E-metrics wrap up

I've been trying to get around to collecting my thoughts about the various conferences I've attended this week, and now, just hours away from another conference I need to blog about, (PRSA) and am just now getting around to it.

First let me say that Jim Sterne's e-Metrics opening emetics presentation was as good a primer on modern day measurement as you can get. Jim and I bonded awhile back over a mutual passion for metrics done right.

A year ago, I had the good fortune to catch another measurement maven, Eric Petersen, give his talk at last year's e-Metrics conference, and it completely changed my perspective on measuring engagement. This year was no different. While last year's presentation focused on numbers, this year Petersen's clear message, was that it's not about the tools or the data, it was on the interpretation.

My favorite line was his opener: In God we Trust, all others bring data. He went on to point out something I've been saying for years, that the data is available, the challenge is to get people to use it. What people don't understand, Petersen said, is that businesses can create sustainable and strategic competitive advantages by investing in collecting, using and interpreting that data, or as he put it, the qualitative and quantitative analysis and multi-variate testing to drive decisions and actions.

Who is doing it well, you ask? Peterson pointed to Marriott, Geico, ask.com, Intuit and Overstock. (I would add our clients at ASPCA, Georgia Tech, SAS and MADD to that list.

He also pointed out the elephant in the room, and that is that Web analytics is hard. He's right. It's not easy to interpret web analytic date correctly, but I would argue that what is hard, but necessary, is to correlate that web analytic data to other social, and traditional media as well as other outcomes. My second favorite piece of advice from Petersen: There is no such thing as "web analytics" it's all analytics so take a class in SAS and learn what SAS can do for you.. " Nice plug for my client, but its good advice to up and coming PR people as well.

 

Comments

[jeniferlopaz]

Designed to introduce readers to e-metrics, this book is made up of 10 chapters that are divided among three major sections. Supplies a definition of e-metrics, explores their use in libraries, and discusses vendor supplied electronic data reports. Explains why libraries need e-metrics, focusing on how they can be used for public relations, collection management, and library administration. Offers ways that libraries can build local e-metrics. Chapters cover the capturing and processing of statistics, infrastructure and technical requirements, and staffing needs. With its coherent structure, well articulated language, and illustrative material, this book has much to recommend it. The authors are successful in elucidating a subject that may seem daunting and abstract to the uninitiated. Overall, an important resource for all librarians and information professionals.
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Jenifer

Chat de Sexo ao Vivo

[Eric T. Peterson]

Katie,

Nice to see you (briefly) in D.C. and I'm sorry we didn't have more time to catch up. I wanted to say the "In God we trust, all others bring data" is a quote from Gary Loveman, CEO of Harrah's, quoting W. Edward Demming, not me ...

Also, I spell my last name with an "o" at the end, not an "e" ... ;-)

All the best,

Eric T. Peterson