2007/02/09

Essentials of Web Analytics Functions and Framework (Part 1)

For college students, newcomers in the real world, or aspiring enterprisers, e-business will be a likely career choice.

The growing popularity of UCC (User-Created Contents) coupled with the continuous expansion and success of online shopping malls and auctions have encouraged many small enterprises and self-employed enterprisers to dive into e-business, discovering a new opportunity in a new domain. Google took advantage of this opportunity in providing users with free web analytics service. More large portal sites are expected to follow with their free web analytics offerings.

In this hypercompetitive environment filled with merely product vendors and service providers, initiating marketing campaigns and holding promotional events to attract customers is the recent market trend. To implement the suitable strategy and operation assessment for e-business, enterprisers increasingly value the necessity of web analytics. Many large online shopping malls, portal sites, and financial sites have come to view web analytics as a prerequisite for improving online services and assessing marketing campaigns. Thus, continuous research is devoted to e-business advancement.

In the field of web analytics, what are the prerequisite analysis functions and framework? By applying past experiences in different fields, businesses can reconstruct their operating frameworks to suit different enterprise needs. Web analytics not only examines customer behavior, but it also proposes strategies and solutions to achieve operating objectives.

As mentioned before in a previous article, the definition of web analytics consists of five functions:

1. Measurement
2. Collection
3. Analysis
4. Reporting
5. Response Action

The five basic functions and their applications must not only extend beyond the e-business realm, but also expand business domain through business integration perspective and needs. In addition, with changes in the external environment, web administrators must first consider applying web analytics in customer communication platform.

- Expand Business Domain

For many years now, fewer users visit a securities company in person or call to execute transactions. Most people like to search stock news and execute online transactions via HTS (Home Trading System) terminal. Bank transactions have undergone the same change as more people opt to use online banking or ATM (Automated Teller Machine) rather than visit a bank counter in person.

In recent years, aside from managing traditional physical channel, enterprises have been striving to develop the basic framework of virtual channel. Conventional brick-and-mortar businesses such as insurance company or shopping mall have developed new operating platform via the Web. However, simply analyzing e-biz status hardly produces a complete picture of business operating results. If not for operating hardware or network measuring functions, web analytics needs to move beyond merely online data analysis and application. Enterprises currently employing web analytics not only operate e-biz, but also combine business and e-biz perspectives in attaining complete operating objectives and results.

- Broaden Customer Communication: Device Channel
Early this year at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco, Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone, which combines features of mobile phone, Internet, MP3, PDA, etc. with touch input technology. Mobile phone providers and related online industries are now in a state of unease.
(Apple iPhone)
Building a convergence business by combining terminal and e-commerce via iPod, Apple plans to generate another new wave of interest. As of now, it is difficult to determine whether or not this type of terminal convergence can succeed in the future. However, newcomers in e-business will be affected by terminal convergence as well as the convergence business. As time goes by, this will become an important channel for traditional industries or partner-based businesses to reach a large amount of customers through sales, marketing, and service perspectives. The past few years have witnessed the emergence of many types of convergence, including mobile, PDA, car navigation, and home automation. Customers have many types of communication tools, including the Web. This obviously leads to enterprises rushing to expand and develop the business domain.

Based on various terminal convergence traits, customers have different preferences when choosing a platform. Their goals differ according to the type of terminal convergence. In addition, when enterprises understand customer preferences and goals, they can respond immediately as well as use the information as reference to marketing and sales adjustments. Thus, web analytics not only helps locate target users via the Web, but also tracks and applies diverse contact platforms through IT-based system. Integrated data is utilized by various platforms, expanding the application range of web analytics data.

Part 2 provides a detailed explanation about expanding application range.

2007/02/06

Web Analytics功能之架構要 (上篇)

對尚未畢業的在校生、應屆畢業的社會新鮮人、或是想要開創新事業的人而言,網路事業將會是未來終生職業的選擇之一。

許多人對UCC (User-Created Contents)頗有興趣及支持,另外像網路電子商店、或網路拍賣的持續性擴散及成功,逐漸邁向大型化的同時,有不少小本創業者、小型企業以及個人創業者便紛紛湧入網路事業,試圖於網路這個新興領域中開創新機會。而Google亦趁此最佳時機,對其使用者提供了一項網站經營分析的免費服務,預估將會有更多的大型入口網站也會跟進,提供相同的這項服務給使用者。

