Section 2.1. Hacks 1436: Introduction

2.1. Hacks 1436: Introduction

A significant amount of investment on both your and your vendor's part will go into implementation and setup. Why? Because if you screw up your implementation, the chances that you'll do or learn anything meaningful from your analytics application decrease significantly.

The largest numbers of hacks presented in this book are implementation and setup hacks, because this is where the greatest opportunity really is. The more attention you pay, the more useful data you collect, the better the "hack" in your implementation, and the better your overall experience with web measurement will be.

2.1.1. Once You've Selected a Vendor

This is when the really hard work begins. Crazy, huh? You thought sitting through all those demonstrations and negotiating contacts was the hard part. Unfortunately, for the most part, the process you've been through will seem like a piece of cake compared to implementation and training. And, more unfortunately, implementation will seem like a piece of cake compared to getting people to actually use and respond to the reports.

But don't despair!

The hacks in this chapter are written to help you do a great job with your implementation process. My recommendation is not to just read the hacks that seem relevant to you, but rather to read them all. You'll never know where that fantastic piece of trivia will show up, the one piece of information you need to better explain to your vendor what you're trying to do. Remember, knowing is half the battle. Use that knowledge to your advantage.

2.1.2. Relax, and Don't Forget to Breathe

Just in case your implementation is not going as planned, don't panic. Keep in mind that despite years of investment in web measurement and analysis this is still pretty complicated stuff, and you'll inevitably make mistakes. If you find yourself becoming frustrated with the setup or implementation process, here are a few useful questions you should ask yourself before coming unglued:

Whose fault is it really?

Many companies assume that problems with their implementations are the sole responsibility of the vendor. Practically speaking, though, there is usually ownership on both sides. When you're clear about what is yours and what is theirs, a productive conversation about how to resolve the problem can usually occur.

Was there a realistic timeline and were realistic expectations originally established?

Ask yourself whether you perhaps bit off more than you (or anyone) could reasonably chew. Keep in mind that the sales person's only job was to say "Yes, we can do that" and "Yes, that sounds realistic." While certainly your vendor should be working with you to establish realistic goals, sometimes a reset is necessary (and yes, this can be painful to message to internal stakeholders, but it's better to bite the bullet than try to dodge it).

If you're still not satisfied, or at least pacified, after answering these questions, my best advice is to call someone else at your vendor's organization and ask for "other help." There is no shame in asking for help, and if you don't ask, opting instead to muddle through with the help you have (or lack thereof), then the only person you have to blame is yourself.