Google Analytics vs WebTrend - Do you really know what your boss wants?

Not the functionality, not the efficiency, not the convenience, not the cost - this entry talks only about feeling.

Humans have feeling, so does your boss (I know some of you may not think so). Do you know what he really wants? It may be difficult to convince your traditional boss to use web analytics tool (when he had none), it may be more difficult to convince him to use a tool that really fits the company.

Personally, I favor in Google Analytics. Not counting the fact that it cost nothing (not really, as it takes time to learn, right?), it has Google, a giant that dominating the 0/1 information on the Earth, as its backup (no, this' not an ad.), and surely GA has the greatest potential in utilizing all those bits in its future expansion (I really don't get paid, really.), even though it may not be too convenient for in-house enhancement, like reporting, when comparing it with WebTrend. It seems good to have GA in a long run, well, maybe just too-good. Ever think of what's your boss attitude towards GA, and WebTrend?

It may be the responsibility of the proposal (and the ones who write it) to demonstrate about the profitability that brought to the company, yet it is the responsibility of us, the Web Analysts to convince those business people to use certain tool (which fits them). In the business point of view, no one-time and annual payment is surely an advantage, yet having all the information (here we have the sites' traffics and other metrics) storing on an external domain and may be (with very high chance) shared among other entities (individuals, companies, and Google) in the world, such decision will definitely turn into the least priority.

Why? Every business has secrets, and it should have. Sharing confidential information simply implies that your competitors can easily find a way to beat you down (that's why Coca Cola has kept its formula that long... ). WebTrend does provide a very convincing approach on this matter: every client of WT has to build a server for the storage of their traffics analytics information (correct me if I am wrong, since that's what I have heard in my company, a bank that seeking for usage of web analytics tool). While GA brings the fear to the management, WT shows its concerns, caring and professions to their customers, who care any more about that 7-digits-a-year one-time payment! (and don't forget the maintenance annual fee and the consultant fee...)

Web analyst is a bridge between IT and Business. We connect the business people to the IT world, lead them to the 0/1 digital sea, and explain to them how those floating bits can assist their decision making process. Fear causes you struggle and sink; only people with braveness and courage can enjoy the happiness of swimming. Comfort them, before convince them to do anything, anything silly.



Have only join the e-banking team for a few weeks, I shall learn more about these two lovely tool on the web. And I shall share more on this blog in the future, too.


Cheers,
Dickson W.



P.S. I like GA, but I don't know whether GA or WT will fit well for any company (in my case, it's a traditional bank). Every company has its own culture and management, analyze the situation well, and you should come up with the best idea. That's what a Web Analyst need to do, right?