Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 1 Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report Prepared by the Web Analytics Association February 2011 All Rights Reserved
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 2 Table of Contents Notice to Readers... 2 A Message from the Chairman... 3 About the WAA... 3 Executive Summary... 4 Survey Findings... 5 About the Participants... 6 Survey Results... 10 Part 1: The State of the Industry... 10 Part 2: Looking Ahead... 14 Part 3: The Industry Up Close... 24 About the Survey... 30 Notice To Readers Copyright and usage guidelines: Copyright 2011, by Web Analytics Association. All rights reserved. This report is provided to members of the Web Analytics Association (WAA) as a benefit of membership. Specific charts may be used for public presentations by WAA members, but the full report may only be distributed by the WAA. Any public usage of data from this report must include an acknowledgement of the source (Web Analytics Association) and the WAA logo.
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 3 A Message from the Chairman We ve come a long way since the Web Analytics Association was founded in 2004. The industry is maturing, the respect for web analytics is growing and the application of web analysis to business problems is becoming more mainstream. The individuals we surveyed are growing more experienced. Those with 10 years of more experience went from 5% in 2009 to 10% in 2010 and 17% this year. This is one sign that web analytics as an industry is maturing. Other indications of industrial maturation is that Business Intelligence is more responsible for web analytics than ever. The Marketing Department was in charge of web analytics in 46% of organizations in 2009 and then 41% in 2010. This year, that s dropped to 34%. IT is giving up control as well, as ownership of web analytics is shifting more and more to BI. The Business Intelligence and Analytics department was responsible for web analytics in nearly 25% of organizations in 2011 compared to only 19% last year. At the same time, concern about funding for web analytics has become a smaller challenge from previous years. In 2009, 40% said that securing investment for web analytics would be their hardest challenge. That dropped to 27.5% in 2010 and didn t even make the top ten list this year. Organizations are recognizing the value of web analytics and are willing to invest. The final indication of industry maturation is the desire to integrate web data with other marketing data. We may have been sidetracked by the need to get a handle on social media metrics, but we know that it too is yet another stream to be added to the marketing intelligence mix. Driving web decisions with web data has been our private purview. Driving marketing decisions with web data has been our near-term goal. Now it looks like the rest of the organization is recognizing the value of driving business decisions with web data. We seem to be going from strength to strength. Happy reading. Jim Sterne Chairman, Web Analytics Association About the WAA The Web Analytics Association was founded in 2004 and opened to general membership in February 2005. The WAA unites and fosters the interests of industry practitioners, vendors, consultants, and educators, who use, sell, install, implement, consult, teach, or train in the field of web analytics. With over 1,500 members, the organization has committees and initiatives for education, advocacy, standards, research, events, marketing, public sector, international, and membership. More information about the WAA can be found at webanalyticsassociation.org.
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 4 Executive Summary From November 12 to December 10, 2010, The Web Analytics Association presented a survey to web analytics end-users, who were asked to participate through web analytics-related web sites, e-mails and events. A total of 356 web analytics users from the around the world participated in the survey. The survey examined the current state of the web analytics industry, and asked participants questions such as: What is the purpose of web analytics as a function in your organization? What kind of web analytics solution do you use? Are you satisfied with your vendor? What features or capabilities would you like to see? Does your organization use more than one web analytics solution? Why or why not? The survey asked questions about future initiatives, priorities, and challenges for 2011, such as: What are your biggest challenges likely to be? What do you perceive are the greatest challenges facing the entire web analytics industry? What will be your top web analytics initiatives? How much will your online analysis budget change over 2010? Where will your investments go? Which channels have established key performance indicators (KPIs)? Where do you plan to establish and implement KPIs? The survey also asked about current levels of web analytics expertise and examined how much of a priority organizations are making web analytics: How would you rate your knowledge of the latest web analytics trends, strategies and technologies? In which areas would you most like to improve your knowledge? Which department in your company is primarily responsible for web analytics? How much of a role does IT play in the decision-making process when selecting web analytics solutions or marketing applications? How many full-time employees in your company are responsible for web analytics? In addition to full time employees, which of the following does your company use to provide web analytics support?
