The Management Perspective on Building a Web Measurement Capability

Gil Roeder, Director, Global Web Services, Barclays Global Investors

The Huddle on "A Management Perspective on Web Analytics" explored how the analytics function can gain traction and thrive in the fast-changing corporate environment. Participants first discussed a "micro" view of how they, as functional leaders and subject-matter experts, can best engage and establish credibility with senior executives. The starting point for the discussion was how to plan and prepare for a successful 15-minute "moment of truth" with the CMO or a similar executive. What are the hot buttons for that individual and how do web metrics relate to her/his concerns? The comments included how to represent the Web (not just metrics) in such a session, how to align with the typical executive focus on a) growth or cost-efficiency; b) customer insights; c) personal status. The participants also talked about credibility "killers" like getting lost in the details or a shaky data foundation and how to avoid them.

Then the discussions bridged to a "macro" view of how web analytics departments relate to the broader organization and the challenges of advancing the function through the stages of the typical maturity model.

Participants offered a number of insights on building a case for the right resources, and avoiding too much focus on investing in technology rather than people. A number of company representatives related their experiences with handling the seemingly endless stream of ad hoc report requests, including negotiation tactics, queue management, converting requests into automated reports, etc. Another key area of exploration was how to "leap forward" during a period of organizational or leadership change by making a persuasive case for analytics. The key management theme that kept surfacing during the discussions was the balance that web analytics professionals need to find between the important "internal" work of establishing a reliable, efficient operation in partnership with IT, and the essential "external" work of marketing the function and aligning it with the needs of key stakeholders in the broader organization.