“I believe that mobile is its own experience, if nothing else because of the form factors of the devices and the way people use them differently than fixed web interfaces.”
In this interview, Joseph Stanhope, Senior Analyst at Forrester, discusses his focus. His position is in Web Intelligence which comprises:
- Web analytics
- Site optimization technologies
- Mobile Analytics
- Online Marketing Suite
Are we in the year of mobile?
As far as measurement is concerned, it was a year of progress. Analysis of mobile browsing and applications – customers are seeing that mobile is a serious channel, but the field has a way to go towards maturity.
Do you feel we are far from integrating mobile and web to get a whole picture of the customer?
Yes, I feel we are still far off, but the field is coming together.
Just a few weeks ago, Forrester released the Web Analytics WAVE™ research. Where are we in terms of web analytics as a whole?
Yes, the WAVE™ was released about two weeks ago. The market has matured substantially in terms of analytics. Companies in the space are broadening their footprint. Analysts are trying to analyze all the channels in an integrated manner, integrating mobile, offline, and social.
Where do you see the future of digital marketing and web analytics?
Absolutely, the internet is an evolving world, and it’s a great time to be in the fields of marketing and analytics. I think we will see some specialization. Vendors will fall into one of the following categories:
- For an enterprise marketing platform – taking a very broad view of total marketing needs.
- The online marketing suite – coordinating the content and execution of digital marketing.
- Companies will master digital analytics.
If web analytics remains focused on websites, it will be passed by because the world has evolved past that.
Joseph Stanhope, Senior Analyst, Forrester Research
Joe is a Senior Analyst at Forrester Research, serving Customer Intelligence professionals. He covers web intelligence, including web analytics, online testing and targeting, mobile measurement, and the online marketing suite. His work focuses on the generation and application of marketing intelligence from digital channels to deliver highly relevant and engaging online and multichannel customer experiences.
Daniel Waisberg
Daniel Waisberg is the Owner of Conversion Journey, a consultancy that provides insights on improving the performance of websites. He is also the founder & Editor of Online Behavior. He is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and member of the Advisory Council of the eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit. You can follow him on Google+ or on Twitter @danielwaisberg.