[IxDA Discuss] Should analytics be an IA/XP role?

[Fred Beecher]

On 11/27/07, Mike Scarpiello <mscarpiello at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Do you think analyzing data using tools like Omniture and Coremetrics
> should
> fall under the user experience umbrella?
>
> Just wondering.


Good question, Mike. At our consultancy, Web analytics falls under the
"online marketing" umbrella, which is separate from the user experience
umbrella. Granted, our situation (being a consultancy working on multiple,
disparate projects) is different than that of most of our clients, who are
mid to large sized organizations concerned with a limited set of Web
properties.

At these organizations (that actually *have both* analytics and UXP
practices) I've typically seen analytics and UXP as distinct units beneath a
larger umbrella organization, e.g., e-marketing. In this situation, they
tend to work very closely together without one being subordinate to the
other.

I believe that this is an ideal situation, because while analytics can be a
significant source of data for a UXP practice, it's also a significant
source of data for other elements of the business. Keeping it under UXP
would, in my opinion, unnecessarily limit its scope and capabilities.

- Fred