In the first bucket, Kaushik places Omniture, Coremetrics, and Webtrends. Each of these tools is very powerful and allows for extensive customization, and each is continuously evolving. He includes tools like Unica’s Affinium NetInsights, XiTi, Nedstat, and ClickTracks in the second bucket. These tools are data driven, yet don’t offer as much in the way of insights. In the third bucket, Kaushik has placed free tools like Google Analytics and Yahoo! Web Analytics (2009). Kaushik recommends selecting one tool from each bucket and researching them diligently to determine which tool will be best suited to the needs of your organization.
For the purpose of this post, we’ll review two category leaders from the first and third buckets – Google Analytics and Webtrends. First we’ll take a look at Webtrends.
WEBTRENDS
Another aspect that the company puts a great deal of weigh on is the platform’s openness – there are no restrictions as to what types of integration are available so it is not inhibiting anything an organization wishes to do with the platform. One example of this in practice would be an organization that wanted to incorporate email marketing campaign data into Webtrends.
If data privacy and security is a concern, Webtrends will be glad to put your mind at ease. The company is quick to reference (frequently) that YOUR data will remain YOUR data. Webtrends claims to have “stronger data security and privacy protocols than any other digital marketing vendor in the industry.”
Webtrends also prides itself on being the master of targeting and segmentation, which they say happens as a result of existing visitor behavior data combined with any CRM data available. According to their website, “Only Webtrends targets the right content for each site visitor based on a combination of what that person is doing in the moment and everything else you know about that customer.”
That all sounds great, right? Well, it is. But Webtrends can also be a bit cumbersome to implement. And once you have the platform implemented, there is still the matter of retrieving and analyzing the data. There are some out-of-the-box reports, but to realistically make use of all data being captured, it will take a significant amount of work to create each necessary report. Additionally, there are varying levels of access, so it’s critical to ensure that the correct staff members (which could be some combination of marketing, IT, sales, customer service, and goodness knows who else) not only have access to review data, but are also properly trained on the platform and are able to create their own reports and dashboards so each stakeholder is viewing data sets and analysis that are relevant to their needs.
Now let’s take a look at what a free alternative has to offer…
GOOGLE ANALYTICS
Google Analytics provides data collection and analysis across all web properties and mobile apps. While it does track traffic and conversions from social sites, it does not offer the option of tracking a brand’s metrics on social media platforms (other than Google+).
If you’re looking for customization, Google Analytics does offer access to APIs so there are options for those looking to customize their experience, but it does not offer the open system that Webtrends provides.
When it comes to data ownership, Google is the boss. All data (although Google calls “yours”) technically belongs to Google, but the company promises that it is secure. And while Google is very transparent about how they collect and use all data, the very fact that they own it makes some uncomfortable.
Google Analytics offers extensive options for segmenting and targeting visitor data, but it does not work in concert with any CRM platforms. And there is significant options for improved online advertising with AdWords integration, as well as remarketing opportunities.
As far as implementation goes, it doesn’t get any easier that Google Analytics. You simply sign up for an account, establish your account properties, and copy and paste your tracking code into the HTML of your website. VOILA! Now you’re collecting data! There are a number of reports already established within Google Analytics, but it’s easy to create additional reports based on segmentation and/or goals (which are outcomes or conversions). Many different staff members can access Google Analytics and there are several different access levels, but each access level allows that person control over their own reporting and what types of data they see via customizable dashboards.
* I should note that these parameters for Google Analytics are referring only to the free version. The Premium version has additional offerings and flexibility.
So… which product comes out on top?
As Kaushik stated, it depends on your needs (2009), and it also on your resources – both financial and human! If you have a significant budget and staff to server as your Webtrends Masters, then that platform may be your best bet. If you have little (or NO) budget, Google Analytics is definitely the best product for your resources.
Other things to consider when determining which of these two platforms may be best for your organization:
That all sounds great, right? Well, it is. But Webtrends can also be a bit cumbersome to implement. And once you have the platform implemented, there is still the matter of retrieving and analyzing the data. There are some out-of-the-box reports, but to realistically make use of all data being captured, it will take a significant amount of work to create each necessary report. Additionally, there are varying levels of access, so it’s critical to ensure that the correct staff members (which could be some combination of marketing, IT, sales, customer service, and goodness knows who else) not only have access to review data, but are also properly trained on the platform and are able to create their own reports and dashboards so each stakeholder is viewing data sets and analysis that are relevant to their needs.
Now let’s take a look at what a free alternative has to offer…
GOOGLE ANALYTICS
Google Analytics provides data collection and analysis across all web properties and mobile apps. While it does track traffic and conversions from social sites, it does not offer the option of tracking a brand’s metrics on social media platforms (other than Google+).
If you’re looking for customization, Google Analytics does offer access to APIs so there are options for those looking to customize their experience, but it does not offer the open system that Webtrends provides.
When it comes to data ownership, Google is the boss. All data (although Google calls “yours”) technically belongs to Google, but the company promises that it is secure. And while Google is very transparent about how they collect and use all data, the very fact that they own it makes some uncomfortable.
Google Analytics offers extensive options for segmenting and targeting visitor data, but it does not work in concert with any CRM platforms. And there is significant options for improved online advertising with AdWords integration, as well as remarketing opportunities.
As far as implementation goes, it doesn’t get any easier that Google Analytics. You simply sign up for an account, establish your account properties, and copy and paste your tracking code into the HTML of your website. VOILA! Now you’re collecting data! There are a number of reports already established within Google Analytics, but it’s easy to create additional reports based on segmentation and/or goals (which are outcomes or conversions). Many different staff members can access Google Analytics and there are several different access levels, but each access level allows that person control over their own reporting and what types of data they see via customizable dashboards.
* I should note that these parameters for Google Analytics are referring only to the free version. The Premium version has additional offerings and flexibility.
So… which product comes out on top?
As Kaushik stated, it depends on your needs (2009), and it also on your resources – both financial and human! If you have a significant budget and staff to server as your Webtrends Masters, then that platform may be your best bet. If you have little (or NO) budget, Google Analytics is definitely the best product for your resources.
Other things to consider when determining which of these two platforms may be best for your organization:
- Do you want to capture data from your social platforms as well?
- Do you plan to do significant online advertising?
- Do you have a lot of different stakeholders who will be interested in reviewing different data points?
- Do you have significant IT support, or are you comfortable relying on the platform’s technical expertise?
- Is your website extremely complex with a number of different subdomains and hoops that visitors jump through during the clickstream?
One last thing to leave you with…
In a recent TrustRadius poll, which asked enterprises which website analytics tools they had implemented and their level of satisfaction with those tools, one contender clearly came out on top: Google Analytics (the FREE version!). The platform had the highest implementation rate, plus an average satisfaction rate of 4.5 out of 5. Webtrends had a higher implantation rate, with only Adobe and Google Analytics ranking higher, but had the lowest satisfaction rate of less than 3.0 out of 5, well below the median of 4.1.
Do these rankings impact your impression of either platform?
Offline Reference
Kaushik, A. (2009). Web Analytics 2.0: The Art of Online Accountability and Science of Customer Centricity. Wiley. Kindle Edition.
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