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 5 Survey Findings Examining the results of the survey, there were three key findings that provide insight into what the future holds for the web analytics industry: 1. Spending Continues to Grow: This year, 54.6% of organizations indicated they d be increasing their spending. That s a very slight dip from last year, when 55% said they would. Of course, a large percentage (42.9%) say they ll keep spending where it is right now. But what s really encouraging is how few only 2.6% plan to decrease their investments in online analysis in the coming year. 2. Data Integration, Training, Tools Top Priorities: Integrating data with external or thirdparty applications will get the most investment, with 49% saying it s the top priority. 44.4% plan to invest in training and education for web analytics staff, and 40.1% will be spending on addon tools. Data integration is a priority but also a potential problem. When asked they perceive are the greatest challenges facing the entire web analytics industry, multichannel measurement received the most overall responses. 3. Social Media is Here, and Mobile is Next: Nearly 65% of organizations are planning to establish and implement social media KPIs in 2011, and 49.5% say they re planning to do so for mobile media. However, only 23.7% of respondents say they have established KPIs for mobile right now. This is a huge opportunity 2011 could be the year of the mobile marketing boom but only if the right measurement strategies are in place. Read on to learn more about the current state of the industry and the future of web analytics, and get an up close look at the survey results, including comparisons to data collected from the previous WAA Outlook survey reports. Before we examine the key findings of the survey, let s take a look at the profile of our participants: their job function, company size, industry, and geographical location.
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 6 About the Participants Job Function Web Analyst 34.4% Marketing: Primarily Online 16.9% Other (please specify) Consultant 11.2% 11.1% Executive Management Business Intelligence ECommerce Project Manager Product Management IT Business Development 5.2% 5.2% 4.4% 4.1% 2.9% 2.9% 1.7% n=342 As we can see here, the survey respondents have a wide range of job functions, with web analysts in the lead with 34.4% and online marketers following at 16.9%. The other category, at 11.2%, includes those with jobs in finance, content development, market research, public relations, communications, and offline marketers. Consultants are next, with 11.1%, and then we see executive management, Business Intelligence, and ECommerce following.
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 7 About the Participants Company Size 5,001+ employees 27% 1-50 employees 32% 1,001-5,000 employees 9% 501-1,000 employees 7% 101-500 employees 18% 51-100 employees 7% n=340 This year, there are more respondents working for large employers in fact, 27% said they were with a company with over 5001 employees. Last year, it was 21%, and the year before it was 15%. The number of smaller employers has also shifted. Last year, 46% of respondents said they were part of businesses with fewer than 100 employees, and this year, that percentage has dropped to 39%.
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 8 About the Participants Industry Agency/Consultancy 28.5% High Tech Other (please specify) Business Services Retail Financial Services Media Education Government Healthcare Insurance Travel & Hospitality Automotive Manufacturing Telecommunications Entertainment 10.6% 9.7% 9.1% 7.6% 6.2% 5.6% 4.4% 4.1% 3.2% 2.9% 2.4% 2.1% 1.2% 1.2% 1.2% n=339 When it comes to the type of industry we ll be looking at, agencies and consultancies are first with 28.5%, and next we have high tech at 10.6%. The other category includes non-profit, energy, and real estate. After that, we have business services, retail, financial services and media industries.
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 9 About the Participants Geographical Location Canada 14% Latin America 3% Asia Pacific 8% Europe Middle East Africa 19% US 56% n=336 The majority of respondents are currently located in the US (56%) and Canada (14%), with 19% located in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, 8% in Asia Pacific, and 3% in Latin America.
