2 minute interview: 2
Interview ith Dr. Brian Clifton. At the time of the interview Brian was Head of Web Analytics at Google for EMEA. He is now Senior Strategist for Omega Digital Media.
1. How will the new set of features currently being rolled out in Google Analytics help SMBs improve efficiencies and increase profits online?
There are a few new features that have been recently introduced to GA and are now already available for use. Site search is one which we feel most of our customers will find especially useful. This feature allows people to understand more about internal site search, what words and phrases are being used, which ones convert most effectively and which are generating the most revenue. Another nice feature of site search is that users will be able to tell from which pages searches were originally made and which pages were subsequently visited.
2. What do you think are the most pressing issues currently facing SMBs that are looking to get the most out of their web analytics?
In my experience of working with both SMBs and large organisations there is a common issue of data overload, that’s why with Google Analytics we’ve tried to focus on simplifying the data while providing reports that can actually be acted upon. Additionally I think the two of the biggest issues facing SMBs today are education and resource. By education I mean the ability to understand the reports and know how to act on them. By resource I mean ensuring that there are both financial and human resources available to implement change.
3. As the largest supplier of web analytics how does Google view recent efforts by the Web Analytics Association to formalize a set of standard web metrics and associated definitions?
As a member of the WAA myself I subscribe to the importance of creating a standard however, one issue that still needs to be addressed is how tools are implemented. Different implementations can yield dramatically different results at the data output end so if we are to have standards I think it is important to address the issue of implementation as well.
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