Google Analytics Myths by Stephane Hamel [video]

"The biggest of all myths is: it's the tool's fault"

In this presentation, delivered at the Google Analytics Users' Great Event New York, Stephane Hamel shares with us insights into Analytics market data and Google Analytics usage and myths.

Stephane starts by sharing interesting data on the Web Analytics industry and Google Analytics usage:

• Companies doing some kind of Web Analytics
  1. 91% for the Top 500 retail websites
  2. 76% for Fortune 500 websites
• Companies using Google Analytics
  1. 64% for the Top 500 retail websites
  2. 45% for Fortune 500 websites

Following the stats, Stephane goes on to myth busting several Google Analytics misunderstandings. Below is a list of the myths discussed:

1. Google Analytics owns your data, you do not own it
2. Google Analytics is not a Unified Digital Analytics Platform
3. Google Analytics does not follow open data standards
4. Google Analytics uses sample, that is really bad
5. Google Analytics has no customer support
6. Google Analytics is not an enterprise tool

But the biggest of all myths is "it's the tool's fault". Usually, the problem is not in the tool, but in the organization. Most companies lack the process to get analytics in place because they cannot deal with the constraints of time, technology and people.

Below are the slides used by Stephane on his presentation.

Stephane Hamel - Director of Strategic Services, Cardinal Path

Stéphane Hamel is the Director of Strategic Services at Cardinal Path. He is a leading voice for online analytics: helping businesses optimize their online channel by extracting insight from data. He has over twenty years of experience defining optimal and realistic strategies and is a frequent speaker at the eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit and other conferences in North America and Europe. Member of the International Institute of Business Analysis and on the board of directors and treasurer of the Web Analytics Association, he also plays an advisory role to a number of agencies and vendors.

More Articles and Videos by Stephane Hamel

• The Ultimate Definition of Analytics [article]
• The Three Heads of Online Analytics [article]
• Top Three Characteristics of Data Driven Organizations [article]
• Stephane Hamel Interview [video]
• Web Analytics Maturity Model by Stephane Hamel [video]