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 10 Survey Results We surveyed over 350 professionals in the web analytics industry to find out what their outlook will be in 2011. What are their challenges? Where will they be spending their budgets? What are the most important issues they foresee, and how will they be turning those potential pitfalls into growth opportunities? Survey Results, Part 1: The State of the Industry Before we dive into the outlook for 2011, let s take a look at the current state of the industry. What is the purpose of web analytics as a function in these organizations? What kind of web analytics solution do they use? Are they satisfied with their vendors? What features or capabilities would they like to see? Do these organizations use more than one web analytics solution? Why or why not?
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 11 Survey Results, Part 1: The State of the Industry What is the purpose of web analytics as a function in your organization? Optimizing web site functionality and conversion 79.7% Analysis of past performance 73.7% Optimizing performance of and conversions from marketing campaigns 67.3% Determining the best creative executions through A/B and multivariate testing 49.8% Baseline information for site redesign 48.6% Predictive metrics for developing future marketing campaigns 41.0% Budgeting and planning for upcoming business objectives Other (please specify) 5.6% 32.7% n=251 Most organizations have been primarily using web analytics to optimize their web site functionality and that hasn t changed much over the past two years. Last year, 78% were using web analytics for optimizing site functionality and conversion, and this year, 79.7% are. However, more organizations are using web analytics for determining the best creative executions through A/B and multivariate testing this year 49.8%, compared to 36.9% last year. It s interesting to note how many organizations 73.7% are using web analytics for a rearview mirror look at past performance, while less than half 41% are using them as predictive metrics for future campaigns.
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 12 Survey Results, Part 1: The State of the Industry What kind of web analytics solution do you use? Large-scale vendor solution across global enterprise and multiple domains 45.2% Free vendor solution 26.6% Moderate vendor solution across departments, more than one domain 14.9% Other (please specify) 6.9% Home-grown solution 2.8% Small vendor solution in one department, one domain 2.8% None 0.8% n=248 Large-scale vendor solutions lead the pack with 45.2% that s up from last year, when 40.2% said they were using them. And there has been an interesting shift in the use of free vendor solutions the percentage of organizations using them has gone down. This year, 26.6% are using free solutions, while nearly 30% of organizations said they were using them last year. Moderate vendor solutions are being used by 14.9% of organizations, 2.8% are using home-grown solutions, and 2.8% have a small vendor solution in one department with one domain. The other category, at 6.9%, represents organizations that use multiple solutions or hybrid solutions. And the number of organizations who don t use any kind of solution is negligible 0.8%. That s down from 1.1% in 2010 and 2.7% in 2009.
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 13 Survey Results, Part 1: The State of the Industry Are you satisfied with your vendor? 28.8% 27.2% 21.0% 5.8% 8.2% 7.0% 2.1% 1 Extremely dissatisfied 2 3 4 Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied 5 6 7 Extremely satisfied n=243 Good news for web analytics vendors most respondents in this survey indicated they are satisfied with the vendors they re using. In fact, 7% said they are extremely satisfied. Only 21% said that they re neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with their vendor, and 16.1% ranged from mildly to extremely dissatisfied. When asked what they d like to see in their web analytics solution, the most common comment from survey respondents is that they d like to have better customer service and support. Advanced segmentation features were also high on the list, as well as more efficient ways to integrate web analytics with other solutions. One respondent said they d like to see More seamless integration between the vendor s modules, and stronger, more organized relationships between the vendor and their third-party partners. And as we ll see, data integration is going to see a large amount of investment in the coming year.
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 14 Survey Results, Part 1: The State of the Industry Does your organization use more than one web analytics solution? No, we all use the same solution 39% Yes, various departments use different vendors 61% n=246 For the first time since we ve conducted this survey, a clear majority of respondents (61%) say they are using more than one solution. Last year, 49% of organizations indicated that various departments were using different vendors, and two years ago, 44.3% said that was the case. When asked why they do or do not have multiple solutions, the responses varied. Many of those who said they are using a single solution indicated also that they are using Google Analytics, and they said that cost savings was the reason. The majority of those using more than one solution said that one web analytics solution was unable to fill all the different needs in their organization. Survey Results, Part 2: Looking Ahead Now let s take a look at the future to understand the challenges organizations will face for themselves and for the entire web analytics industry. We ll also find out which web analytics initiatives will be top priority in 2011, and how much online analysis budgets will change over 2010. We ll see where those investments will go, and which channels, technologies and strategies will get the most focus with established key performance indicators (KPIs).
