Tried and Tested Web Analytics

Organisations the world over have woken up to the value of Web Analytics and are ready to invest in hiring a skilled specialist. A report by Econsultancy from 2009 reveals that about 40% of surveyed companies were planning to raise their expense on internal staff for Web Analytics. This increase in expenditure is far steeper than on technology or consultancy and professional services. Looking from the industry point of view, it is fantastic that companies are now more aware of potential profits from the web, but the problem remains… where is the supply?

I concede that with the growth and expansion of market, there is a definite rise in the number of Web analytics specialists. You just have to look at the number of people attending social networking events like Web Analytics Wednesday and compare it to previous years to reach the same conclusion. However, even with the growth in numbers, the real challenge lies in the absence of any reliable parameters to gauge the worth of the Web analytics specialist.

It is nearly impossible to understand the professional competency of a specialist from his CV, which is a big problem for companies looking to hire in-house web analytics. For instance, two years of Google Analytical experience mentioned in the CV of a candidate could mean just about anything. He could be someone who has been studying Google Analytic data for two years while running reports or someone who has been making custom reports and writing regular expressions. In short, there is no dependable way of telling the competency of a candidate before he actually appears for the interview.

While there are a certain level of certification that can be helpful in perceiving a person’s skill to drive a particular technology, such as the Google Analytics Individual Qualification (IQ) Test, but when it comes to understanding the level of overall competence they prove to be completely useless.

Companies looking to hire a Web analytics specialist can take heart now as the Web Analytics Association is all set to start its own certification program. Under development for the last two years, this program will have its first certification test in May 2010 at the eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summits in San Jose, CA, and London. The purpose of this programme is to establish the benchmark against which achievements of Web analytics professionals can be measured. It will also help prospective employers to spot potential candidates.

Eligibility criteria for taking the test are going to be tough, to say the least. Candidates must show the right blend of formal educational qualification and relevant business experience before they qualify for appearing in the test. The test, which consists of hundred questions to be solved in two hours, not only covers technical aspects of the Web analytics but also covers case studies where the candidate is expected to interpret data and solve business problems. The 37-page document, outlining the knowledge required for achieving certification, is not just about practical aspects of Web analytics. It is also about the capability to create insights and conveying them effectively to decision makers.