Harnham

How web analysts decide success or failure



Today's web users are demanding

As eCommerce continues to overtake high street sales, price comparison websites boom, mobile internet access starts to outstrip desktop access, web users become more focused on price plus service, and companies jostle for search ranking supremacy, website performance has become absolutely critical to online sales success.

At the heart of any thoughtful online marketing strategy is an ongoing investment in web analytics. Large retailers in particular recruit teams of web analysts to ensure that the complex customer journey through their website is as inviting and intuitive as possible.

Today’s web users are demanding. Short attention spans, high expectations, social-media savvy, price conscious and fully aware that there is always another retailer eager to earn their loyalty. In the strongest eCommerce teams, a range of web analytics tools are used to analyze and define the performance of design, digital analytics marketing, online advertising, customer communications, CRM, search engine optimization and the entire on-site user experience.


Web Analytics - It's all about the numbers

It all comes down to conversion: converting visits into sales, visitors into loyal customers. A sound web analytics strategy employs the latest web analytics tools – with Google Analytics, Omniture, Adobe Insight, SiteCatalyst and Webtrends among the most popular – to deliver deep insights into website performance and customer trends, with a view to attracting and retaining customers and increasing sales.

With so much at stake, it’s no surprise that the demand for good web analysts is growing. Typical salaries for a Web Analyst are $60k, rising to $80k for a Senior Web Analyst, $95k for a Web Analytics Manager and a Head of Web Analytics might earn around $125-$150k. Of course, for big campaigns, new website developments and rollouts, new web analytics tools may need implementing, which is where more contract web analysts are employed. These typically command a day rate of $400-$800 depending on the level of experience.

Such competitive salaries indicate just how important web analysis software is to online sales success. The more sophisticated the analytics tools and techniques, the more accurate the data and the better the customer behavior insight.


What will you be doing as a Web Analyst?

Truly comprehensive website strategies measure offsite and onsite web analytics.

Offsite web analytics tools measure and analyze the visibility of the website, its penetration of other websites and social media and the potential audience for the goods or services.

Onsite web analytics examines the visitor’s behavior on the website itself. From landing page performance to routes into and paths through the website from arrival to checkout – including friction points where a visit may be abandoned.

CRM analytics targets customer purchasing behavior, so that marketing teams can accurately analyze customer trends from location or route to website, to types and volume of product purchased. Done right, this means companies can promote particular products to particular customers and improve conversion rates.

We’re a very long way beyond the click counters that marked the earliest efforts to measure website performance. Today’s web analysts exploit a raft of advanced software tools to delve deep into the data and deliver the facts on everything from A/B and multivariate testing to the effectiveness of various calls to action.

Harnham blog & news

With over 10 years experience working solely in the Data & Analytics sector our consultants are able to offer detailed insights into the industry.

Visit our News & Blogs portal or check out our recent posts below.

AI and Predictive Analytics Check-in to Hospitality

With summer in full swing, many of us are either planning our vacations, or have already enjoyed them and are thinking of where to go next. Regardless of location, we’re all looking for the same thing; a great experience to remember for years to come. No matter how exciting our trip, we all want our plans to run smoothly and, luckily, AI is here to help.  Today we have more options and more buying power than ever before. The ease with which we can search and select via our phones has kept businesses on their toes and driven them to look beyond traditional service.  By incorporating AI, the hospitality sector is implementing new ways to serve their customers more easily and efficiently. Fueling the AI Hospitality Experience The hospitality industry has a notoriously high turnover rate, relying heavily on seasonal workers, and those early in their careers. But, with AI, digital analysis, and predictive analytics entering the industry, new technologies are providing alternative customer service solutions: Predictive Analysis  Automation  Smart Domotics Advertising Predictive Analysis  As ‘the customer is always right’, the best way to create a smooth and memorable experience is to know what they want and then give it to them.  Given that difficulties can arise when there are too few staff for the number of guests, there is a need to be proactive when planning, in order to be reactive on the day. Utilizing Machine Learning, facilities can predict staffing and supply needs, planning for a more streamlined and, ultimately, better service.  Automation  Automating repetitive operations such as check-ins and check-outs, room assignments, and housekeeping deliveries gives staff more time to focus on the customer. As small and large hospitality businesses compete with the growing success of home sharing platforms, such as AirBnB, AI can give traditional facilities a fresh edge. In addition, rapid and efficient responses lead to greater customer satisfaction which, in turn, leads to a healthier bottom line.  Smart Domotics  More and more hotels are looking to the Internet of Things and Linked Technologies as they evolve into ‘smart’ destinations. With devices that can measure everything from room temperature to customer preferences, facilities can adapt in order to create an optimal environment. Furthermore, interaction with these ‘smart’ technologies can help hotels evolve over time, placing a greater emphasis on elements that prove to be the most popular with customers.  Advertising  From targeted Social Media campaigns to personalized gifts on arrival, Analytics can enhance the entire customer experience. When booking, users can engage with Chatbots 24/7, adding an element of humanity to the online booking experience.  When customers engage with resort apps and website, AI technologies cross-check their interactions and adapt their recommendations accordingly. With more people travelling than ever, the effort of keeping up with travelers the world over, night and day, is shifting to AI, thereby allowing the workforce more freedom to tend to customer needs.  AI in the Cloud The world of digital is transforming our lives, and the rise of Cloud technologies has taken digital analysis to the next level. With the advancements in AI, the hotel industry needs professionals who can create apps, collect and translate data, and, of course, build rigid infrastructures.  If you want to help hotel owners get a leg up on their competition and have a hand in creating a memorable travel experience for someone, we may have a role for you. To learn more, check out our current vacancies.  For the West Coast team call us at (415) 614-4999 or email us at sanfraninfo@harnham.com. For our Mid-West and East Coast Teams call us at (212) 796-6070, or email newyorkinfo@harnham.com.

