Web analytics

Web analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of web data for purposes of understanding and optimizing web usage. However, Web analytics is not just a process for measuring web traffic but can be used as a tool for business and market research, and to assess and improve the effectiveness of a website. Web analytics applications can also help companies measure the results of traditional print or broadcast advertising campaigns. It helps one to estimate how traffic to a website changes after the launch of a new advertising campaign. Web analytics provides information about the number of visitors to a website and the number of page views. It helps gauge traffic and popularity trends which is useful for market research.

Basic Steps of the Web Analytics Process

Most web analytics processes down to four essential stages or steps, which are:

Avinash Kaushik

Avinash Kaushik is an Indian entrepreneur, author and public speaker. In his writing and speaking Kaushik has championed the principle of aggregation of marginal gains, and encouraged the pursuit of simplifying perceived complexity in the field of data analytics.

Kaushik is on the Advisory Board of University of Toronto Rotman School of Management's program on CRM Excellence as well as on the Advisory Board of University of California at Irvine's program on Web Intelligence. He is also an Associate Instructor at the University of British Columbia for the Web Analytics program.

Kaushik has delivered keynotes at conferences such as The Art of Marketing, eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit, CMA Next, and JMP Innovators Summit. Kaushik received the 2009 Harry V Roberts Statistical Advocate of the Year award from the American Statistical Association and the 2011 Most Influential Industry Contributor award from the Web Analytics Association.

In 2008, Kaushik co-founded Market Motive Inc., which provides online education and certification in six Internet disciplines such as Search Engine Optimization, Paid Search Advertising, Social Media, Web Analytics, Conversion & Public Relations.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a freemium web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. Google launched the service in November 2005 after acquiring Urchin. Google Analytics is now the most widely used web analytics service on the Internet. Google Analytics is offered also in two additional versions: a subscription based Google Analytics Premium targeted at enterprise users and Google Analytics for Mobile Apps, an SDK that allows gathering usage data from iOS and Android Apps.

Google acquired Urchin Software Corp. in April 2005. Google's service was developed from Urchin on Demand. The system also brings ideas from Adaptive Path, whose product, Measure Map, was acquired and used in the redesign of Google Analytics in 2006. Google continued to sell the standalone, installable Urchin WebAnalytics Software through a network of value-added resellers until discontinuation on March 28, 2012.

The Google-branded version was rolled out in November 2005 to anyone who wished to sign up. However, due to extremely high demand for the service, new sign-ups were suspended only a week later. As capacity was added to the system, Google began using a lottery-type invitation-code model. Prior to August 2006 Google was sending out batches of invitation codes as server availability permitted; since mid-August 2006 the service has been fully available to all users – whether they use Google for advertising or not.

Digital marketing

}} Digital marketing is an umbrella term for the targeted, measurable, and interactive marketing of products or services using digital technologies to reach and convert leads into customers and retain them.The key objective is to promote brands, build preference and increase sales through various digital marketing techniques. It is embodied by an extensive selection of service, product and brand marketing tactics, which mainly use the Internet as a core promotional medium, in addition to mobile and traditional TV and radio.

Digital marketing activities are search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), content marketing, influencer marketing, content automation, campaign marketing, and e-commerce marketing, social media marketing, social media optimization, e-mail direct marketing, display advertising, e–books, optical disks and games, and any other form of digital media. It also extends to non-Internet channels that provide digital media, such as mobile phones (SMS and MMS), callback and on-hold mobile ring tones. The fundamental concept in digital marketing is based on the inbound marketing approach or generally it's called customer centric approach.