Back from GAAC training
OK, I’m now back from the Google Analytics training. Unfortunately I cannot talk about a lot of the things covered there, because it’s either soon-to-be-released secrets by Google or their internal company info that they would rather not share with the public.
It was great to meet the folks from Google, and take in all the good information they had to feed us. I’m still very much new to GA, so it was good for me to learn about what it can do and how everyone else is using it. It really is a whole different way to make decisions about your site. As a design-oriented person, I’m trained to rely on problem-solving methodologies and the best practices that are supposed to yield good results. And yes, admittedly, that sometimes includes gut instincts that could be proven wrong from time to time. GA, and to a greater extent their new product Website Optimizer, if used right, eliminate the guessing work because the numbers are all there. There’s really no reason to waste time talking about which one is the best solution. It’ll be so easy to implement testing that will tell you exactly what the best solution is. I’m not saying these tools will make designers obsolete — instead, I’m hopeful that these products will be yet another tool in a good designer’s toolset. It’s another reason to collaborate with marketers, statisticians, developers to create the best user experience possible, and keep iterating on your success because the target is always moving.
It was also nice to hear about how Google anticipates the Optimizer to be the next big thing for them. They are excited about the product, and it was great to hear them encourage us and others to give them lots of feedback as well as ideas about how the tool can be improved. They recognize the importance of integration partners like us to spread the use of a new product, so it was great to get the sense that they value our opinions.
Overall a very good trip — I had fun, and I feel like I learned a lot. Now my challenge is to share what I learned with my co-workers, and inspire them to feel the same way!
