On the Eurostar for a Web Analytics Wednesday event in London, I was reviewing Econsultancy’s excellent Online Measurement and Strategy Report, getting back to it, after a couple of days of reflection.
Tomorrow, I’ll be talking in Germany at Sapient about Web Agencies’ Web Analytics business models, which I’m really looking forward to as well. These types of networking events are ideal for discussions about our sector, surrounded by smart peers & drinkies!

Reading some great perspectives about the report both from Web Analytics guru, Avinash Kaushik, and sector God Father, Jim Sterne, I missed comments about other findings that I humbly thought would be interest.

Avinash tweeted, quite understandably, about it in the following terms: “The only report U need on online measurement & #wa http://tr.im/nW8B D/L sample report. Why good? Pragmatic, 100% sourced fm customers, no BS”.
Google Analytics is on the rise, assuring its position in the Web Analytics space, as the report confirms. But like any leader, contestation is on the rise as well as recently following a French post, discussion has amplified about how GA attributes conversation.
Additionally, the report does not mention Yahoo! Web Analytics (former IndexTools), the other great free tool out there on the market, but does point to “one limitation is the inability to tie up analytics with data at an individual customer level. Google faces a problem on this front because it already has to contend with criticism that it has too much data, and this is a problem that worries businesses as well as consumers.”
The double sides of a coin: we want more individual level data to really drill-down and try to make our data sources less conflicting vs. worry about Google having all this personal data. Let’s see how Y!WA stacks up to that assumption. In the mean time, you can also check out some good writing by Dennis Mortensen

Talking about tools, what actually first struck me was the reason why 31% of respondents don’t use GA: “it isn’t sophisticated enough for their requirements”. Even though I can imagine this to be true for some companies more sophisticated in the practice of doing Web Analytics, I also have a hunch this stems from disinformation coming from competing vendors! Call it a female intuition if you want but fact remains, if this is the case, such practice doesn’t resonate to me as being a sound long-term strategy!

I also couldn’t avoid noting Omniture’s progression with 42% of market share according to the responding companies! Let’s just hope that with all the people Omniture’s been training through Europe, they will actually also let other supply-side actors, besides themselves, support their clients. Let’s say that this process could need some tweaking imho.

Just like the pillars of a company are its stakeholders, customers & staff; for Web Analytics, I see vendors, consultants & end clients. And it’s in this later part where I find the Econsultancy report fascinating as it distinguishes answers from the client-side with those from the supply-side, giving a voice to this fragmented army of web agencies, self-employed consultants & specialist web analytics consultancies.
Because let’s face it, these non vendors supply-side actors more often than not “recommend a tool for their clients to use” or “make a decision on behalf of their clients”. And for some, like Web Agencies, the relationship with the client reaches far beyond Web Analytics even if, some time ago, before the commoditization of its practice, WA could be seen as a differentiating factor. It’s not anymore about selling licenses and with margins below 40%, lets be honest, it’s bad for this type of KPI!

It’s a difficult balancing act doing Web Analytics within a web agency. Eternally swinging with vendors between love - to sell their solution - & hate because technical roadmaps aren’t always discussed & shared and competition on services is increasing.
Competing also against Media Agencies, who hold another side of the crystal ball with their campaigns i.e. traffic acquisition and I’ll refer to Eric’s post about attribution as issues are far from being resolved in this space!
I’ve witnessed it often: discussions about access to a client’s Google AdWords account to tie the data to the GA account, explaining to some young trainee how to add the correct tags to the landing URLs.  URL, you want me to spell it for you?

Unfortunately, this lack of incentive for collaboration, which is totally understandable on all mentioned sides, doesn’t do much for data transparency & sharing in order to make sure we all work towards the client’s goal, making money today and in the future and uncover those blessed insights. Sharing remains the key in order to align those processes and make sure all actors work towards this common goal. Unfortunately, not all clients are savvy enough to understand their pivotal role in this dance of (expensive) service providers!

It also looks like the equilibrium between budget allocations between technology & human resources is slowly but surely reverting from an over investment in tools (would I dare to write that?) that should magically point towards insights. Just like Word should be able to magically write by itself a great trilogy such as Millenium
Ok, we’re not at Avinash’s 10/90 rule yet but what I basically concluded from the report is that those who get it, get it. Those who don’t, aren’t going to take the risk in these times to make the leap of faith. For now.

The market has thankfully evolved towards a commoditization of web analytics services. It’s not anymore about how to tag this new Flash website or Ajax application, a lot of very smart people can help with that today, partially thanks to the GAAC – Google Analytics Authorized Consultant – network imho.
However, resources remain scarce and for that, supply-side companies still have a role to play, if they can make it work for them, business model wise.

And that’s where my great fears lie for the moment. I’m afraid all those great, but fragmented consultants, are going to get stuck in this tinny Web Analytics field that could bring so much to a companies’ reflection and dialogue with its clients, stakeholders & staff. And that’s what I want to discuss with the smart guys from Sapient tomorrow in Germany

I’ll finish by sharing my favourite quote from the report “Knowledge - there’s almost too much information out there, every time I learn something new it all just gets bigger - which is exciting as well as frustrating.” And agreeing with Avinash recommended reading for anyone serious about the industry!

I’m off to Moorgate. Be well & prosper!

With a turn-up of 43,77%, participation in the European Parliamentary elections remains disappointing.
I’m not all that surprised as for me, being Dutch while living in Brussels, Belgium and moving soon to Madrid, I found it hard to vote for Belgian representatives of the EU.
Following political debates within different countries, it confused me more than ever as parties on an EU level don’t align much imho. It’s a difficult task, as French socialists don’t compare to the Dutch ones for example, let alone our Eastern European friends! It just shows how different & specific the countries that make up the EU are.
So, are these differences showstoppers? I believe not and looking at where we came from since the creation of the Council of Europe on May 5th 1949, huge progress has been made.

Working, living & breathing Web Analytics on a daily basis for a long time, I still get the question about whether Europe is lagging behind.

NO, no and no. We’re not behind when it comes to Web Analytics!
Europe has it’s own set of challenges: multiple currencies on top of the Euro; multiple languages, I’m in Belgium: we’ve got 3 official ones!; different cultures and ways of doing business.
We’re basically juggling with global brands that want to assure their penetration on the old continent and local companies who are battling to assure global supremacy – well, not all – while taking advantage of what Schengen delivered us from back in ’92.

So, if you’re in Web Analytics, or would like to be, and you’re in Europe, don’t think the grass is greener on the other side of the pond! There is some great stuff going on right here & right now, closer to you than you might think.
A powerful community is building up on a European level with Spain recently merging it’s WA members (AEWA) with the WAA, amongst others. Events are taking place all over Europe debating fascinating topics such as: WA implementation, your company’s social media strategy, the automotive sector, WA for the public sector, WA’s business model for web agencies and complementarity between SEO & WA. Who said Europe was lagging behind?

Great events are lining up for the next couple of weeks all over Europe with over 300 attendees gathering in & on:

• 17/6: Copenhagen, Denmark where Steve Jackson from TrainersHouse will be speaking about the Cult of Analytics, based on experiences with companies like MTV, Vodaphone & Finish Nokia;
• 17/6: London, UK where yours truly will be initiating the debate about Your Social Media Strategy;
• 17/6: Lille, France right between Brussels & Paris! where, thanks to Nicolas Mallo, Toyota’s Michael Notte will join Julien Coquet for what I’m sure will be some super interesting discussions, before cocktails ;-);
• 18/6: Düsseldorf, Germany where yours truly will discuss at Sapient about the Web Analytics business model for Web Agencies, just after Peter Pletsch talks about his experience at meinestadt.de;
• 24/6: Lausanne, Switzerland where Jean-Marc Vandenabeele & Emmanuel Breton will share their views upon interaction and complimentarily between SEO & Web Analytics;
• 24/6: Glasgow, UK closes this list of European events for June.

So, stop wining about US supremacy! Go out and make sure you catch one of these events before the summer. Share your thoughts, questions, hopes, doubts, aspirations, and show that Europe certainly has a great part to play.
Like we say in Belgium: L’Union fait la force! Unity gives us strength.

I just can’t believe that the European Commission would actually be influenced by electoral outcomes to take a stance on something as crucial as privacy. European Parliamentary Elections are scheduled for June 4-7th.

So, what’s the story?
Recent events have shown that EU Telecoms Commissioner, Viviane Reding, not to be opposed to the French HADOPI law. But she DID open an infringement proceeding against the UK government about the use of a behavioural advertising technology known as “Phorm” by internet service providers. My friend, Steve Jackson, already blogged about his privacy concerns around BT’s use of Phorm last summer.

What is HADOPI? will you ask. Good question!
The French HADOPI law stands for “Haute Autorité pour la Diffusion des Oeuvres et de la Protection des droits sur l’Internet”. The idea is that people illegally downloading  copyrighted content through the Internet will be sanctioned. On claim or denunciation, HADOPI follows a 3-strike procedure:

1. A warning email is sent to the connection owner, defined by the IP address, inviting him to install a filter on his own connection. The ISP allowing for this connection should monitor activity.
2. The second step is put into motion 6 months after the first: the same warning is sent by certified mail. On failure to comply or accusation of repeated offenses by the copyright holders, their representatives, the ISP or the HADOPI, in the year following the reception of the certified letter, the third step of the procedure starts.
3. The ISP is required to suspend the internet service for the internet connection, object of the claim, for 2 months to 1 year. The connection owner is blacklisted and third party ISPs are prevented from providing internet connections. This doesn’t interrupt billing. Eventual charges involved by the service termination are at the connection owner expense.

No recourse to a judicial court is possible for the first 2 steps of the procedure, and the last step is not stoppable by judicial recourse. So basically, the charge of the proof is on the connection owner!

First, I wonder how technically this is going to be monitored with dynamic IPs and all. Minor detail say the French authorities.
I won’t even start about the saga that this law brought upon itself since April 2008 in France and in Europe. Let’s say that’s just French spicing on top of how this text was bullied into French law and then lobbied heavily by Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy at a European level.
I’m not surprised either to read that the project of this law spun from a task force led by Denis Oliviennes, CEO of the main French record seller Fnac, who’s business model is dependent upon copyright enforcement.
I sadly smile when I read that Mrs. Albanel thinks the Internet should grow up and the illegal downloading is part of some childhood disease. She should go back to Economics 1O1!

Indeed, access to information, through the Internet connections is profoundly changing the way we are living & consuming. Some sectors - music industry, newspapers, etc. - will be disturbed by this evolution more than others, independent of the number of “patches” you’d want to grant them to allow them to survive in these difficult times.
We’ve heard a lot about government bailouts of banks. As a law abiding & tax paying citizen, I’m not thrilled that public money was pumped into those institutions but I understand that our financial system needs to be stable.
What I do condemn is short sightedness in the likes of Mr. Sarkozy who, on top of HADOPI, also decided to support French newspapers by giving them substantial grants. He should join Mrs. Albanel in an Economics 1O1 class, IMHO!

Hence, I just can’t shake this feeling that between those responsible for legislation and ongoing technological evolution, the gap is growing. Those responsible for legislation, creation & enforcement, have great difficulties understanding what all this Internet thing is about. Hence, public money is being put in wrong places and they are legislating on topics they are ill advised about!
As technology evolves, the need for national & European safeguards is growing.
Amongst my most urgent topics, I want Europe to take a clear stance on privacy.
Privacy is going to be one of the major topics of our century and without clear guidelines, without clear understanding of technical capabilities today and in the future, our legislative body will continue to be influenced by the most prominent lobby groups.

The fact that the European Commission sees a potential problem with Phorm in the UK but totally fails  to see any possible infringement of personal protection with HADOPI in France is totally beyond me.
Belgian legislation is clear, until now, in the sense that those responsible are not the consumers viewing the content but the content providers. They are the ones infringing the law, not the other way around!
If the European Commission does not rethink it’s stance on the French HADOPI law, risk exists that this law will be applicable to other member states in due time!

So my question today is: between Phorm & HADOPI, where’s the difference? How come the first is possibly condemned while the later seems to live safely within it’s borders, possibly being implemented as soon as possible?

Mrs. Reding, your latest speech about Internet of the Future: What Policies to make it happen? mentions that “the Internet of tomorrow must preserve openness. It must also be based on the right governance principles“.
You talk of security and mention privacy but too vaguely: “In this domain, the technological and scientific experts have to work hand in hand with the policy makers“. As far as I know, you are a policy maker and I thank you for your excellent work on the EU Roaming Regulation .Would you also be so kind as to review your position on HADOPI, please? Maybe after the elections, if it’s not too late…

René asked me if I wanted to join his company. I said yes, on one condition: that I could set-up a Web Analytics team. He frowned. A Web what?

That was in 2003 and the start of OX2, which turned out to be one of the leading independent Web Analytics consulting services agencies on the European market. We sold OX2 to the LBi Group, n° 1 Independent Interactive Agency in Europe, in 2008.

Eric asked me another question some years later. This blog post should explain why.

WebTrends’ Log Analyzer first landed on my European desk (Brussels based, Belgium) in 1999. I felt excited as I’d started my career -for amongst others Swiss Life- as a business analyst, used to answering the most challenging questions coming from the commercial &/or marketing departments but frustrated by the lack of available data.

The DotCom era and it’s promises would finally allow me to unleash my analytical creativity! I got hooked & despite encouraging video presentations by Jason Burby, I felt alone while trying to get the most out of this magical data crunching wonderful discipline called Web Analytics.

My French speaking mum always told me I got into the business because my favorite word while growing up in the Netherlands was “Pourquoi?”. This translates into Why in English and my feminine intuition tells me Jim Sterne might agree

Nonetheless, while finding refuge during the DotCom shake-out at the Deutsche Bank, I pledged that no one in Europe should ever feel that way! I met frowning René at a Master in Ebusiness. He’s very perseverant. So much so that we ended up building a company together, OX2, getting married and having a son, Luca.

Through OX2 and my blog, I found a voice and vehicle to share my thoughts. I still remember the time when most people in Europe wondered why I was actually bothering with this thing called Web Analytics! And I will certainly never forget the positive as well as the negative comments we received when I stated our independent position when it came to vendors. After all, it was & still is about what you get out of the tool, not the tool itself!

To be quite frank, I used Google Analytics’ release in November 2005 as an excuse to ramp up to such independence. Google once again helped pave the way & comforted us in our beliefs when Brett Crosby announced the release of their Website Optimizer while we had been building an A/B & MVT tool, imbedded into one of OX2’s content management systems, over the summer.

Stars were continuing to align when the great Avinash Kaushik also picked up on my incessant abuse of the written word to include it in his world top 10 of blogs on Web Analytics. I can still precisely recall my first acquaintance with Avinash, at the eMetrics in London back in 2006. His performance and comments remain unforgettable

Eric, then with pony tail, bluffed me even more with his VisualSciences demo a couple of months later at the eMetrics summit in Washington DC. Following that unique & thrilling experience and after some email exchanges, this fortunate and mind boggling encounter was followed by a call which included the invitation to join Web Analytics Demystified’s Board of Advisors.

A relationship of trust and mutual respect has been building up ever since between Eric and me. I thoroughly enjoy is no nonsense approach to Web Analytics, his openness of mind and is curiosity. He’s one of the rare people that keep on surprising me!

He allowed me to keep up with all that was going on in the field of Web Analytics while I was running around like a headless chicken, heading my WA team first at OX2, then at LBi. Interest for Web Analytics was picking up all over Europe!

Not taking it easy during that last year, where, keeping the promise I’d made to myself about sharing the love for Web Analytics (that’s a shameless plug for Brian Clifton), I also reached out to the LBi group’s network, ranging from Sweden to New York while answering questions fusing from Amsterdam to Milan.

I armed my Web Analytics European DreamTeam (WAEDT) very early on with the first GAAC certification in Europe, a WebTrends Insight Network label (shared then only with our future colleagues at LBi UK). I also turned out to be the first IndexTools (now Yahoo! Web Analytics) Certified Analyst and attended the Omniture certification. Lately, we’d been enjoying working with Unica for a couple of clients. Clients such as Toyota Motor Europe, ING, NATO, Schering Plough, Bayer Schering, the Belgian Social Security, Philips, Deutsche Bank, Danfoss … for which I had the pleasure to work through all these years.

During the last year, I also gave birth to my son, Luca, but unfortunately lost my blogging voice and basically my license to think…

Today, the integration of OX2 within LBi is over and done with. My Belgian/Dutch/Spanish son, Luca (yes, that’s an Italian name), is teething and starting to walk. I took a month off. It’s now time for me to move on to new challenges.

I’m thrilled & delighted to start up the European presence for Web Analytics Demystified Inc., working alongside Eric to help advanced clients in Web Analytics with their strategic roadmap in order to assure real value from their investment. It will allow me to express my opinion about the industry after too many months of silence. I strongly believe that our times yearn for Data Driven Decision Making: responsibility, accountability, transparency & ROI. Building on a “Competing on Analytics” strategic vision, companies should embrace data transparency and optimal (human) resources allocation in order to foster innovation through experimentation.

Europe, prepare to have Web Analytics demystified!