Analytics

Analytics refers to the examination of online marketing initiatives such as:

• Lead generation
• E-mail communications
• SEO
• E-commerce
• Website traffic
   

Analytics provide the information necessary to effectively manage marketing programs and increase ROI. The trackability of online communications is a distinct advantage of online over offline marketing and is a fundamental aspect of the Internet.

The problem is most of the data produced by server logs is of little value. Identifying Key Performance Indicators [KPIs] is the first step in developing an analytics program. This process is often referred to as 'actionable analysis' - determining what data is necessary for actively managing a campaign.

The cost of Analytics applications ranges from free (Google Analytics) to expensive (Marketo). Data is often pulled from multiple sources such as SalesForce.com, Google Analytics, and MailChimp to generate select reports displaying only the most actionable and important data.