Crepuscular Light » web analytics association

Petri Mertanen – Hockey Man

Exxx — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:00:59 +0000

“And out of all the windows, No matter where we went, The merriest eyes would follow me And make me compliment.
There were a thousand windows, All latticed up and down. And up to all the windows, When we went back to town,
The queer folk put their faces, As gentle as could be; ”Come again, little girl!” they called, and I Called back, “You come see me!”"
Edna St. Vincent Millay, especially for my friend JayDaisy and her daughter Foxylocks. If that isn’t a metaphor for the website/visitor relationship, I don’t know what is!

It is time to turn our jingle bells to Petri Mertanen – a man who’s always in the dark

Tell us all about Petri Mertanen.

I have been interested in the Internet since my marketing studies started in 1995 at North Carelian University of Applied Sciencies. The school was in Joensuu, which is my original home town in eastern part of Finland. I finished my BBA degree with a final paper about eCommerce, right after I moved to Helsinki area in 1999. During my career I have been involved all the time more or less with web-related software and projects in various positions. In the beginning of 21st century, web analytics came along with some server log based systems and I was hooked.

It was a bit of accident that I became an entrepreneur later on and I found myself as a managing director of NXC Finland, previously Naviatech Solutions) in 2005. Since then I started studying more analytics business and got involved with the Finnish community (Kalle Heinonen, Steve Jackson and the rest). It paid off because I was selected by these gentlemen as a chairman of WAA Finland in 2007. Today, I’m a free agent and looking for the next challenge.

Your sister has an Olympic bronze medal. What was that for, and are you a little bit jealous?

Yes. Maybe I have to admit that my sister is a better hockey player than me.
Or not.
At least I’m hearing that a lot in our locker room. I have been playing for 26 hockey seasons [profile and career stats] so of course I’m very jealous about that Olympic bronze medal from Vancouver. And couple of World Champ bronze medals as well.
Yeah, maybe I was some kind of role model for my sis when I played in first division in Finland (second level) – at least she is saying that so I could feel better. As revenge I invited her into field of web analytics so we have to share same passion and punishment.

If you wrote a book on web analytics in Finnish, how many sales would you make in the first week?

I have very large fan group in Finland so I guess that during the first week I could sell 5 copies (parents, both sisters and me).
Actually I have been asked to write a book couple of times, but so far I enjoy just writing to my blog every now and then.

Who is your superhero-sans-cape in the web analytics community and why?

Ouh, there are so many I could name for this, although I haven’t met all of them in person. Kalle, Steve, Lars, Avinash, Eric, Dennis, Jim, Stéphane…if I really have to pick one, I would say…Eric Peterson.

Do you think there is a future for the European branches of the Web Analytics Association?

Yes, there is a future.

What is your wish for 2012?

New cool job would be nice! Then health and world peace for everyone.

What is the maximum number of bananas a camel can transport across the desert if there are 4 cups of strawberries in 8 jars of jam?

This is tough one because there are so many variables in the game. Of course it depends on the desert, the jockey and rules. If you are allowed to feed the jam to camel during the race and the jockey’s weight is 45 kg, then the answer is 197.

What makes you dance a jolly humppa when you think of web analytics?

Oh, the challenges of measuring social media, offline advertising and multiple channels of sales. There is so much to do when it comes to really getting the big picture of marketing communications and customer behavior. Going deeper than the last click, so to speak.

You regularly organise Web Analytics Wednesdays – what do you see as the main value of these events?

Networking and free beer. In Finland we usually sing some karaoke later during the night.

I believe there is only about half an hour of sunlight per year in Finland. Do you have to wear sunglasses all the time if you go to a normal country?

During the summertime we have one hour sunlight per day and during the wintertime we live in the darkness. I think it helps our heavy metal and rock bands a lot, but as you said it’s difficult to travel abroad.
Sunglasses are fine but usually I skip the conference programs during the day and concentrate on the evenings when it’s not that bright for Finns.

Happy Jollies from the Silly Series! Best Merries for 2012!

Why don’t you want to join the WAA? Really, why? Tell me!

Exxx — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 19:57:14 +0000

Friends, Romans….people from other cities….lend me your eyes!

I am a big fan of the Web Analytics Association and I have been a member for nigh on 4 years (1 year as an individual and 3 as a corporate member). I am on the Exam Committee and recently had the honour of being named co-chair of the Membership Committee alongside co-chair Michele “Jojoba” Hinojosa and chairman Eric “Hairic” Feinberg. I’ve taken the Certified Web Analyst (CWA) exam and I’m encouraging colleagues at Yahoo! to do the same.

In terms of the value of the membership to me – it’s been very useful in terms of making connections (especially considering I’m in a dark Hungarian outpost) and I have more recruiters contacting me since I took the UBC Web Analytics course (utilising my WAA discount) and the CWA exam – yes, it’s true, I’m needy for attention.
I’ve learned a huge amount from my time in the WAA, mainly from the involvement I’ve had with various groups.

So, my question is, why don’t YOU want to join the WAA?

I’m sure you have perfectly valid reasons and I want to hear all of them. Rant, rave, go nuts! I want to know! Several people have contacted me recently telling me that they haven’t joined because they don’t really understand the value of membership. So, what would make membership worthwhile to you? Get it all off your chest. You’ll feel better! Is it the price? Is it the website? Is it because a dream told you not to join? Did a magic eight-ball do this to you?

Leave a comment – anonymous or otherwise – below so that I have a better understanding of why we haven’t convinced you to join….yet. I’m not going to try to convince you now – I just want to understand what you want.

We’ll convince you later….

Rob McLaughlin – Hungry Ninja Man

Exxx — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 14:41:12 +0000

“Below my window the awakening trees, Hacked clean for better bearing, stand defaced Suffering their brute necessities, And how should the flesh not quail that span for span Is mutilated more? In slow distaste I fold my towel with what grace I can, Not young and not renewable, but man.” Kinsella was clearly aging as a result of a Silly Series…

It’s time to turn the spotlight on Rob McLaughlin, an IBM lovechild.

What would you like the world to know about Rob McLaughlin?

