There are many companies and organizations out there that believe they are doing web analytics because they have implemented an analytics package that is configured to capture the relevant data for their business goals. Some have even setup dashboards or created reports so that they can pull the pertinent data together and pass it around to the key stakeholders. What happens to these reports? Now that is a good question. Often they are stared at for a minute or two and then pushed to the side because there is no real meaning or context to them. If a stakeholder tries to understand the data they may begin to probe the “analyst” about those metrics that are deviating far from the mean. If the individual who created the report does not have a detailed answer they are probably just doing web reporting.

What is the difference between web reporting and web analytics? Well according to dictionary.com the definition of reporting is,

To make or present an often official, formal, or regular account of.

The definition for analysis on the other hand is,

Detailed examination of something especially by breaking it up into the parts of which it is made up.

As you can see by the definitions, reporting and analysis are completely different. Your company may have someone whose job it is to pull reports together for each key stakeholder, but you also need someone whose job it is to analyze and understand the data. Only after the analysis has taken place should the reporting begin.

Reporting is what your analytics package provides you on the surface and contains very limited context. Analysis gives meaning to the data and will provide actionable insights that lead to improving the sites performance. Another way to look at it is reporting does not usually require a human element while analysis does. Analysis gives you an understanding of why it happened and not just that it did happen. Knowing why allows you to take actions that will lead to a continual evolution of your site. If your site never changes based on your analytics data or the online channels you use for marketing your site are not influenced by your analytics data then you are probably not doing web analytics. Instead you are doing web reporting and are wasting most of the money that you invested into your analytics package. Understanding what is happening on your site may be why you got your analytics package, but unless your company has a true web analyst you will not be getting much out of the investment your company or organization made in the analytics package.

Related posts:

1. Importance of Dashboards for Web Analytics
2. Creating a Data Driven Business Culture – Part 2
3. Web Analytics Reporting that’s Easy to Understand
4. The Best Web Analytics Report?
5. Choosing a Web Analytics Package – Google Analytics “Myths”

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