Leah Topham

Leah Topham

24. July 2018

Social, Fashion, And The Data Analytics Journey

Social, Fashion, And The Data Analytics Journey

Customers are more discerning than ever when it comes to where, how, and what they’re buying. With the rise of social media and video marketing, these real time decisions are creating real time insights. As trust declines in traditional media and advertising, it’s the Influencers who are now center stage. Combining stunning imagery and aspirational lifestyles, it is their sponsored posts that are informing an entire generation’s decisions, giving the fashion world invaluable insights regarding the future of retail.  From lowering costs to highlighting the right talent, as well as offering insights into supply chain processes, social media is bringing another aspect to the customer journey. As the need for Data Scientists and Digital Analysts grows, so too does the need for those who can offer both technical AND soft skills. The demand for creative talent within Digital Analytics is growing. We’ve talked about how data teams are no longer siloed and are now integrated with marketing and sales teams, and the industries Big Data effects from the boardroom to the stockroom. Showing Your Creative Side Video marketing is king in 2018 and, if it can work for brands, it can work for you. As more and more people use their mobile phones to research key decisions, including when hiring, mobile video and broadcast-style content is one of the most effective ways of engaging your audience.We’ve already talked about how to boost your resume with video in a previous article, let’s quickly revisit two of our key points:Appearance: It takes less than ten seconds to make a first impression. Professional dress, a smile, and lighting are all important areas to help you set the stage for your video.Script:  Working with a short script helps you stay on track and focus on key points. It also makes it easy for hiring managers or recruitment agencies to follow along. Whether your video is you talking to camera, or a slideshow of your work, it is important to cover these key points: Explain why you’re the best person for the job.Show how your skills and expertise can help them solve their problems. Use engagement metrics as evidence for your successes. Keep your video short. Anywhere from a 30-second elevator pitch to a 2-minute in-depth video.  HOW AI Can Help When utilizing date to enhance a customer’s experience, it is crucial to maintain the essentials of customer service; be human, helpful, and relevant. We don’t want someone looking at a pair tennis shoes to be shown an image of stilettos. Thankfully, with the use of AI and predictive analytics, they’re likely be shown an image of tennis shirt or racquet they might want to purchase along with the shoes. AI continuously learns to upsell and add value. These days, we are a visual society, taking bite-sized moments of our day in video clips and imagery. Because of this, we’ve seen an increase in visual search engines using machine learning to search by images rather than keywords.   This data, alongside what we can learn from Social, offers a unique look at what consumers are interested in. It is a valuable source of customer intelligence, and by applying it to a business’ challenges, we can leverage the information to influence and inform. What we learn can then help solve those challenges or offer feedback regarding product development. The number of people consuming fashion through social media is expected to reach 1.2 billion by 2020, with Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube leading the way. Images help bring consumers into a brand’s story, particularly in the world of fashion. And as, virtual reality, augmented reality, and wearable tech allow for real time researching, sizing, and virtual trying-on of products, as well as instant feedback from friends, fans, and family, the industry needs to move faster than ever.   Want to influence one of the fastest growing and spirited fashion brands and help drive global initiatives? We may have a role for you. We’re in search of a Director, Digital Analytics – Fashion Brand in San Francisco.  Want to learn more or check out our current vacancies? For the West Coast team call us at (415) 614-4999 or email us at sanfraninfo@harnham.com.