He lives in West London with two cats and a wife, is just about to join Canon Europe as their European Web Analytics Specialist, and loves the power of analytics as a source for almighty business insight.

How does your family explain what you do to other people?

My parents (who are both ex-IBMers) would say, that I say, I work in marketing but actually they think it is more like IT – Queue innumerable frustrating Sunday lunch conversations! As soon as databases are mentioned I lose any legs to stand on.

How does your family explain YOU to other people?

They would say I am passionate and excitable. They would probably also say that I love food, both in quality, quantity, frequency and recency (not latency though).

You’re a Certified Web Analyst – do you just like taking exams or something?

I jumped at the opportunity for a small validation of my web analyst abilities and experience. I have worked in sales, marketing and analysis roles within my career and once I’d decided to commit myself to the analytics discipline the WAA CWA seemed like an intuitive step.

Also, it was how I got to properly meet the wonderful Vicky Brock who has continued to be a friend and source of inspiration. Vicky was the adjudicator on the day of my examination – ask her if you want to know what I look like when nervous.

Who is your superhero-sans-cape in the web analytics community and why?

Firstly, Avinash Kaushik, without whom I would never have gained the level of knowledge and way of thinking that I required to make the jump into full-blown analytics being. Occam’s Razor was the bible that I read daily, for as many hours possible, sucking up the ideas and approaches like a hungry little ninja man-child.

Also, the aforementioned Vicky Brock who pushed our thinking around the EU cookie directive and executed the masterstroke of requesting analytics reports from the ICO via the Freedom of Information Act – that is super-hero behaviour!

Which web analytics topic makes you witter on and on like a crazy person?

You can light my wick pretty fast by suggesting that web analytics has limited application and value to non-ecommerce sites, i.e. brochure-ware or brand. Believe me, e-commerce excellence does not come from the sole focus on baskets, purchases and payments. All sites have goals and outcomes that must be achieved either in, without or prior to purchases. The number of lily-livered brand marketers who refuse to commit themselves to the fact their sites should have defined outcomes kills me! That crazy enough?

To send me into flames you could always suggest ‘average time on-site’ as a performance metric?

What is your wish for the remainder of 2011?

That I can start to get my head around the corporate landscape at Canon Europe. This is an extremely exciting move for me and whilst I have a million ideas to throw at this challenge I want to soak up as much as possible about this large, complex and interesting business before I begin to form an approach to measurement and optimisation.

You studied politics at university – if you were running the place, how long ago would you have fixed the global economic downturn?

I wouldn’t want to, I love those cliffing graphs! I hope that if one good thing comes out of all the economic turmoil it will be an increased openness and sharing of data – all the more ingredients for our analysis pie.

If bananas were square and kiwis were purple, how many web analysts would it take to change a lightbulb?

3 analysts

Why?

One analyst to change the bulb, two more to cheer him on and then join him for celebratory drinks.

Jim Novo – Drilling Down Man

Exxx — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:00:43 +0000

“Because I could not stop for Death, He kindly stopped for me; The carriage held but just ourselves And Immortality. We slowly drove, He knew no haste, and I had put away My labour, and my leisure too, For his civility”. Clearly, Emily spent far too much time on a Silly Series.

It is now time to turn our attention to Jim Novo, a man with unusual dating techniques.

All about Jim Novo.

Jim Novo is a customer analysis consultant with a 25 year track record of generating exceptional returns on customer marketing program investments. As Vice President of Programming & Marketing at Home Shopping Network, Jim handled the integration of customer communications and marketing across the Television, Catalog, and Internet divisions before starting his own consultancy in 1997. He is the author of Drilling Down: Turning Customer Data into Profits with a Spreadsheet.

Jim is an MBA Graduate of Babson College, a school known for a focus on entrepreneurial activity. He majored in Economics and Psychology as an undergraduate at Dartmouth College. Jim is co-author of The Marketer’s Common Sense Guide to e-Metrics with Bryan Eisenberg and Managing Director of Education for the Web Analytics Association (WAA), serving as the Lead Instructor on development of the WAA’s 4-course series teaching students how to measure and manage online marketing.

What is worth knowing about Jim Novo?

Define “worth”, what’s the context? Got a KPI? Median value?

For web analysts, I suppose it might be I have been involved with the measurement of interactive customer behavior from a marketing perspective since 1984, starting with the first addressable cable TV set-top boxes, through TV Shopping and fully interactive cable systems, and on into the web. So I have optimized widely divergent interactive systems for profitability, and the thing is, I see the same patterns repeating over and over in all of them. For some analysts, this might mean my ideas are “worth” considering, even if they contradict what is right now considered a best practice.

Did you have any interesting nicknames in school? I have no doubt you’ve been called Supernovo at some point.

Almost! SuperNova (with an “a” at the end) was my college fraternity nickname. At HSN, they called me “Dr No”, I’ll let you guess why. Hint: Has something to do with marketing analytics.

Who is your superhero-sans-cape in the web analytics community and why?

Dr. Peter S. Fader of the Wharton School. You probably don’t know him, but back in the late 1990′s he was already proving interactive web marketing concepts most people still do not understand. His conclusions mirrored what we learned at Home Shopping Network about properly using interactivity to optimize profits, and that was a big deal to me, to know someone else in another environment had the same results I did. By the way, Prof Fader is speaking on the last day at eMetrics NYC – a must see if you are there.

If you could plan your last words, what would they be?

It requires a very unusual mind to undertake the analysis of the obvious. (Alfred North Whitehead)

What is your wish for the remainder of 2011?

That it’s a lot less crazy than the first portion.

You have 2 budgies and a twizzler. How would you use this information to determine how much wood a woodchuck would chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

Well, woodchucks *can* chuck wood, haven’t you seen the GEICO commercial? So I reject the hypothesis of “could” chuck wood; you simply have to count wood chucked. The budgies and twizzler represent social measurement vendor FUD and are not material.

How did the WAA come to name the Award of Academic Excellence (for the top scoring Award of Achievement in Web Analytics student) after you?

