The use of web analytics technology has the potential to drive amazing transformations in the digital world. By leveraging great measurement technology, smart analysts across the globe have been able to recommend improvements that have added millions (if not billions) of dollars to the global digital economy, and at Web Analytics Demystified we firmly believe that web analytics is something that every company, organization,and group should be invested in to create customer value, business value, and shareholder value.
Unfortunately, as most of us are aware, it takes people to do web analytics effectively, but not every organization has the ability to dedicate resources to the cause. Small businesses and non-profits, in our experience, traditionally do not have the ability to hire dedicated staff for measurement, despite the observation that often they have the most to gain from the type of insights web analytics can generate.
Even more unfortunately, because of a dramatic shortage of experienced talent, often when the approval to hire has been given, companies will spend months or more looking for the right individual to run their web analytics efforts. When we asked around we discovered that there were lots of people interested in the field, many of whom had taken courses on the subject, but most lacked the direct “hands on” experience that businesses were looking for.
Two years ago my partners and I looked at this problem from both angles: not every company and group that needs web analytics can hire resources, and not every person who wants to work in the field has the necessary experience to get their first job. Having a history of solving community-level problems at Web Analytics Demystified we set out to create a solution.
We created The Analysis Exchange.[1]
The Analysis Exchange is a one-of-a-kind effort in the web analytics community that simultaneously creates value for non-profits, causes, and non-governmental organizations while allowing future web analysts direct access to web analytics systems and, more importantly, real business problems that can be solved with web analytics data. Analysis Exchange pairs a non-profit organization with pair of web analysts — one a student wanting the experience and the other a mentor with years of direct work in the field. The trio work together to have the student learn to use Google Analytics to “tell a story” with the data about how the non-profit can better meet their business goals.
Did we mention that Analysis Exchange is entirely, 100% free?
Thanks to the generosity of all of our participants, Analysis Exchange projects are completely free, no money changes hands at all. We built the Exchange this way in part because we knew we had a business partner providing great technology at the same — Google Analytics — and because we believe that the best way to learn to use Google Analytics is by using the software to answer real business questions.
We have more or less standardized Analysis Exchange efforts on Google Analytics for a few key reasons:
Most importantly, Google Analytics attention to ease-of-use dramatically improves our non-profits likelihood to continue to use web analytics after Analysis Exchange projects! Our mentors and students teach them to fish, and Google Analytics becomes the fishing pole.
How awesome is that?
To date, thanks to the web analytics community and hundreds of amazing volunteers:
Most Analysis Exchange projects take less than a few hours for non-profits and mentors. Students spend more time, but students have the most to gain as they develop the types of “Analyst Ninja” skills that are required to get a great job in this field.
Will you sign up today to help The Analysis Exchange?3
You can learn more about our effort at www.analysis-exchange.com or write our Executive Director Wendy Greco directly if you have questions
[2] Link to http://bit.ly/vr63aS
[3] Link to http://www.webanalyticsdemystified.com/ae/members/create.asp
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