Google Analytics Shoots for Enterprise, Falls Short

In one of their stellar new reports analyst firm CMS Watch recently reviewed Google Analytics, a free offering that shares the Google characteristics of a simple, effective UI and quick adoption by earnest early adopters.

What's the verdict? While pretty, it's insufficient to meet enterprise analytics needs.

Hmm. Maybe they need a video component.

Lead Analyst Phil Kemelor reports that while “Google can rightly boast that its Google Analytics service can process enterprise-level web metrics loads […] there's more to analytics than processing: integration, support and documentation can be decisive to e-marketing success.”

Well, not just decisive. In most cases — particularly for a data-rich but fluid world proliferated by digital content — it can be crucial.

In specific, CMS Watch gleaned the following:

• Unlike most enterprise-ready analytics tools, Google's analytics offering lacks an ability to query against raw data, limiting in-depth analysis into segmentation behavior.
• No API exists to support the import or export of data for third-party e-marketing package and enterprise data integration.
• Support comes only from consulting partners, which lack the ability to make modifications on the Google back-end. And with little documentation, license-holders have come to rely on bloggers for assistance.

On the cheery up, businesses have come to effectively employ Google Analytics as a supplement to more robust offerings. It is especially helpful for AdWords performance metrics and campaign tuning.

A recent upgrade to the system also yielded usability improvements that should inspire the competition to pay more attention to interface aesthetics and economy of features, which can only benefit users.

Guess we can't be too hard on them, considering CMS Watch themselves recently acknowledged Web 2.0 adaptation ain't easy. Not even for the guys leading the charge.

The findings were published in CMS Watch's “Web Analytics Report,” which also covers comparative evaluations of 12 other major Web analytics vendors. We've reviewed the latest report and consider it a must read for anyone evaluating an enterprise analytics purchase.

Download a sample or purchase the complete report here.

Google Analytics Shoots for Enterprise, Falls Short

\n\nIn one of their stellar new reports analyst firm CMS Watch recently reviewed Google Analytics, a free offering that shares the Google characteristics of a simple, effective UI and quick adoption by earnest early adopters. \n\nWhat's the verdict? While pretty, it's insufficient to meet enterprise analytics needs.\n

Are you hiring?    Post your job today ($45 for 45 days)!