I believe this was originally a Bryan Eisenberg idea, which he sold to the WAA Board, based on the fact I lead the team that created the 4 WAA Courses. The idea kind of makes me uncomfortable, since so many people contributed to that effort, and it feels weird to be singled out. Though I guess I would have received ample blame if it did not work out…

If you opened a shop, what would you sell and what would the name of the shop be?

You mean a physical retail store? I would never do that, the business model sucks…

My wife and I have run a number of online stores where (when she lets me) we test out various marketing and merchandising programs, and of course, do campaign, site, and customer analysis on the back end. These were really started to provide evidence of how to to best optimize online marketing, but one of them, in the exotic pet cateogry, has become my wife’s full time job!

You wrote the Drilling Down book. When you were writing it, what did you do to ease writer’s block?

I don’t recall having any significant writer’s block, I knew what I wanted to say, created an outline of the book, and wrote it. Because the ideas in the book are channel and platform agnostic, I don’t think I will need to update it beyond the current edition, which added a ”prequel” to explain some basic database marketing ideas, making the rest of the book more accessible to non-marketers.

What is the oddest thing you’ve ever done to impress a lady?

Took her customer behavior analysis and turned it in into a very profitable marketing program. I now call that lady my wife.

Check out the full list of interviews in the Silly Series here!

Christopher Berry – Manberry

Exxx — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:00:31 +0000

“I have what every poet hates in spite Of all the solemn talk of contemplation. Oh, Alexander Selkirk knew the plight Of being king and government and nation. A road, a mile of kingdom, I am king Of banks and stones and every blooming thing.” Poor old Kavanagh, he should have stayed well away from Silly Series’.

Today, it is time to interrogate Christopher Berry. Just don’t make him laugh, it’s really annoying.

Christopher, what do we need to know about you and what flavour of Berry juice would result if you were squeezed?

Strawberries are packed with antioxidants and sugar, so I’m pretty sweet and good for you.

Who is your superhero-sans-cape in the web analytics community and why?

Jim Novo. He teaches, inspires and contributes original research. That’s pretty exceptional in web analytics.

Web analytics – art or science?

It should be both. Science is a system of learning. It combines theory creation, iterative experimentation, and is self-correcting when a theory fails in the face of enough contradictory evidence. This ought to be the real core of analytics – web and otherwise. Art is about expression that causes a reaction.

Good analytics should make use of art to create a reaction. It should use creative techniques and design thinking to inform theories and create new experiments. Analytics ultimately should cause reactions that causes better results. Analytics should be both art and science.

Tell us a joke.

A Freudian slip is when you say one thing, but mean your mother.

What is your wish for the remainder of 2011?

To be smarter by the end of 2011 than I am now.

You are on the Research Committee of the Web Analytics Association – what is your greatest discovery?

The Peer Review Project aims at making the latest academic research accessible, intelligible, and actionable by web analytics practitioners. Through this secondary research, we found proof that some product adoption is caused by social influence. It’s quite amazing that they had isolated social impact to that extent. The paper and the review has been influential in its own right.

During the 80s, the average skirt shortened by 10%. During the same period, instances of heart disease rose. Thus it follows that short skirts cause heart disease. Discuss.

Correlation isn’t always causation. That’s no excuse to stop searching for causal factors. Can you think of a theory that would link skirt length to heart disease? Lack of imagination doesn’t mean that a theory doesn’t exist. The existence of a theory doesn’t mean that an alternative, more accurate, theory can’t be imagined. The existence of a theory that explains causality doesn’t guarantee that it’s true. The whole system is designed to be skeptical of its output. I can’t think of a theory that draws a direct causal relationship between short skirts and heart disease. I can imagine a theory that places demographics as a cause for both short skirts, the economy, and heart disease.

How do you describe social analytics to people who are politely pretending to listen?

I don’t waste their time. There’s little point. For those that are interested, I contend that the application of the scientific method must be genuine for social marketers to succeed. Your ability to learn and become better is a prerequisite for success in social.

What is your most annoying habit?

I laugh out loud. Loudly. A lot.

Check out the full list of interviews in the Silly Series here!

Tim Patten – Beer Man

Exxx — Tue, 24 May 2011 10:40:00 +0000

If you work in web analytics, you need to read the Silly Series to understand what you’ve gotten yourself into. It’s a wonderful world, brimming with wacky wonderful people.

This time, we turn to Tim Patten, a man with a frothy head and a smooth finish.

What should people know about Timothy Patten, esquire?

Starting out as a web developer, I moved into Web Analytics about 3 years ago and have never looked back. You can find me chatting amongst the #measure community on Twitter as @timpatten.

In my free time, I also enjoy hitting the slopes on my snowboard and viewing the world through the lens of my Nikon D60. I have always had a love of the great outdoors and living in Oregon has been a blessing. The beautiful Cascade, Wallowa, and Siskiyou Mountains are my second, third, and fourth homes whenever I can find the time. When I’m not in the mountains, you can usually find me next to the nearest river with a fishing pole in my hand, or at the nearest Brewpub having some of my favorite beer.

You describe yourself as a beer snob. How do you feel Dreher compares with Borsodi?

I do subscribe to beer snobs anonymous. I have always been picky about what beer I drink and tend to taste it like someone would taste wine. I actually take pride in the fact that I have turned a couple of friends into beer snobs as well. Oregon truly is a perfect place to be a beer snob since it is known as the microbrewery capital of the world.

As for Dreher or Borsodi, I have not had either. I have had Miller, however, which is owned by the same parent company as Dreher. I wouldn’t consider it one of my favorites. However, now you have given me two new breweries to try out. So now I am happy and have a purpose in life.

What do you think is the least effective form of online advertising?

Forum Spam. ’Nuff said.

You are a member of the Web Analytics Assocation. Will you be renewing your membership?

That’s a tough question actually. I have been a member since 2008 and I ask myself that question every year. Ultimately it comes down to whether I want to have a vote or if I want to sit back and let everyone else decide for me. If I’m not a member, I don’t have any voting rights. I appreciate all that the WAA has accomplished for the industry in the last year and $199 for an individual is rather affordable. In fact, if you attend one of the eMetrics conferences, WAA members receive a discount that is greater than the cost of the membership itself.