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 15 Survey Results, Part 2: Looking Ahead In 2011, your biggest challenges will likely be which of the following? Actionability of the data 36.0% Business decisions driven by analytics 35.3% Social Media 34.9% Executive management awareness and support of web analytics 31.4% Failure to take action on the data 31.0% Mobile 29.1% Staffing 27.1% Data integration with external or third-party applications 26.0% Internal collaboration between departments 25.6% Best practices implementation 21.7% n=258 Here s an interesting shift. In 2009, the largest hurdle organizations predicted for themselves was funding 40% said it would be their biggest challenge. In 2010, funding dropped to sixth place, with 27.5% predicting that it would be a big challenge for them. This year, funding didn t even make the top ten shown here only 15.5% said it would be a challenge. What do they see as the biggest challenge? Like last year, actionability of the data is at the top, according to 36% of respondents. Making sure business decisions are driven by analytics was next with 35.3% it also came in second last year. Social media will also be a big challenge for many in 2011, according to 34.9% of respondents.
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 16 Survey Results, Part 2: Looking Ahead What do you perceive are the greatest challenges facing the entire web analytics industry? (select top 3) Multi-channel measurement 29 41 34 Perceived value of web analytics 29 17 36 Actionable data 35 29 18 Lack of standards 30 20 18 Privacy 28 16 19 Lack of qualified staff 21 23 15 Data accuracy 26 10 20 Lack of process in web analytics 5 26 24 Integration 15 23 16 Measuring new media 12 23 18 Education Consumer education 9 17 11 14 17 13 n=258 Top challenge Second challenge Third challenge Here are the top results that survey respondents see as the greatest challenges facing the entire web analytics industry, listed in order of the total number of responses they received. Multichannel measurement, while not a leader as a top challenge, got the most overall responses, with perceived value of web analytics coming in second and actionable data in third place (it was also seen as the top challenge for the majority of survey respondents).
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 17 Survey Results, Part 2: Looking Ahead What will be your top web analytics initiatives in 2011? Business decisions driven by analytics 69.3% Acting on the data to improve site performance 61.0% Best practices implementation 46.0% Executive management awareness and support 40.1% Developing process/ implementing process 39.7% Training and education 39.0% Integration of current and new solutions 38.3% KPI development 38.0% n=453 According to our survey respondents, the top initiative in 2011 will be making sure business decisions are driven by analytics, with 69.3% selecting it as their main priority. And 61% said that acting on the data to improve site performance would be key. Most organizations seem to have all the information they need but they realize that they aren t using that information effectively Next on the list of top initiatives is best practices implementation at 46%, and ensuring executive management awareness and support, with 40.1%. Developing and implementing processes, training and education, integration of current and new solutions and KPI development round out the first part of the list of top web initiatives.
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 18 Survey Results, Part 2: Looking Ahead Top web analytics initiatives compared to 2008-2010 Business decisions driven by analytics 47.8% 63.5% 65.1% 69.3% Acting on the data to improve site performance 61.0% 69.2% Best practices implementation 39.3% 46.0% 48.1% 49.4% 2011 2010 2009 2008 Executive management awareness and support 40.1% 41.0% 39.4% 43.5% n=287 n=469 453 559 596 Let s take a look at the top four web analytics initiatives compared to those in 2010, 2009 and 2008. They were very similar, and respondents were equally focused on productivity enhancement such as developing best practices and getting executive management awareness and support. Acting on the data to improve site performance was an option added last year, and it continues to be a top initiative this year.
