Last year around this time, I published my 2008 Web Analytics Prognostications. Each worth 11.1111111111 points (100/9…) Here they are:

1. Google Analytics releases a real API for getting (and perhaps setting) data.
2. HBX Analytics goes away.
3. Long live Visual Sciences.
4. WebTrends Rebrands.
5. New and updated standards are released.
6. Standards enforcement is attempted in order to propel adoption.
7. BI tools provide better support for and integration with Web Analytics tools.
8. Web Analytics as performance management.
9. Features for measuring the Mobile Web.

So how did I do?

1. I was right about Google. 11.1 points. In October, the fine minds at Google released a powerful API for getting data out of the tool. Setting data is still done by page tags (for now).
2. I was mostly right about HBX. I give myself 8.88 points. As I understand it HBX Analytics still exists, but OMTR would really like you to do the switcheroo to SiteCatalyst. We saw companies like CoreMetrics offer incentives to migrate HBX customers, and various consultancies offer services to help customers migrate off of HBX.
3. Yup. Right. Discover On Premise (DOP) Anyone? Another 11.11 points. DOP It’s a good tool, if you have people (or budget to hire people) who have the skills to architect and configure the solution. Out of the box? LOL! It’s mostly a blank slate. Gotta create your schema…
4. Right about WebTrends Rebranding. 11.11 points. As far as I am concerned, the whole Marketing Lab, Ad Director, Visitor Intelligence, Score, and Tag Builder products, along with the visual redesign, “open and business intelligence” messaging is all part of WebTrends rebranding, differentiating, and repositioning itself against competitors. And how cool is it that Alex Yoder is CEO??
5. Correct, I was. 11.1 points here. The WAA released new, updated standards. And they are working on what will be some cool social media standards.
6. Enforcement, sort of… 8.88 points. Vendors, starting with IndexTools, er Yahoo, were the first out of the gate with proclamations that they were compliant. Other companies like Unica and WebTrends followed suite. I would anticipate that we’ll see the rest of the vendors move forward with their own matrices, and the WAA publish a comprehensive list of who supports what standards.
7. BI Tools provide support for web analytics data? Ahh, 8.88 points. Yes, they do when you can get the data out of the analytics tool in the right format (xml, csv). Or, if the analytics tool has an open relational backend, you can do cool database stuff.
8. Performance management? 8.88 points methinks. I’ve only heard of a few companies that do this… Companies that measure their self-set goals against actual KPI’s, then make changes to the site to move their KPI’s toward their goals are managing for performance. I’m not talking about “we did some site optimization and then got a 25% lift in conversion.” I’m talking “we want to boost conversion from 1.5% to our goal of 3.0%” and then use web analytics or site optimization technologies to get there. That scenario is different than optimization where you push for lift, it’s relentless goal-based optimization.
9. Features for measuring mobile. 11.11 points, yup. From Nedstat to CoreMetrics to Omniture - they all announced features for measuring the mobile web last year. And several mobile specific vendors such as Amethon, Mobilytics, Bango, TigTags, Xiti, and AdMob are messaging and positioning their various solutions in the market.

All said, I was rather right on with my predictions for a total of 91.07 points. An A- for looking into my analytics crystal ball and pulling out what I saw…

For my next post, predictions for 2009!

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