So, in answer to your question, YES, I will be renewing my membership with the WAA.

Who is your superhero-sans-cape in the web analytics community and why?

Everyone who is on Twitter contributing and helping out the community each and every day. Everyone who is on the Analysis Exchange providing actionable analysis to the non-profits of the world. Everyone who is making an effort to make measurement a more important and essential element of their organization. OH!! And anyone who is in the hunt to find a @Jojoba in the wild….

You recently agreed to join the Keystone Solutions team. Did you lose a bet?

Ha!! No, no bet lost. Im actually looking forward to working with such a great group of people.

What is your wish for the remainder of 2011?

Other than trying out Dreher and Borsodi? I would have to say that my wish would be to get out and enjoy life more. I haven’t spent much time in the great outdoors lately and would really like to change that this summer.

I also hope to get much more involved in the #measure community through any means possible. That’s what makes our community the great community that it is; passionate people willing to give back and help others.

If you were banished from the land of Analyticadia, what would you choose as your alternate career?

Brewmaster or full-time Beer critic. I keep telling myself that I want to retire someday and become a brewmaster. Some people start vineyards. I’ll brew beer. Seems like a fair trade-off to me…

What would you describe as a life-changing event in your life?

The day I discovered that I finally liked IPA’s. Changed my life forever.

If one doctor doctors another doctor, does the doctor who doctors the doctor doctor the doctor the way the doctor he is doctoring doctors?

A Woodchuck could chuck as much as a Woodchuck could chuck if a Woodchuck could chuck wood. Rinse, Repeat.

Check out the full list of interviews in the Silly Series here!

Thomas Bosilevac – Bossy Liticks Man

Exxx — Tue, 03 May 2011 13:45:00 +0000

Looking for out-of-print books on ancient methods of salmon fishing? You’re in the wrong place. This is the Silly Series – a succession of frivolous people profiles focussing on those who work in and around the web analytics industry.

It is now time to turn our attention to Thomas Bosilevac, a man with a name as unpronounceable as Jojoba’s.

Boz, be a good chap and tell the nice folks about yourself.

Ohh where to start, I grew up surrounded with Midwestern values in the former mob capital, Kansas City, where I was president of my catholic parish Youth Group for like 5 years, uncontested of course. After the turn of the millennium, someone told me the bubble was gonna burst, so, I decided to move to LA and see that happen – it did, I would only trade the experience for stock papers worth more than paper.

Since then I have been fired from a spammer over an argument of opt-in vs opt-out (I was right), lived on Martha’s Vineyard for a summer, drove a D9 in Peoria,IL while managing digital analytics at CAT, had twins, stayed in over 50 hotels consulting with Webtrends, had another child.

Now I have found a settling spot here in Portland, OR where I have added 2 dogs and 3 chickens to the family. After travelling and consulting for over 5 years straight … I founded MashableMetrics. That is another story.

Into how many languages can you translate your first name?

I melt when I hear the French say Tomas – however, after a few years of French, I just respond ironically “Je ne parle pas francais”.

You don’t accept the role of “Report Monkey”. What about “Graphical Chimp”?

I wanted to change to something like data donkey, but HR had issues with that. Can we compromise on Graphical Gorilla?

If you were to write, direct and star in a play on web analytics, what would the play be called and who would interview you on the red carpet?

Well coincidently enough I majored in Theatre and Film, and it is what made me get into the “WWW” in the first place. So how about – “Card Catalogue Monologues” a dramedy that showcases TBoz in his journey of frustration of manually finding 15min male monologues at the university library, through his remarkable discovery of the computer lab and Gopher, to his anal-retentive needs to quantify the return on investment of each production element of a new initiative. I want to be interviewed by Neil Diamond (I love you Mom).

Who is your superhero-sans-cape in the web analytics community and why?

I am going out on a limb here, and outside our comfort zone, and say Hans Rosling. Hans has taken the idea of using data to the mainstream. (see video… BBC show … TED talks ….) Who else gets a standing ovation from a data interpretation? Do you? Should you? He is also one of the inspirations for MashableMetrics. If we as analysts can look like rockstars, perhaps some of those amazing insights we draw up will get implemented more quickly. I will blush when I meet him.

Do you think the WAA creating a Code of Ethics is an ethical thing to do?

It is a step in the right direction, I think everyone has the responsibility to read it, understand the implications, research accordingly. Candidly however, I feel it is lip service.

When this whole internet thing started the American people didn’t trust eCommerce and eBanking. eTrust stamps increased conversions for the retailer but not the industry. What happened? The end started to justify the means. Let’s face it, privacy and fraud have not been eliminated nor has it decreased since 2000.

BUT, I sure am glad I was able to book my latest little weekend getaway online vs. go to a travel agent. We need to look at the holistic picture and ask ourselves: What are we providing to the customer for this data? I don’t voluntarily give away my shopping habits, but sign away because of almighty “points” and “discounts”. Go ahead, close your eyes and ask it … I will blog about it later … or someone will

What is your wish for the remainder of 2011?

I can’t be concerned with 2011, I am making plans for post apocalypse 2012.

BUT –
I see a true change in the makeup of a digital analytics department.
Whereas a focus data extraction, analysis, and visualization will be more commonplace. Instead of looking for web analytics pros, managers will be looking internally for the database marketers, R programmers, and true data scientists.

Tell a true story about something you’ve done that would make the lady readers go “awww” and the boy readers go “Damn, you make the rest of us look bad”.

Well Emer there really are so many … so I will sum it up with the reason I
do them all:

What is your favourite interview question for employment candidates?

I will take this from Eric Peterson: After most every credential that they throw my way ask them:
CANIDATE: I am a committed, intelligent person
ME: So What …
CANIDATE: ”I graduated with honors”.
So What …
CANIDATE: “at Harvard”
So What …
CANIDATE: ” sleeping an average 15% of the week (5hrs a day), classes 12%, and with .065 BAC 45% of the time, ”
HIRED

How good would an offer have to be to make you leave the world of web analytics?