Charles Austin

Charles Austin

13. July 2018

I, Human – Navigating Data with Analytics and AI

Big Data tomes sit on a number of business reference shelves. Machine Learning, Analytics, and Edge Computing books compete for space in our minds, on our computers, in the cloud, and on the shelf. Over the past year, we’ve talked about the Data Scientist shortage, what Web Analytics mean to businesses, how AI will work hand-in-hand with humans and, if you’re looking for a career, how to stand out from the crowd. As the year comes to a close and we look to the new year, we wonder what 2019’s trends will be. What will change exponentially? What and who is lagging and leading? And how to navigate the soon to be third stage of ubiquitous data. Data is everywhere and, in some instances, can be too much to wade through. So, in a world of juxtapositions, the next wave of trends is to make Big Data small which will ultimately utilize AI more efficiently. Biting Off More than We Can Chew Much like the idea of music in your pocket with the introduction of the iPod, the latest trend in Big Data is to make it small, bite-sized, and navigable. So, how do you make Big Data small? The tsunami of data we encounter on a daily basis is staggering and overwhelming. As data teams become unsiloed, so too, does data. As vendors, digital leaders, business executives, and data professionals come together into a centralized team, data is being streamlined into a single view within a hub. Open source sharing, collaborating, and use of enterprise data catalogs within the hub add more value to businesses and can help to drive data management strategy.  But, though education, training, and apprentice-like experiences, even the best data professionals can have trouble navigating the swathes of data they encounter each day. Enter AI. These systems are intended to cut through the data, filter the information based on algorithms it’s given and, when needed, “learn” what it needs to know to process information, and accurately share what it has discovered. From there, humans can take the information and analyze how it can be of benefit to the business and what actionable insights can, and should, be implemented. I, Human One of the more nefarious predictions of the past few years has been the fear that robots and AI would take over jobs. But, just as the dishwasher and laundry machine were developed to ease time at those chores, AI is the answer to how to increase productivity, not take over.  Though AI has the capability to handle a range of tasks, it cannot replace hands-on, human-centric tasks. In retail, for example, AI might be used to make the process of shopping and buying more streamlined while freeing up the salesclerk to offer more focused customer service. A restauranteur could create the perfect ambience setting based on data about noise level, food preferences, busy vs slow times, and in so doing develop a customer base with whom they could discuss where the food comes from, offer classes, and more. AI is intended as a partnership to humans. Assisted productivity to free up time for more creative and complex pursuits. Beyond the industry executive, 2019 is predicted to be the year AI enables IT to move past routine automation tasks and proactively streamlines processes. With the assistance of AI, people will be able to work smarter, not harder, be more effective, and more productive. If you’re interested in Big Data & Analytics, we may have a role for you. We specialize in junior and senior roles. Check out our current vacancies or contact one of our recruitment consultants to learn more.   For our West Coast Team, call (415) 614 4999 or send an email to sanfraninfo@harnham.com.   For our Mid-West and East Coast Teams, call (212) 796 6070 or send an email to newyorkinfo@harnham.com.

Sam Brown

Sam Brown

20. December 2018

Death of the DMP, Rise of the CDP

Death of the DMP, Rise of the CDP

The days of generically using Data in Marketing are on the decline as information gathering becomes more laser focused. Once the domain of third-party sites looking to build partnerships and boost campaign efforts, Data Management Platforms (DMPs) are making way for Customer Data Platforms (CDPs). Under the weight of data breaches, GDPR, and other security issues, technologies that center around consent are helping build consumers into campaign strategies. This is a reversal from older strategies to build data from historic data profiles at channel level.  Data is Data, So What’s the Difference? In a nutshell, DMPs act as “equalizers” – all companies have access to predefined parameters of data. CDPs are “differentiators” – each customer is unique with information driven from first-party historical and contextual data, determined along the customer’s purchase journey. Tailored customer data has now gone beyond the scope of Data Management Platforms and offers marketing insights nearly unheard of just a few years ago. Now, we can understand our customers not only from their historical, factual, and contextual data within parameters we’ve created, but we can gain an outside perspective as well.  Five Reasons CDPs are on the Rise Single, Unified StorageThey store ALL data (1st, 2nd, and 3rd) such as names, addresses, emails, etc. as well as cookie IDs and tags. This storage capacity makes it easy to aggregate everything into one place and integrate with advertising systems.They capture data at a granular level. This includes considering long-term storage and multiple storage formats without predefined parameters focused only on advertising – what we want to sell you, not what do you want to buy?They aren’t restricted to stages of the customer journey, but can pick up data anywhere along the customer lifecycle. This information can be used for look-alike modeling or can be retargeted for more effective advertising and marketing efforts.They create a holistic overview of customer behaviors opening up new opportunities for personalization. Customer First Brand Targeting Today’s advertising and marketing strategies are being re-evaluated to prioritize the customer experience. Once customer data had to fit into predefined boxes of information, now our data collection efforts are as unique as every person who visits your website, clicks a call-to-action, or visits a brick-and-mortar store. In a Nutshell… This is a crucial time in the industry and any door which will help us resolve issues and keep the customer front and center will strengthen our efforts. However, as we go deeper into what the customer likes and why we must keep our customer’s privacy safe whilst retaining an advantage over our competitors.  DMPs, once the singular domain of marketers, was used to package and repackage data to better understand customers and improve ad targeting. CDPs, on the other hand, focus on every aspect, every angle of marketing to make advertising more customer-centric and laser-focused. Ultimately, as CDPs are all inclusive, they have absorbed Data Management Platforms into their systems, helping move the industry another step forward. If you’re interested in Data & Analytics, consumer behavior, and are actively seeking an opportunity to dig in your heels and get set up for a strong career path, we may have a role for you. Check out our current vacancies or contact one of our expert consultants to learn more.  For our West Coast Team, call (415) 614 - 4999 or send an email to sanfraninfo@harnham.com.   For our Mid-West and East Coast Teams, call (212) 796 - 6070 or send an email to newyorkinfo@harnham.com. 

Joshua Poore

Joshua Poore

11. April 2019

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