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Date:
Avinash Kauskik, Occam's Razor, May 18, 2010
Web Analytics Segmentation: Do Or Die, There Is No Try!
My love for segmentation as the primary (only?) way of identify actionable insights is on display in pretty much every single blog post I write.
I have said: All data in aggregate is "crap".
(Editor: this applies not only to web analytics, but to much of customer-oriented business analytics as well).
The Problem.
You can imagine then how absolutely heartbreaking it is for me to note that nearly all reporting that I see is data in aggregate.
All visits. Total revenue. Avg page views per visitors. Time on site. Overall customer satisfaction. And more. Tons of data "puking", all just aggregates.
The achingly tiny percent of time that the Analyst does segmentation it seems to stop at New vs. Returning Visitors! I have to admit I see that and I feel like throwing a tomato against the wall.
...
But true glory will only come from going beyond the default segments.
Because default segments are created to appeal to everyone / the lowest common denominator, and we all know that there is no such thing as "everyone".
You are unique. The top three things your business is working on are unique. The multi-channel strategy you are executing is unique.
www.kaushik.net/avinash/2010/05/web-analytics-segments-three-category-recommendations.html