Honestly, given the same salary there are many things I would rather do like become a high-school teacher, actor or Manager of Social Experience at a resort (stolen from TV series Greek) but that just doesn’t happen so easily. Web analytics and product development is what I love, and what I do best. I have been in sales, media planning and project management. I have worked at small and large organizations, agencies and a software vendor. With the experience under my belt, right now, I love being the captain of my own ship, and you can’t bribe me out, but you can show your support by going to MashableMetrics.com - we will take the grunt work out of reporting.

Check out the full list of interviews in the Silly Series here!

Emer Kirrane – Evil Woman

Exxx — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 03:30:34 +0000

I must apologise in advance for this. To give you some background, I created the Silly Series – a group of web analytics people profiles – and some of the profilees decided to turn the tables on me and force me to answer a ridiculous number of inane questions as some form of misguided revenge.
So, apologies for what follows, but you have Team Evil Forces to thank. Team Evil Forces is a group made up of Jojoba, Licensee, Jason in a Tutu, Daisy Jay, Rudely Jumpers, Atlanta Boy and PDX Jeffers.

1. G’day Emer. Tell us about yourself in 140 characters or less. (You should be used to that, @Exxx)

I’m Irish. I’m in Hungary. I love potatoes. I once jumped out of a plane. Cheerful people scare me. I have a tattoo of a frog. I like frogs

2. How in the heck do you pronounce “Emer”? What’s up with that?
a) Eh-mehr
2) Eeeh-mehr
iii) Eeeh-vil

Sigh. It’s Eee-myrrh/eeee-murr. It’s quite a common name in Ireland, though perhaps a little old-fashioned.
Emer was the wife of the legendary Irish warrior Cú Chulainn. She was said to possess all 6 of the womanly virtues – the gift of beauty, the gift of voice, the gift of sweet speech, the gift of needle-work, the gift of wisdom, the gift of chastity.

Let me know when you stop laughing.

3. What’s up with the XXX in @Exxx? Is it because you’re XXXtra evil? Or do you have an XXX-rated side career we don’t know about?

I didn’t think about how Exxx would look when I set up my Twitter account. I only realised it might be odd when I started receiving questions about how many of my previous boyfriends I might have killed and a LOT of porn spam started streaming in.
I wish it didn’t sound so girly, but when I was a teen I used to sign my name with three kisses instead the last three letters of my name. It’s an old habit I never kicked.

4. What inspired the silly series? Are they not keeping you busy enough at Yahoo! Web Analytics?

It actually began because I was so busy. It was before Christmas and I hadn’t written a blog post in a month. I didn’t have time, so I decided to outsource my content production. Originally, I had imagined a “Twelve Days of Christmas” type of series, but I really enjoyed and learned a lot from the profiles and thought they might be a great resource for others in the web analytics community.

That is, until the sodding profilees decided it would be oh-so-much-fun to profile me.

5. If your career was made into a movie, what would the plot synposis be, and who would play you? Would there be a love interest and who would play that role?

It would definitely be directed by David Lynch, and perhaps be called “The Meandering Bendyness of Jam”. The love interest would be a giant walking potato called Five. I’d be played by Thumbelina and the story would be unintelligible until the dénouement, which would (naturally) take place in a tree-house.

6. What’s up with Budapest? You get kicked out of Oirland?

It was a bit of a whim. Five years ago I arrived in Budapest, aiming to stay for a year. You can see more about what I got up to on my merry adventures here, but the upshot is that I got into IndexTools, met a boy and didn’t leave. I’m sure the people of Oirland breathed a collective sigh of relief – I’m not sure they’d have me back now.

7. What is your favourite thing about the web analytics industry?

Despite the torture I’m enduring at the hands of Team Evil Forces, it has to be the people and the passion in the web analytics industry. I like to see people who genuinely believe in what they do and I love to observe the debates, the teamwork, the sense of community…

Fetch me a tissue, dammit, I need a moment, overcome as I am by the love!

8. What is your least favorite thing about the industry? (Note the correct spelling of favorite in this one)

As someone who works for a vendor, I would have to say that I feel a strange lack of inclusion. For example, surveys sent out on web analytics topics never take into account vendor representatives. In theory, I can understand it – no-one wants their passion polluted by people trying to up-sell solutions. However, most “selling” I see is done by community members, not vendor representatives. I don’t really understand why we can’t all be on more or less the same page.

9. If you could date any metric, what would it be and why?

Hmm, I think metrics on their own are a bit pointless (and their dinner conversation leaves a lot to be desired). I’d prefer a visitor segment – though that’s possibly a bit kinky.

10. Hits or bounce rate? Which one wins in a bar fight? And who is at the bar taking bets on the fight?

Clearly, the fight is taking place at a drive-through wedding chapel in Las Vegas, which means that an aging woman dressed as Elvis on roller skates is running the book.
Hits is in the blue corner wearing dungarees and a backwards baseball cap. Bounce Rate, in the red corner is wearing a billowing shell-suit. After two and a half rounds, the entire bar loses interest in the lacklustre display and Elvis straightens her wig and drags herself back onto her stool to take bets on a goat drinking shots of tequila.

11. You are a community liaison for the Analysis Exchange, and a prominent customer of Twitalyzer. Who would you rather take to your senior prom: Eric Peterson or Jeff Katz?

Convention is a touch lame. I would take Wonder Wendy, the executive director of the Analysis Exchange. Eric and Jeff would carry our purses. Both would be wearing tutus. And tiaras.

12. What is your dream for the Analysis Exchange in the next 18 months? (Token boring, sensible question.)

I LOVE the Analysis Exchange. Love it. Can I date it instead of a metric?

I just want it to keep going and keep growing. The first goal is to help 1000 non-profit organisations by providing them with free web analysis through giving experience to 500 students and 150 mentors. Within 18 months, I’d like to see the Analysis Exchange surging forward under its own speed, with a steady stream of new non-profits, repeat projects from current non-profits, a bank of regular mentors, a growing number of highly engaged analysts – and cake for all!

I’d love to see more mentors and students bringing in non-profits as the organisations are the best method of spreading the word in the non-profit community and we need their help.

13. Who is your superhero-sans-cape in the web analytics industry, and why? Who is the person in the industry most likely to wear a cape? What about a dress?

Who’s my superhero? That is a very tough question. At the moment, I’d probably have to say Judy Ritland, Shannon Taylor and Mike Levin from the Web Analytics Association. They’re always incredibly helpful and receptive and tolerant of my nonsense.
If I was to keep naming names, we’d be here a long time, though the list would have to include John “Happy” Lovett, Eric “Grampa” Peterson, Wendy Greco, Jason Thompson and every student and mentor in the Analysis Exchange.
I would have to also include Avinash Kaushik and Stéphane Hamel for their contributions to the industry and for being smashing chaps.

All of Team Evil Forces, against my better judgement.

Jojoba, of course, bless her (see question 16 if you don’t know why her patience should be celebrated).

Jennifer Day – she was one of my first real connections in the web analytics industry. She’s absolutely a hero to me, and she amuses the hell out of me.

Bob Page, for being Bob Page….

I could go on and on, but start with the people I’ve profiled, add anyone who’s using the #measure hashtag on Twitter, drizzle with the committed analysts out there, chuck in a pinch of pepper and a glass of red wine and bake for 40 minutes to see my analytics superhero cake.

I think I may be the most likely to wear a cape. Even as a child, I wanted to have life insurance with Scottish Widows because of the macabre name and the caped girl in the television ad.

I think we’ve established that Jason Thompson gets the yearbook entry “Most Likely to Wear a Dress”. Let’s face it, I think we could persuaded him into a tutu even he hadn’t been raising money for Charity:Water.

14. If 75% of your site traffic came in through the search term “loony bin” and 42% of those spent an average of 6.66 seconds on site, how many visits would you need to get to your site in a week to start sleeping like a normal person?

At the moment, 75% of my site traffic comes via searches on the names of folks I’ve profiled in the web analytics industry (mwah hah haaah). That helps me sleep at night.

The searches on sheep, ninjas and Chinese whispers are the ones that keep me awake.

15. Rumour has it no one has ever seen Avinash and you in a room at the same time. Discuss.

That’s not a rumour, that’s a fact. I suspect he runs screaming from the building if he hears that there’s any likelihood that I’ll turn up. Would you blame him?

16. What’s next for Project Jojoba? When will you get bored already?

Project Jojoba, as a social experiment, has currently exceeded all goals and benchmarks. Mama’s very proud. I’m generally interested in the way people react collectively and social media is a great way of observing group behaviour on a large scale.

Did you know that Jason ended up in a tutu because of a random off-the-cuff comment I made to Lee Isensee on Twitter? I mentioned tutus to him. He mentioned tutus to others. When Jason was looking for more support for his fundraising campaign, the word was floating about looking for a home and the web analytics group worked together to get him into a lovely frock.

Project Jojoba was a touch more deliberate.
I have a terrible, terrible habit for giving people nicknames. I once called three guys in the same office “Jim” for 6 months – and they all answered to it, which is worse.

With Michele Hinojosa, I couldn’t (and still can’t) pronounce her surname, so I lazily called her Jojoba rather than learn the pronunciation. I then decided that everyone else should pander to my laziness. Project Jojoba is testament to the fact that dedication to goals and strategic team-building sets you on the road to success. And that I’m not the only one in the web analytics industry that likes to indulge in a little plate of crazy from time to time.

I may tire of the active campaign after eMetrics, but Jojoba will always be Jojoba to me.

17. When you and Carol Bartz get together for your monthly Pedis, what are the general topics of conversations between you two ladies?

The general greatness of Yahoo! and creative forms of revenge on Team Evil Forces.

18. African or European Swallow?

Laden or unladen by migratory coconuts?

19. If you were Princess Peach, from Mario Brothers fame, who would you rather be with – Mario, Luigi or Toadstool?

I do not know these people of whom you speak. I’ve played Lemmings, that’s a great game. And Tetris is always a winner. And…um…yeah, I’m not a fan of these new-fangled shoot-em-up games. Or driving games.

Ok, I’ve just looked up the characters in question. They all have moustaches! Are you insane? Everyone knows that one must avoid those who favour upper-lip hirsutitude! It’s just wrong.

20. Since you’re from Ireland, what is the most dangerous thing you’ve ever done with a potato and how many police officers ended up being called to the scene?

My fiancé would tell you that the most dangerous thing I do around potatoes is eat them. I can consume giant mountains of mashed potato. I cannot express strongly enough how much I like the potato, in all its forms. The last plate of mash I ate weighed as much as a small baby.

I wish I had some potato right now.

Police officers have never been called to the scene of one of my potato dinners, but I can imagine requiring resuscitation at some point as I am suffocated by a ridiculous volume of mash.

Mmmm….mash.

21. A sheep, a goat, a pig and a HiPPO walk into the room – who walks out with a: limp, fat lip, a concussion or unscathed?

Sheep are a bit useless – I grew up chasing them around fields and herding them up hills with my dad. The sheep would wander off to get itself into trouble.
The goat would probably try to eat the pig and the HiPPO and then treat itself to a plastic bag for dessert.
The pig would dribble slightly and the HiPPO would be very concerned about knowing how many animals were in the room.

22. Which would scare you more, waking up in the morning and seeing JasonInATutu standing in the corner of your room or presenting on stage at eMetrics while wearing a tutu?

If Jason came all the way to Budapest just to stand in a corner in a tutu, I would find it a little more sad than scary. I think he has more sense.

Presenting, tutu or not, scares the bejabus out of me generally. I make lots of self-conscious jokes when I present, but I’m sure that doesn’t hide my general terror.

23. Why do you not like having your picture taken? Is it because you are in the witness protection service … which would also explain why you live in Budapest. Hmmm … Oh yeah. That is a question, I swear.

Even my mother, who thinks the sun shines out of my whatnot, will tell you that the camera is not kind to the Emer. “God bless you, but photographs don’t seem to capture you properly” is her lovely way of putting the fact that her daughter is just not photogenic.

24. Knowing that you are Irish and also engaged to be married, aren’t you still equally offended that Prince Williams did not ask you to share the Royal throne? Or are you holding out for Harry?