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 19 Survey Results, Part 2: Looking Ahead In 2011, how much will your online analysis budget change over 2010? Increase more than 30% 13.5% Increase 20-29% 10.2% Increase 10-19% 17.1% Increase 0-9% 13.8% Flat 42.9% Decrease 0-9% 0.4% Decrease 10-19% 1.5% Decrease 20-29% 0.7% Decrease more than 30% 0.0% n=275 Great news in uncertain times online analysis spending will be increasing significantly in 2011. Of course, a large percentage (42.9%) say they ll keep spending where it is right now. But what s really encouraging is how few plan to decrease their investments in online analysis. All together, only 2.6% will decrease their budget any amount. And no one is making drastic, 30% level cuts. It makes sense that as web analytics budgets will increase or remain steady. According to emarketer, The economy may be on an upward trajectory, but continued caution among advertisers will lead to a continued shift toward online advertising... emarketer projects a 10.5% increase in US online ad spending next year, followed by double-digit growth every year through 2014 when spending will reach $40.5 billion. It may seem ironic, but marketers economic concerns are leading them to spend more for online advertising, said David Hallerman, principal analyst at emarketer. This trend reflects how most forms of internet advertising are now seen as more of a sure thing than most traditional media. ( Online Ad Spend Continues Double-Digit Growth. December 6, 2010)
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 20 Survey Results, Part 2: Looking Ahead Online analysis budget change: 2008-2011 54.6% Increasing 55.2% 52.1% 68.8% Remaining flat Decreasing 2.6% 1.3% 3.9% 1.5% 29.7% 42.9% 43.5% 44% 2011 2010 2009 2008 n=275 542 568 475 In the 2008 survey, 68.8% of respondents said they would be increasing their investment in web analytics. In 2009, that number went down to 52.1%. In 2010, it increased to 55.2%, and now it s decreased just a bit, to 54.5%. So, we re still not seeing increases at the levels of 2008, but analysis budgets are still seeing a significant boost. In 2009, 3.9% said they would be decreasing their spend in 2010, 1.3% said so, and this year, it s doubled to 2.6%. It s still not as high as in 2009 however, when it was 3.9%.
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 21 Survey Results, Part 2: Looking Ahead In 2011, your investments will go towards which of the following? Data integration with external or third-party applications Increase investment in training and education for web analytics staff Add-on tools, such as behavioral targeting or paid search management 40.1% 44.4% 49.0% Increase web analytics staffing 35.8% Increase investment in training and education for consumers of web analytics reports and analysis 26.8% Engage web analytics consulting 24.5% Upgrade of primary web analytics tools migrating to a new platform with the same solution/vendor 19.5% Switching your primary web analytics solution/vendor 8.6% Purchase of primary web analytics tool first installation Purchase of primary web analytics tools migrating to a new platform with the same solution/vendor 4.7% 4.7% n=257 When it comes to following where the money will go, we see that data integration with external or third-party applications leads the list, with 49% saying that they re planning to invest in this area. 44.4% will increase investment in training and education for web analytics staff, and 40.1% will invest in add-on tools such as behavioral targeting or paid search management. In addition, 35.8% will use the money to increase web analytics staffing. When we look at current staffing levels for many of these organizations, we ll see that it s a good thing.
