Web Analytics: An Hour a Day (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Written by an in-the-trenches practitioner, this step-by-step guide shows you how to implement a successful Web analytics strategy. Web analytics expert Avinash Kaushik, in his thought-provoking style, debunks leading myths and leads you on a path to gaining actionable insights from your analytics efforts. Discover how to move beyond clickstream analysis, why qualitative data should be your focus, and more insights and techniques that will help you develop a customer-centric mindset without sacrificing your company’s bottom line.

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

From the Back Cover

Develop a Successful Web Analytics Strategy

A Step-by-Step Guide

Learn web analytics the right way with this unique, thoroughly modern guide to today's web analytics challenges and opportunities. Written by an in-the-trenches practitioner, this book goes beyond concepts and definitions to challenge prevalent thinking about the field and provide a step-by-step guide to implementing a successful web analytics strategy.

Web analytics expert Avinash Kaushik, in his thought-provoking style, debunks leading myths and leads you on a path to gaining actionable insights from your analytics efforts. Discover how to move beyond clickstream analysis, why qualitative data should be your focus, and more insights and techniques that will help you develop a customer-centric mindset without sacrificing your company's bottom line.

• Learn the pros and cons of data collection methodologies

• Find out how you can stop counting page views and still get a rich understanding of your customers

• Discover how to identify valuable metrics with the "three layers of so what" test

• Optimize your organizational structure and choose the right analytics tool

• Understand and apply advanced analytics concepts, including SEM/PPC analysis, the power of segmentation, conversion-rate best practices, and others

• Leverage quick-start solutions for blogs and e-commerce, support, and small business websites

• Learn the key ingredients of a great experimentation and testing platform

• Use competitive-intelligence analysis to glean insights and drive actions

You'll also find:

• Ten steps to turbocharge your web analytics

• Seven steps for creating a data-driven culture in your organization

• Six ways to measure the success of a blog

• Three secrets behind making web analytics actionable

• Ten signs of a great web analyst

Valuable CD Included

The innovative CD includes more than three hours of insightful audio podcasts, a 45-minute video, PowerPoint presentations that mirror key topics in the book, and other useful analytics resources.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Sybex (June 5, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470130652
• ISBN-13: 978-8126513284
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,348 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Turning online data into wisdom , May 31, 2007

By	Daniel Waisberg (Israel) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

'Web Analytics: An Hour a Day' describes in an absorbing and insightful way the most important topics for a Web Analyst or any professional related to the management of a website. Topics covered include: basic terminology, tool selection/implementation, online segmentation, conversion rates improvement, competitive analysis, and many others.

The Business trinity, created by Avinash, is a very powerful business process that can radically improve the performance of online efforts. It is also the spirit of the book. Avinash describes the trinity as follows: "The goal of the Trinity mindset is to power the generation of actionable insights. Its goal is not to do reporting. Its goal is not to figure out how to spam decision makers with data. Actionable Insights & Metrics are the uber-goal simply because they drive strategic differentiation and a sustainable competitive advantage (...) The Trinity mindset empowers you to Understand the customer experience so explicitly that you can influence the right customer behavior which will lead to win-win outcomes for the company and its customers."

The book is indispensable to those who want to understand and practice the art and science of web analytics. It is organized in a very friendly way, turning the reading into a pleasant break amid the rush of day-to-day duties; like a challenging conversation. It is rich in examples, facilitating the understanding of the `what', `how', and `why' of online measurement strategies.

I have profited from Avinash's writings in various situations; the practical advices given in the book are clear and bring great results. I warmly recommend reading this book and following the author's blog.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Accessible and Marketing Driven, September 5, 2007

By	Bart E. Caylor (Indianapolis, IN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

One of the first things that impressed me about this book was the fact that it went beyond what I was expecting to read: how to better read analytics dashboards. What I found was a sophisticated and marketing-oriented book that teaches how to use the available data to create a clear picture of return on investment in the online world. This is more than your typical programming book, this is a marketing book.

Kaushik does a great job with the format. As is the fact with any subject you are committed to knowing, reading the information and applying it in small pieces is the best way to learn. The bulk of the content is arranged by subject and segmented into daily readings allowing you to focus and build upon the knowledge one brick at a time.

The book is easy to read, full of practical application, and one that will be tattered, bookmarked, and referenced often.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ISG's Media & Analytics Team gives this book two thumbs way up!, July 6, 2007

By	ISG Blog - See all my reviews

We here at the ISG media & analytics team have been anxiously awaiting the publication of Avinash Kaushik's book, Web Analytics: An Hour A Day, since we first "met" Avinash at a webinar back in February. Avinash's passion for web analytics was evident throughout the webinar, and we've been subscribers to his blog, Occam's Razor, ever since.

Web analytics is an important part of what we do at ISG. Years of experience in online marketing has reinforced the idea that there's no point in having a website, microsite, or campaign page if you have no idea how it's performing. That's why Avinash's book is a must read for anyone involved in Internet marketing. His book is a great read for anyone from the director of media & analytics to senior analyst to summer intern. Whether you are involved in complex decision-making and web strategies or are looking at conversion rates to provide actionable insights, this book is great for people of all levels of experience, while providing a fresh look at web analytics.

The book is "a step-by-step guide to implementing a successful web analytics strategy." It is meant to be enjoyed over a span of eight months, but you can read it as quickly or slowly as you like. We here at ISG are sharing a couple of copies between us and are relishing each page as we read, so what follows is a summary of the book based on what we've read and reviewed so far.

The book is divided into four parts:

Part I: Foundation
Part II: Trinity Approach
Part III: Implementing Your Web Analytics Plan
Part IV: Advanced Web Analytics "Data in your DNA"

Part I gives a brief history of web analytics, which makes this book perfect for someone just starting out in the field. Avinash takes the time to describe all the metrics that can be analyzed, how they are derived, and how they are useful for web analytics. He focuses not only on the "what" but on the "why" and proposes a new framework called the Integrated Trinity Platform. Part I (19 pages in total) is chock full of information that will give you the background you need for starting your web analytics study or, if you are experienced in the field, propose a new way to think about the role your job plays in your company.

There's also a bonus CD with 5+ hours of podcasts for your listening pleasure, a 45-minute video presentation, PowerPoint presentations, and other useful web analytics resources. And at the end of the book, Avinash directs the reader to two companion websites so that they may continue on their web analytics journey.

The best part about this book is that it is written by someone who is so passionate about web analytics that he is voluntarily receiving no profit from his book: 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Smile Train and Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders).