Web Analytics Course Reflection Essay Example

Through this course, I have been introduced to web analytics, with a particular focus on Google Analytics and Adobe Analytics. I have learned that web analytics skills are applicable and necessary in various professions. I now appreciate that analytics skills are useful to anyone whose work entails data and reports as it helps one to analyze the data in a more insightful manner. Web analytics skills also prepare one to make informed decisions.

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Despite the versatility and significance of analytics as a business tool, I also learned about its various limitations. With web analytics, it is easy for one to focus on data that is less representative mistakenly. Secondly, web analytics is less likely to define the target data, and so the data may not be conveniently defined for the user. Thirdly, despite its applicability in many fields, web analytics does not guarantee meaningful insight into other areas. Such areas where web analytics may be inefficient include census data, social media, financial markets, blog comments, and employee data. Other than learning about these challenges, the course was also helpful in introducing me to concepts that can be helpful in decision making. This insight was provided by the assignment that required us to determine our key performance indicators.

As a result of the exposure to Google Analytics and Adobe Analytics, I became more aware of privacy and ethical concerns and the approaches that companies can employ to track user behavior, especially taking into consideration the various methods that are at their disposal and which they can use to manipulate user behavior. From the perspective of the consumer, the biggest concern is whether the company is collecting more data about them than is necessary. On the part of the business, the most significant consideration is whether through the data they can better understand user behavior, whether the data is accurate, and whether the information is relevant.

The exposure to essential tools such as segmentation, tag management, and data lakes aroused my curiosity regarding how easy it is to see into data and how the data can be modified to expose underlying behaviors and motives as well as to help make predictions and determine the nature of expected behaviors. In the human resource field, understanding data derived from employee database can be essential to decision making in relation o behavior prediction and improvement, teams, employee output, and outcomes. While being introduced to these tools, I developed more understanding of how an analyst should approach metrics, develop a natural capacity to discern information, and use the analysis to tell a story.

Conclusion

This course was effective because it was practical. Additionally, it was interactive and allowed us to try the various tools discussed in class. It acted as a guide to determining the right measurements, and how to translate the metrics into performance. I do appreciate the effort made to ensure that this course is accessible, challenging, exciting, and above all, enjoyable.

References

Maintz, J., & Zaumseil, F. (2017, June). Using Web analytics for content marketing performance measurement. In Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Contemporary Marketing Issues/ICCMI, Thessaloniki (pp. 515-520).

Ribeiro, J. P. D. A. (2017). The use of web analytics on a small data set in an online media company: shifter s case study (Doctoral dissertation).