Digital analytics has been around almost as long as the internet itself, and no one would argue that it’s undergone a significant evolution. It’s certainly come a long way from the old “website counters” of days past. Today, web analytics is light years beyond what it once was. And with such platforms as Google Analytics, Yahoo Analytics and Alexa, all which provide free versions of their service, the ability for anyone to monitor their web traffic in considerable detail has become a standard function of most any professional website. As managers become more familiar with the marketing potential of digital analytics we will likely see a transformation of developers, engineers, and advertisers becoming active participants in this online technology.
The Computer Age has generated a vast breed of do-it-yourself entrepreneurs who’ve embraced digital technology as a way of expanding their professional skills and capabilities. In a way, digital technologies seem to turn people into experts of sorts. Of course that expertise can be exaggerated or illusory, but the phenomenon has been evident over decades. Digital musical equipment turned musicians into composers, arrangers and orchestra conductors. Desktop publishing software turned small business owners into book authors, magazine editors, newspaper columnists, and advertising designers. And with the overwhelming rise of the internet, the online commerce expert has come of age.
Because digital analytics has become such an essential component of so many online companies, we can expect the field to grow into a wide selection of general and specialized services. Like the digital technologies that preceded it, digital analytics will be filled with a near endless roster of so called professionals. For better or worse, digital analytics has turned ordinary entrepreneurs into marketing analysts, researchers, and demographers.
How digital analysts choose to operate in an ever increasing talent pool will determine what kind of success can be achieved. With so many players in the field, web marketers and analysts alike will need an effective gauge to recognize the difference between the mediocre wannabe and the qualified professional. In an expanding technology with so many apparent “experts,” that may not be as easy as it might sound.
The trend towards “everybody is doing it” presents challenges for the web analyst who wants to make a strong and legitimate case for digital analytics. In a world of multimedia hype, it’s easy for the pretenders to present themselves as the real deal. Not unlike traditional marketers who must break through the din of mass media advertising, web analysts will need to find ways to stand out in an ever growing field of self-proclaimed authorities. In the end it will be effective marketing communication strategies that will guide the success of digital analytics.