在網路環境的競爭日益激烈下,目前在網路上經營電子商務的業者只單純提供商品與服務,並採取主動積極的行銷宣傳方式,舉辦各種促銷活動來吸引顧客,是現今最普遍的市場趨勢。為了讓網路事業能採行適切的執行策略及衡量其營運效果,業者越來越注重網路分析的必要性。大多數的大型網路購物商城或入口網站,金融業等的網路事業,為了有效改善網路的服務內容及評估行銷活動,已經理所當然的認為必須要具備網站分析的基本系統,並且以高度化運用這種網站分析系統的方式,來帶動網路事業的成長,所以仍持續進行這方面的研究。

在網路分析的領域中,需要具備哪些分析功能與架構呢? 必須像上述情形,藉由企業過去經驗的累積,然後運用在各不同的事業群,並依照企業個別的需求(Need),重整符合企業需求的營運架構。另外,網路分析還不僅止於分析顧客活動,甚至為了達到企業的經營目標,也能採用策略性的網路分析工具,提出確切的有效方案。

網路分析架構像是前一篇文章所提的 "Web Analytics之定義",主要架構可分為以下5個功能:

1. Measurement
2. Collection
3. Analysis
4. Reporting
5. Response Action

最基本的5個主要功能與其功能的適用對象,不僅需要擴充單純網路Biz的限定範圍外,還要依照企業內部所提出的Biz整合性觀點及需求,擴大Biz的領域。另外,隨著外部環境的變化,必先考量由顧客接觸的平台開始進行Web Analytics。

- 擴大Biz領域

從數年前開始,較少數的使用者會親自到證券公司的櫃檯或以撥電話來進行證券交易,多數的人喜歡使用網路HTS(Home trading system) Terminal來搜尋股市訊息,並於線上直接進行交易,銀行交易亦為如此。與親自到銀行櫃檯辦理存提款的方式比較,使用網路銀行或ATM (Automated teller machine)是一般用戶較為普及的使用方式。

近年來,企業除了經營傳統的實體通路之外,更積極拓展網路虛疑通路的基礎架構。僅像具有傳統性流通網的保險公司或秉持著傳統經營模式的Shopping Mall,藉運用Web來開拓新的營運平台。若單純利用網路上的現象,較難以分析網路Biz的營運成果。Web Analytic若不是為了營運Hardware或偵測Network的功能,需脫離僅以獨自性的Web執行資料的分析及應用。目前在執行Web Analytic的企業除了經營網路Biz之外,以Biz的觀點結合與網路Biz相關的其他領域,並擴大應用於整體Biz的營運目標與成果。

- 擴散顧客接觸之Device Channel

2007年初蘋果電腦執行長Steve Jobs於美國舊金山舉行的"MacWorld Expo 2007"大會上,發表兼具手機及網路通訊、MP3、PDA等設備功能的複合式觸控按鈕手機iPhone,使目前製造Mobile的業者與相關網路產業處於緊張情勢。

(Apple iPhone)

已藉由iPod使Terminal與電子商務做結合、建立Convergence事業的Apple,將會使全球再次掀起一股風潮,其類型的整合型終端設備未來是否一定成功,目前還很難下定論。但最近這幾年隨著整合型終端設備與Convergence事業,則會影響剛踏進網路事業的事業族群。久而久之,對傳統產業的Biz員或以各事業夥伴為營運模式的事業群而言,網路可依照其領域的銷售、行銷、服務觀點接觸大量顧客,於發展過程中其實是一個重要的管道,在出現多樣型態的Convergence前幾年開始,就有Mobile、PDA、Car Navigaion、Home Automation等,使顧客擁有多樣型態的接觸工具(包含Web),企業藉由其工具急速擴充及發展事業領域。

依照各種數位終端設備的屬性,顧客選擇的平台喜好當然不同,依據使用的終端設備之類型,使用的目的與用途也有所變化。另外,當企業了解顧客的使用喜好度與目的,則可立即反應並作為企業調整行銷與Sales的根據。因此,Web Analytics除了透過Web可確定的使用對象之外,便以IT系統為基礎,追蹤及應用多樣化的接觸平台,將整合分析的資訊運用於各領域平台,因而擴大Web分析資料的適用範圍。


上述的擴大適用領域的詳細內容待下次再更詳細的介紹。