The strongest possible foundation
For years I’ve been evangelizing Web analytics to retailers, content sites, and even software companies (I founded a Web analytics company called Fireclick, acquired by Digital River in 2004). And even though more and more people now understand the value of Web analytics - there are lots of online businesses out there that consider Web analytics to be a second priority.
Interestingly enough, I too had my “why do I need Web analytics now” a few weeks ago, for Perenety. Consider all the issues related to the formation of a startup - product, technology, funding, marketing, etc. It’s not too hard to understand why Web analytics is a second priority for some, at least for the first 2 or 3 years of operation. Being a pragmatic kind of guy, I wasn’t going to sink hours into Web analytics “just because” - and I needed a strong case for having Web analytics on my radar. And truth be told, being in the consumer software business, we don’t need sophisticated analytics because we only have one product we’re going to market with 5 or 6 pages on our site, max. On the other side, our marketing budget is essentially zip so we have to be very focused, and make sure these 5 or 6 pages are fully optimized.
Do we need or not need analytics. I do not have the final tactical answer yet. i.e., are we going to be looking at these reports and making decisions everyday. Not sure. But I have a strategic answer. We are building a product that will be used by millions of people, 98% of them living “East of the Silicon Valley hills”. It’s critically important for us to reach out to our users in Arkansas, New York or Italy, and find out what’s in their minds - because THEY are the customers. Not our employees, not our VCs, not our family and friends. And for that, we need need to test different marketing messages, measure their impact, and adapt - almost in real-time.
So, Web analytics? Absolutely. Integral part of our company culture, and the strongest of foundations.