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 22 Survey Results, Part 2: Looking Ahead For which channels do you have established key performance indicators (KPIs)? (select all that apply) E-Mail 75.3% Facebook Social Media Online Video Twitter Print Media Mobile Media Consumer-generated Content RSS Widgets Viral Marketing Television Other (please specify) Location-based Media Radio 39.3% 39.3% 37.4% 32.9% 27.4% 23.7% 16.4% 16.0% 15.5% 12.8% 12.3% 11.0% 11.0% 7.8% n=219 E-mail is clearly the marketing channel that is most established as far as KPI measurement goes 75% of respondents say that they have KPIs for this channel. However, when it comes to Facebook, just 39.3% say they have key performance indicators in place, and the same goes for other social media channels. For online video, 37.4% have KPIs, and for Twitter, it s 32.9%. Print is at 27.4%, and only 23.7% have KPIs for mobile media. And that s likely to become a problem for marketers and web analysts alike in 2011. According to Forrester, Mobile is a hot topic among interactive marketers but has yet to prove its usefulness as a dedicated media channel. Budget owners need proof that a mobile-specific spend will have a positive ROI before they carve out a special budget just for the smaller screen, which means that budgets will stay test-sized until marketers establish measurement metrics or benchmarks. ( Midyear Planning: Predictions For 2011: Marketers Move Toward Multichannel Planning And Execution, July 29, 2010)
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 23 Survey Results, Part 2: Looking Ahead Indicate whether you plan to establish and implement KPIs for measuring the following technologies and strategies in 2011: (select all that apply) Social Media 64.9% Facebook Mobile Media Twitter Online Video E-Mail 49.5% 49.5% 42.1% 40.6% 40.1% Consumer-generated Content Location-based Media Viral Marketing Widgets RSS Print Media Television Radio 24.8% 19.8% 19.3% 14.4% 14.4% 12.9% 9.9% 4.0% n=202 Nearly 65% of respondents are planning to establish and implement social media KPIs in 2011. 49.5% plan to do so for Facebook, and 42.1% for Twitter. And 49.5% say they re planning to implement KPIs for mobile media. As MarketingSherpa put it, Marketers have not adopted mobile strategies in large numbers. However, many have started experimenting with SMS, mobile web sites and mobile apps similar to how marketers experimented with social marketing in 2009. It s clear that mobile marketing is still emerging in 2011, mobile looks to become what social media was for 2010. ( Consumer Marketing Trends from 2010, Dec 16, 2010.) It could be that 2011 is the year of the mobile marketing boom. We ll see what happens and find out how web analytics is going to measure the results in the coming year.
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 24 Survey Results, Part 3: The Industry Up Close Now let s look at the current levels of web analytics expertise and find out how organizations are making web analytics a priority. We ll see how practitioners rate their knowledge of the latest web analytics trends, strategies and technologies, and find out in which areas they would most like to improve their knowledge. We ll also see which department is primarily responsible for web analytics, and how much of a role IT plays in the decision-making process when selecting web analytics or marketing solutions. In addition, we ll discover how many full-time employees are responsible for web analytics, and the many ways organizations have been getting web analytics support. Survey Results, Part 3: The Industry Up Close How would you rate your knowledge of the latest web analytics trends, strategies and technologies? 46.0% 33.5% 16.9% 3.6% Poor: Could be better Fair: Somewhat able Good: Capable at web analysis Expert: Extremely proficient n=248 According to these results, there are more web analytics experts than ever before. This year, 79.5% of respondents rated their knowledge of web analytics trends, strategies and technologies as good or expert. In 2010, 69% did, and in 2009, that number was 62%. Does that mean web analytics practitioners have more experience these days? Let s see.
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 25 Survey Results, Part 3: The Industry Up Close How many years of experience do you have in web analytics? 10+ years 17% Less than 1 year 5% 1 to 3 years 33% 7 to 10 years 18% 4 to 6 years 27% n=339 Another year has gone by, and we re seeing a more experienced group of web analytics practitioners. In fact, the percentage of those with 10-plus years of experience has gone up significantly. This year, the number is 17%, up from 10% in 2010, and 5% in 2009. Plus, there are fewer respondents with very little experience. Last year, 12% said they had less than one year of experience this year, only 5% said so. So it appears that in 2011, web analytics professionals will have more expertise and more experience than before.
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 26 Survey Results, Part 3: The Industry Up Close In which areas would you most like to improve your knowledge? A/B and Multivariate Testing 55.5% Behavior Analysis 53.9% Mobile Analytics 51.4% Predictive Modeling 41.6% Targeting and Segmentation Social Media Marketing Measuring Web 2.0 Technologies 33.9% 33.9% 33.9% Statistical Tests 33.5% Analytics reporting 31.8% n=245 Segmentation 31.0% When it comes to areas where practitioners want to increase their expertise, A/B and multivariate testing takes the lead at 55.5%. Last year, this area came in fourth at 52.3%. Interestingly, last year, Social media was second on the list (63.4%) while this year, it drops to sixth place. It may be that web analytics practitioners have already done their homework and improved their knowledge of social media marketing or else they re not as concerned about it this year. But they should be. According to emarketer, As consumer usage of social media continues to increase in the US and around the world, marketers have transitioned from cautious engagement to full deployment. Next year, four in five US businesses with at least 100 employees will take part in social media marketing, emarketer estimates. That s up from just 42% as recently as 2008, and the number of marketers using the channel will continue to rise through 2012. ( Social Media in the Marketing Mix: Budgeting for 2011, December 2010)
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 27 Survey Results, Part 3: The Industry Up Close Which department in your company is primarily responsible for web analytics? Marketing 34.4% Business Intelligence/ Analytics 24.9% IT 9.9% Other (please specify) 9.1% Web services 8.3% ecommerce/ Online Operations Customer Experience/ Marketing Science 3.2% 7.5% Product development Audience development 2.0% 0.8% n=253 Of those we surveyed, 34.4% of respondents said that Marketing was the department primarily responsible for their web analytics. Business Intelligence and Analytics were responsible for web analytics in nearly 25% of organizations. IT was responsible for it in nearly 10% of those surveyed. Last year, marketing was at 41.2% and Business Intelligence/Analytics was at 18.8%, whereas IT was at 5.8%. So we ve seen a shift there, especially when we look at 2009, when Marketing was primarily responsible for 46.3% of organizations.
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 28 Survey Results, Part 3: The Industry Up Close How much of a role does IT play in the decisionmaking process when selecting web analytics solutions or marketing applications? 35.5% 31.6% 20.7% 7.8% 4.3% Minimal input Average input Major input Primary decision makers Don't Know n=256 When it comes to selecting web analytics solutions or marketing applications, IT continues to play a role in the decision making process. In fact, while only 7.8% said IT was the primary decision maker, 31% indicated that they have major input and 35.5% indicated that IT has an average level of input. Just 20.7% said they had minimal input.
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 29 Survey Results, Part 3: The Industry Up Close How many full-time employees in your company are responsible for web analytics? 35.9% 16.3% 12.7% 8.2% 6.9% 8.2% 5.3% 6.5% 0 1 2 3 4-5 6-10 11-20 over 20 n=245 It s interesting that 35.9% said that they have only one full-time employee responsible for web analytics, even though we saw previously that 43% of respondents said they were with a company with over 500 employees. In fact, when we look only at those large organizations, 26.2% said they had only one full-time employee devoted to web analytics. Of course, many companies, both large and small, are getting web analytics support from other areas as well see.
Web Analytics Association Outlook 2011: Survey Report page 30 Survey Results, Part 3: The Industry Up Close In addition to full-time employees, which of the following does your company use to provide web analytics support? Employees with a partial commitment to web analytics 61.9% Consultants 40.7% Contract employees 24.3% Analytics agencies 19.0% Part-time employees 4.8% n=189 Here we see where the help is coming from 61.9% are using employees with a partial commitment to web analytics, 40.7% are using consultants, 24.3% have contract employees, and 19% are getting their analytics from agencies. Just 4.8% have part time employees providing web analytics support. About the Survey From November 12 to December 10, 2010, The Web Analytics Association presented a survey to web analytics end-users, who were asked to participate through web analytics-related web sites, e-mails and events. A total of 356 web analytics users from the around the world participated in the survey. Respondents were asked approximately 35 questions about their use of web analytics today and their planned usage in 2011, their personal experience and level of expertise in the field of web analytics, as well as company size, job function, and geographical location. Respondents received an e-mail invitation to participate in the survey with a URL linked to the web-based survey form. Many of the questions included multiple-choice answers in which the respondents were asked to choose all that apply. Respondents were not required to answer every question in order to complete the survey.