You open with the fact that I’m Irish and then proceed to assume that I am in some way British? I am confused.
In any case, I have no need of princes. You may click here to see a picture of my betrothed and I – you will then see why I have no disappointment of any kind.

25. What are the powers of a Web Analytics Fairy? What is your fairy dust? Your kryptonite?

I flit about from pillar to post, dropping whimsy dust all over the place. I have the power to confound. If you want to battle me, using a Facebook page as your “website” will irritate me so much that my power is drained. Better still, create a website that simply serves as a link to your Facebook page. Just make sure that your entire online business is wholly dependent on someone else’s, because they will always be sure to align their business goals with yours. That will never backfire.

Even writing about this angers me. I need to go to my happy place…

26. True or False: What is the best color for your “Add to cart” buttons if you want to maximize conversion rate?

False. Except when true, which is usually the second Tuesday of the month.

27. Say the word “white” five times fast, then answer: What does a cow drink?

Liquidised toast mixed with champagne.

28. Answer one of these two questions: What is the required time to determine a winner for a multivariate test involving 3 page elements if you have 3,283 average daily pageviews from 3,108 visits and 2,984 visitors, assuming you need a confidence interval of less than two percent? OR What sound does a duck make?

It’s ridiculous to separate these two questions. What kind of amateur wrote this question? I shouldn’t have to deal with this rubbish. Don’t you know who I am! Bring me my cane!

29. If you could wipe one of these things off the face of the earth, which would it be? 1) % Exit Rate, 2) Unique Visitors, 3) HiPPO Reports, 4) “Hits”, 5) Smooth Jazz

Exit rate, hands down. A faffy rate doesn’t give you insight into why a page is an exit page or what that really means. It could be a good thing or a bad thing. It could be an irrelevant thing. But just looking at the exit rate, that’s just going to give you a lovely figure for your pie chart. Use that pie chart on your website. Your Facebook page website.

30. When you wake up in the morning, do you yell Yahoo! or Gmail? Why is it that you use Gmail, do you admit that Y!mail is not as good?

I used Gmail for years before I joined Yahoo!. I don’t really use it any more, though I do think it’s a great product. I’m not into auto-bashing the products of the competition. But, Yahoo! Mail is genuinely really impressive, particularly the latest version. You can integrate Twitter, Facebook updates etc., include lots of applications, chat and so on.

I’m a commitment freak. I tend to give my all to whatever company I’m working for or interest that I have. So, if I could do more than unwillingly drag my carcass out of bed in the morning, I would yell Yahoo!.

31. If you had to pick five items for a dashboard what would they be? Oh, you can only pick from people within the #measure industry.

Well, it depends on the purpose of the dashboard. I’m answering this question at 1.30am so, to be perfectly frank, for dashboard, I’m reading dartboard. And I think I would have everyone in Team Evil Forces on that.

32. How many more questions do you think there are?

Is it A MILLION?!? That’s how many questions I feel I’ve answered.

33. Did you get Question 32 right?

Yes. Sulk.

34. How many revenge plots have you come up with for the Team Evil Forces while answering these questions?

I am feeling benign. So much so that I’ll share a photo of you with my face included. Click here.

Check out the full list of interviews in the Silly Series here!

June Dershewitz – WAA Woman

Exxx — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 09:00:07 +0000

Welcome to the Silly Series of web analytics people profiles – holding a mirror up to the web analytics industry, and liking what it sees.
Today, the fetching Ms. June Dershewitz.

A brief history of June Dershewitz:

1994: Wrote a thesis in mathematics (measure theory, of all things)
1999: First job as a web analyst, at a dot-com in San Francisco
2004: Became an independent consultant in web analytics
2005: Threw the world’s first ever Web Analytics Wednesday
2007-current: Management team member at Semphonic, a web analytics consultancy
2008-current: Web Analytics Association (WAA) Board of Directors member

We’ve actually met! How many countries have you visited while taking web analytics to the people of the world?

Here’s the back story: My husband spent some time living in Budapest during college; as a result, he speaks Hungarian and has some good friends in the area. We love to travel, so we paid a visit to Budapest during the Fall of 2009. Anna Sebestyen held an excellent Web Analytics Wednesday while I was there, and she invited me to speak. Emer, you were also a speaker. So we have actually met! I’m looking forward to catching up with you again at eMetrics San Francisco in March. A little bird told me you’d be there.

I love to talk shop with my peers, whether I’m in Hungary or anywhere else. In the last 3 weeks alone I’ve gotten together with web analysts in Boston, Vegas and Austin. Last fall I did the same in Munich. I’ve taken to posting my upcoming travel destinations on LinkedIn; contact me if you want to meet up.

You are on the board of directors of the Web Analytics Association – does that mean you know all there is to know about web analytics?

I wouldn’t say that I’m a web analytics know-it-all (ugh) but I do have a very good vantage point. I love serving on the WAA Board because it gives me a chance to keep tabs on all of the amazing things that WAA members are doing for our industry: developing a code of ethics, building out the certification program, organizing symposiums, and so on. I continue to be impressed with the level of energy and commitment WAA members put into volunteering.

What is the most ludicrous claim you’ve heard from a web analytics vendor?

I hate buzzwords, and I always cringe when I hear them spoken by salesmen. Here are some of my least favorite phrases:

Realtime executive dashboard
Plug-n-play implementation
Intuitive self-service interface
And so on: http://www.erikandanna.com/Humor/bullshit_generator.htm

To be honest, I know we’re all guilty of using business jargon. I’m an offender, too.

Do you dream in black & white, or colour dashboards?

I’m a big fan of Tufte and Few. As a result, my good dreams involve dashboards with the Few-approved tasteful color palette, and my nightmares feature massive 3-dimensional rainbow pies.

Who is your superhero-sans-cape in the web analytics community and why?

I admire many people in the community, but right now I have 2 superheroes: Lee Isensee and Eric Feinberg. They serve as the Co-Chairs of the WAA Membership Committee and they are doing an awesome job! They wrangle volunteers, run our monthly meeting, and make sure we’re keeping up with our major objectives. All that on top of their day jobs. Thank you Lee and Eric!

