear view due to all the complexity in the world these days)

and most importantly, I better not feel that I wasted my time so I end up leaving annoyed.

Now what does your website have to do with my preference for the beach?

It is the experience -- that's the point.  For most beaches and for most websites.

If you haven't reviewed the experience in a while: think beach next time you visit your own site.

Ask yourself: How's the body-boarding?  Do I want to come back?

Process - there's more to it than a document

Just writing about it is not enough ...
Just creating the document that defines it is not enough ...
You have to take it further:
    Don't just define it, create it.
    Don't just write it, build it.
    Don't just think it, do it.

I have been working on documents - wondering if something will come after the words.
That's why I decided to write these words.
All the words and plans and thoughts won't matter if you send those words out into the organization - and then nothing happens.

Action. Take it.

How do you get the buy-in needed to make it happen?

There's the exec sponsor route, of course - the old standard: do as I say because I'm the boss.
There's also the involvement route: make it a team effort and maybe it will work.

And then there's this weird other way --- I think of it as the middle way --- it involves everything and nothing.  It is the east meets west (and north and south) way.  And that is a rather mystical way ...

Yes, indeed.  Seriously, truly, actually.

I am talking about working within your system - whatever that system is - understanding it enough to know if you need an exec sponsor or maybe all you need is a nod.  Certainly you will need to work with a variety of individuals: so that means understanding their needs, their objectives and how this process will help/hinder those.  Does the process cross departmental lines?  If yes, then the middle way probably includes the involvement route.  And so, the weird other way (the middle way) is formless in that it is flexible enough to meet the needs of the environment: nothing more, nothing less: just what is needed to make it work.

The middle way for building a process that is used reflects the organizational constraints imposed and molds those constraints into the required framework to meet the objectives.  

Wow.  Did I really just use all of those words in one sentence???

Yep. I like it.  Seriously, truly, actually.  Why?  Because, though the sentence is filled with biz-lingo, the point is to build a process that is used ...... and that sentence describes the how-to for doing so. 

Now, to the Web Analytics of this post ..... when trying to define an analytics process .... there are a quite a few presentations about it and probably at least one or 32 blog posts about it .... so why say anything more?

Because it seems that tracking is still forgotten; that folks are still working quickly to tag after the fact due to, you guessed it, lack of process.  Now those folks may not even realize that is what caused their "hurry, gotta, we missed it" run to tag effort ... but that's it exactly.  If you find yourself chasing rather than leading: you've definitely lost or never found your process.

Recommendation: get yourself an analytics process.  Write, build it and figure out how to implement it within your organization (using the middle way, of course).  Quick.  Do it soon.  The only way to leverage the velocity of the Internet is to leverage the velocity that a well-used process delivers. 

Seriously, truly, actually. 

What if ...

you are given only 2 hours to analyze the checkout process of a website ...
where would you begin?

Would you jump right to the cart page and review it?
Would you add products to the cart and actually make a purchase - reviewing each page along the way?
If the latter, which products would you choose?

How much time would you allocate for building the presentation?
Would you review data or just review the process without trying to understand the available data?

What if ...

2 hours is not much time - particularly if the data is available - because you must use it if at all possible.
Does it make sense to push back and request additional time?
You bet.

Does it make sense to request a meeting to discuss what has been tried (if anything) -- to gather some history, some perspective, and potentially understand what plans have been made for updates?
You better.

Discovery is never a bad thing.
Discovery provides you, the analyst, with context and understanding.  It also means that you may not head down the same road ... no reason to recommend something that is already on the "to be completed" list.
How would you know that unless you ask?

Discovery - it's the meeting where you learn what you don't know, where you ask questions that may seem basic - but are very important to capture.  Take the time.  Push back.  Get the meeting before the expectation of a completed analysis even enters their minds.

Details.  Details.  Details.
Process.  Process.  Process.
The analytic process must always begin with discovery -- even when you work for the company rather than in an agency/client situation: discovery is merely a means to gather needed information prior to starting the analysis.

one small shift

Time gets away - feels as if I blinked and now it is July!
My last post was in May ---- crazy busy? Yes.

Since that last post, I have experienced a small shift.
I didn't move along the line -- the line shifted.
Do you remember that type of shift in basic economic analysis:
the entire curve shifted .......

The shift started even before the trip to Rose Mountain; but I didn't know it.
While there, it was official: one small jump of the curve.

And now, though I am back, I am not.
And now, though I am multi-tasking during the day, I am focused.
And now, that one small shift feels like a leap ... beyond faith.

I imagine that I can keep it close - through practice.
Maybe. Just maybe.

Time to load pictures ... wonder how much time is spent on average doing that ...

Speaking of average:
I wonder how many web analysts are trying to explain changes in average time on site...
or average order size (AOS) ...
or average order value (AOV) ...
at any one time on any Monday in America ...
Of course, I would need to make the decision to consider only one of those.
Then I would need to understand, at least roughly, how many web analysts there are in America.
Then I would need to identify how many are working in the vertical (if I chose AOV or AOS) ....
Hmm ... maybe understanding that is not all that important to me...

Maybe, just maybe, that's something you might want to do before you start running a calculation:
consider how much effort you'll have to spend to gather the data and make the calculation compared to the value of knowing the value of the data collected. 

To know for the sake of knowing ... nah. 
To know so that you can make a decision: maybe.
Depends upon your decision and the cost of gathering.
a small shift: consider the cost / benefit before jumping.

Pliable truth ...

That phrase came to me while I captured my thoughts from the conference.
Sort of like silly putty -- the truth can be molded to form an exactly perfect response to a tough question.
On the spot.
Quick.
Spin to win?