Thinking bigger, past the limitations of Web Analytics

The limits of Web Analytics
Web Analytics can’t tell us, why did someone come to our site, what they want to accomplish, what their emotional experience was like, what their eyes actually looked at, and what they told others later. But we’ve got to stop ourselves and realize that it’s only ONE form of understanding the direction of a website. In addition to using Web Analytics, the serious Web Strategist will be using other methods and processes to understand what users have done, and what they want.

A partial list of understanding users
While Web Analytics is important, there are many other methods that should be done to find out what users want:

-User testing
-Surveys
-Heuristic Evaluations
-Ethnography
-Search Logs
-Social Media listening (on other sites)
-And most important: just ask them (interviews)

Many other ways to understand users
This is not a comprehensive list by any means, as there are complete industries devoted to User Experience (UX), Human Computer Interaction (HCI), User Interface Design (UI), and Information Architecture (IA). The newest group to the bunch? Social Media Measurement, which measures what is said or gestured by who, when, and where. It’s assumed that the web user experience has spread off the website, so start planning accordingly. Web Analytics is limited in that it only measures the activity on your corporate site –not other areas where customers may be talking.

The User and Customer Experience has moved off your website
What are some other examples that your website has moved off your domain? There’s a list of third party extranets (yes, this impacts YOUR customer support site) and my theory that Web Marketing is not limited to two domains (your website and google search results).

The Four Things that People do Online

This is an older article, but it’s still relevant, Dirk Knemeyer, documents that There Are Only Four Things That People Do On the Web

Those include:

People use the web to learn

People use the web to feel

People use the web to connect

People use the web to trade

I can think of so many corporate sites that just focus on learning and trading, they miss out on feeling and connecting. Some of the more successful corporate web strategies involve customers connecting to employees, prospects, or other customers, all signs of successful community building.

What happens next as technology advances, is there yet another human desire not yet fulfilled? Does this also apply to mobile use of the web, how about marriages of TV and Web (IPTV)?

Web Strategy: Understanding Web Design Pricing

I’ve notice quite a few posts about blog design recently, from these 10 beautiful blog designs, from these 45 selected ones, I’m impressed with what Ars Technica has recently done. One thing for sure is that everyone wants to have a great blog design. I’ve had similar discussions with Hyku’s Josh Hallett, well known blog designer among the tech blogosphere.

Even with RSS being a common way how people read your content, having a web or blog design that represents you is important. This is why USA Today and other newspapers are undergoing massive web redesigns to meet the changes of social media.

I’m frequently asked by contacts, friends, and family to provide recommendations for web designers as well as web design pricing. Since the answer always “depends” I’m going to link to a few resources that will help those that want to know more learn about what to look for in web design, service, and what to expect for pricing.

One can never put a price on having a storefront on the web, it’s something necessary for the smallest of businesses, doing it right, or doing it so it matters is a completely different discussion.

Of course, developing and documenting the goals of a website is the first step, but that’s a discussion for another time. Emily Chang has some interesting design philosophy. Ian from Portive has a book that I reviewed on the subject. Whether your a designer or a customer seeking web design, here’s a few articles to read before engaging in those discussions:

Web Design Pricing Resources to read before talking money:

4 Steps To Effective Web Design Pricing
Here’s how one clever web designer priced out his/her worth

How much should a Design Cost?
Blog Design discussions.Per Page, Per Hour, Per Project
An over simplified view of web design, if you’re expecting to piece together a web strategy this way, your website will reflect the attention you’ve put into it.

14 Point Web Design Checklist (and a way not to get repeat customers)
Somewhat related in a humorus way, this list of web design punishes the ignorant client, personally, I’d rather inform and educate them, isn’t that why they called you? It’s tagged “humor” so I get the joke.

Leave a comment if you’ve other resources for either clients or designers should know about pricing web design services.