Is analytics a core part of your job?

[Bill Denneen]

This post isn't strictly related to Google Analytics, but this group seems like the right place for it.

After 3 years leading the web team, I've just started a new role at WPI: Director of Marketing Analytics and Metrics. It's part of a broader effort to raise the strategic value and impact of our marketing and communications programs. I'm psyched as this is new ground for us, but there's going to be a lot to figure out as I go.

Is anyone else in a similar role, where analytics is a big part of what you do? If not, is this a direction you'd like to move in? Do you know of other institutions that have a role like this?

Thanks!

Bill

[Justin Gatewood]

In my case, analytics is something I look at often, and I use it to steer me in the direction(s) I need to be going with content strategy-based issues, but as an 'official' core part of my job - I would have to say it is not.

Unless, of course, an administrator has an accrediting agency that wants a report, and then all of a sudden it's my only responsibility.

Unfortunately, analytics is not referred to enough at our institution, and that is the main reason why I've been building a data-driven content strategy from analytics-type collection methods so that the resulting site architecture/taxonomy that I will be presenting for our redesign will not be based on anyone's opinion, but on data alone.

Justin

[Vern Hume]

Hi Bill,

Web metrics has been part of my job for a couple of years. I maintain monthly dashboards for marketing, our registration system and general metrics for web operations. What helped me immensely was to take the UBC Award of Achievement in Digital Analytics  http://cstudies.ubc.ca/web-analytics-intelligence/award-of-achievem...

Hope that helps.

Cheers,

Vern

[Tim Schneider]

More than just the core, I'd say it 'is' my job.

At the University of Alberta we have an Analytics team. It includes myself (Manager), 2 Analysts and a writer/editor.

We are part of the Digital Strategy team which is part of our University Relations portfolio.

[Karine Joly]

Wow, congratulations, Bill!

I've interviewed a few higher ed analytics pros for the past few months:

http://collegewebeditor.com/blog/index.php/archives/highered/catego...

Also, if you're interested, I'm putting together the 1st Higher Ed Web Analytics Conference. The call for proposals is open until Nov 30, 2012:

http://higheredexperts.com/edu/backend-pages/higher-ed-analytics-20...

Sessions are only 20- and 10-minute long, so even if you're pretty new in this position, I would love to see you submit a proposal.