What makes you cry bitter, bitter tears in terms of the perception of website tracking?

Although we’ve made quite a bit of progress in the past few years, I continue to encounter situations where web analytics is considered purely a technical exercise. I hate seeing people get so hung up on tagging or reporting that they aren’t able to move on and use the data to drive change.

You have to write the lyrics to a rap about web analytics called “My Homie done bounced off yo page”. The chorus is sung by Britney Spears – what are the words to that chorus?

OMG I’m not going to go there. I bounce off of your question.

What is your wish for the remainder of 2011?

Positive change.

You’re sentenced to 12 years for crimes against llamas (the 80s were a crazy time) – what three items would you insist on keeping in your cell?

For the record, the worst crime I’ve committed against llamas involves feeding them stale Wonder Bread (really) – but I swear they asked for it. It’s the crimes against rabbits that you don’t want to know about.

My three cell essentials would be:

A network-connected Android tablet. I don’t have one, I have an iPad, but I’m ready to hand it over to my toddler for good and get an Android as soon as I have an excuse to buy one.
My knitting supplies. I’ve been known to knit some pretty amazing hats. Think how many I could make in 12 years.
A window overlooking something interesting. I love the view from my apartment in San Francisco: fog, mountains, water, bridge, city life. Maybe I need a cell at Alcatraz.

What do you think is the hardest part of building a successful career in the web analytics industry?

For new folks looking to get a start in the field, the hardest part boils down to this catch-22: In order to get a job working with tool X, you need 3 years experience working with tool X.

Hiring managers: Please, please, please stop focusing on the brand names of the tools we use and hire for potential! If you select candidates solely based on tool knowledge you will get a tool jockey. The best candidates are the ones who are naturally curious about data, can summarize their ideas clearly, and are as comfortable with the executives as they are with the coders. Even if they haven’t got 3 years of experience with tool X.

Check out the full list of interviews in the Silly Series here!

Vicky Brock – Gardening Woman

Exxx — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 09:00:57 +0000

It ain’t heavy. It ain’t your brother either. It’s the Silly Series and it’s all about people like you (if you’re one of the slightly bonkers people in web analytics).

This time, we turn to green-fingered (and broken-nailed) Vicky Brock.

Vicky, tell us about yourself. In the third person please, if you don’t mind.

Vicky Brock is co-founder of Highland Business Research, a web intelligence agency based in Scotland, and a board director of the WAA. A Certified Web Analyst and Google Analytics Certified Partner, she has been working in web analytics since the late 90s, having started her career in direct marketing. She is a WAA Basecamp & GA Seminar For Success trainer and lecturer in eMarketing & analytics.

You are on the Board of Directors of the Web Analytics Association. Weren’t you afraid you’d break a nail?

As an intrepid, and some may say completely obsessed, gardener all my nails are broken already – with an added layer of permadirt. Plus I’m used to being poked with sticks. Basically, I ran for the board because I strongly believe our industry needs a professional body like the WAA and I felt that if I wanted that organisation to exist and thrive, then I should roll my sleeves up and get stuck in. It is a challenge, and there are times I wish I don’t also have the distraction of a full time job & business to get in the way, but I hope that if I give it my best shot, then that will have a positive impact for the community.

You are invited to attend a fancy dress party where the theme is “Web Analytics in Tourism” (pretty nerdy party) – what is your costume?

Crikey. Well, though my Martha Stewart traits run deep, I’m not sure I can run up either a vapour trail or an invisibility cloak at short notice, so I would go as Joe Megibow from Expedia. Or maybe the Travelocity Gnome?

You recently invigilated a Web Analyst Certification exam in Berlin. Did you stalk menacingly about the room and growl at anyone who sneezed?

Absolutely. Though I did also give a tissue to the person who sneezed. It was a great session actually – very Christmassy with lots of snow and lots of shiny, terrified faces. As exam proctor you’re trying to keep everything going as smoothly as possible for the people taking the test but also making sure that the security and integrity of the exam are preserved. It is the certification exam, and also helping drive analytics visibility and practices forward beyond the US, that were reasons for me standing for a second term on the board – so it was great to be menacing people in Berlin! There was a good number of passes too, so Europe is not too far behind North America in total number of Certified Web Analysts.

How do you explain what you do to someone whose experience of the internet extends no further than a social network, a search engine and the odd news site?

Well I still haven’t managed to explain to my Dad what I do – though I guess that’s a good reason to write a book or become Professor Brock. But generally, I would say I help organisations understand how people interact with them online so that they can invest in making that experience more rewarding for all parties.

If you were to cast web analytics aside tomorrow, what would be your ideal job?

PhD student, novelist, market gardener and Martha Stewart – probably all at once.

What is the average bounce rate of a rose bush, where the visitor is an aphid?

Well I think it important to take a visitor centric view on this – and aphids are naturally pretty sticky. Their needs are often over-simplified, there is more to satisfying them than just laying on sap. They typically have high engagement, high retention rates but sadly due to their very small wallets, the incremental value of an additional aphid is pretty marginal. My experiments have shown they tend to squish rather than bounce…

What is your wish for the remainder of 2011?

That we start putting as much effort into understanding and optimising customer experience as we do optimising pages and campaigns…. That we treat our visitors as we wish to be treated ourselves – I’d like every business that is happy to take my personal data actively using that data to make my life as a customer better…. Oh, and I wish that the sun actually comes out in Scotland this summer and my plants don’t get drowned.

Who is your superhero-sans-cape in the web analytics community and why?

Probably a terrifying combo of Angie Brown – she always teaches me something (and she’s another web analyst gardener) + Jim Novo – damn I wish I had that capacity for incisive detail and Neil Mason/Tim Leighton-Boyce – both fine, wise English gentlemen who bring perspective, sanity and a broader perspective to any analytics discussion. And of course all my good, fearless friends within the WAA.

What is the most foolish question you’ve ever been asked during a speaking engagement?

“So, what are you going to tell us about astronomy today?”

Check out the full list of interviews in the Silly Series here!