You may wonder: what is web analytics? And what does a web analyst do?
The Web Analytics Association defines web analytics as ‘the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of web data for the purposes of understanding and optimizing web usage‘. Web analytics is not just a process for measuring web traffic. It can be used as a tool to assess and improve the effectiveness of a website. A web analyst’s tasks range from
- simple data collection to
- analysis of data about digital behaviour to
- producing the key indicators of how effective the company’s sales, communication and business strategy in digital channels are.
The digital behaviour is not just about how visitors come to a website. It also includes mapping how company’s customers orient themselves in the digital landscape.
Another question you may be asking is:
What skills do you need to have in order to become a great web analyst?
- Problem Solving
Regardless of whether you work at an agency or in-house, be prepared to get a lot of questions from the people you work with. This is an important skill to develop further, because you will need to know how to find solutions to difficult business questions.
- Technical Aptitude
A strong technical background is not an absolute must for becoming a web analyst. But the ability to code HTML, JavaScript and PHP will make your job easier. Understanding how the web works will also help you in communication with the technical department.
- Strong Communication Skills
You will need to be able to communicate complex or technical concepts to different audiences.
- Data Visualization Skills
This point goes closely together with the previous one. It is important to present your data in a meaningful way in order to clearly communicate your solutions to your audience. You can communicate a maximum of relevant information with the help of a graph or a visualisation.
- Understanding of online marketing
Being a great web analyst would be difficult without understanding the basics of online marketing disciplines. How would you analyze and optimize traffic channels without knowing how they work?
- Conclusion: Web Analytics has a multi-disciplinary background
In a nutshell, web analytics is multi-dimensional and builds on multiple disciplines. Statistics, interactive marketing, web design, web technologies, communication skills and acute analysis are just some of the competences a web analyst needs.