Web Analyst
Over the past few years, the demand for Web Analytics jobs has been rapidly growing. Web Analysts understand the objectives of a business and seek to measure the performance of the company’s online operation in meeting those objectives. Understanding both the business in a general sense and the company in particular, are intrinsic to a sucessful Web Analyst career.
Web Analyst Roles
So what is Web Analytics, then? It’s more or less answering these five questions, not individually, but holistically:
- Who is coming to my web site?
- What are they doing (or better, what are they trying to do)?
- What is the gap between what they are doing and the ideal? (and do we mean ideal for the business or the customer?)
- What are some concrete ways we can close the gaps?
- How can we get more of these people?
Web Analysts are able to handle all kinds of data which can come in many forms – structured, unstructured, qualitative and quantitative – but all the commentators mentioned an analyst’s ability to manipulate, manage, massage and master this commodity.
There are a range of skills required for different levels of seniority for web analyst jobs, examples of each can be seen below:
- Core – Data visualisation, interpretation of web traffic data, web analytics
- Advanced – Experience of testing and usability, presentation skills, understanding of traffic drivers
Web analysts have to understand two critical aspects of the web. Firstly, they have to grasp the fundamentals of online marketing – whether that is search, affiliate, email, social, display.
Secondly, they have to know enough about web technology – cookies, HTML, Javascript, sessions, etc. in order to make sense of the data and converse sensibly.
To convert data, a clear understanding of the business, a handle on online marketing and a grasp on the way web servers work into ‘actionable’ insight is the work of a Web Analyst. The data sources are various, the data manipulation often complex, the online component in the marketing mix constantly changing and web technology rapidly evolving, all of this the web analyst must master and aim ‘to discover’ and turn these ingredients into something digestible and, need I say it again, actionable.
Digital Analytics marketing is ever evolving and subsequently, technology roles are becoming an important figure within most industries, as opposed to just those specialising in tech products. This means that in the future there will be more opportunities for Web Analytics jobs available.
The UK are currently facing a period of skills shortages, and this is particularly prominent in areas such as technology. It has been reported that The Bureau of Labor Statistics is predicting a growth of 3% for all computer related occupations, including Web Analysts, creating around 240,800 new data jobs throughout 2024.
Job Tools
Common Web Tools that could be expected to be understood by Web Digital Analysts may include:
Clicky
Clicky is a privacy-friendly, GDPR-compliant website analytics service.
Click here to visit their website.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics is a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic.
Click here to find out more.
Statistical Analysis System (SAS)
SAS is a statistical software suite developed by SAS Institute for data management, advanced analytics, multivariate analysis, business intelligence, criminal investigation, and predictive analytics.
Click here to visit their website.
Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS)
SPSS Statistics is a statistical software suite developed by IBM for data management, advanced analytics, multivariate analysis, business intelligence, and criminal investigation.
Click here to visit their website.
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2023 Digital Salary & Benefits Report
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