How to Select an Enterprise Analytics Platform?

How to Select an Enterprise Analytics Platform

A 4-step Approach to Finding the Perfect Tool


Choosing Enterprise Software Is Not a Piece of Cake

Selecting a web analytics tool is a critical process: most likely you will be stuck with your platform for quite a while.

Long-term project!

High human and financial costs for your organization


When Google Analytics Is Not an Option...

It may seem like everyone’s choosing the free Google Analytics. It’s a fine tool, but at certain business levels it is no longer an option.

This is mainly because of:

• Data privacy

• Data limits

• Data ownership

• Data sampling

Can you afford $150k/a year to pay for Google Analytics 360?Even if you can, should you spend such amount of money on such a tool?


Looking for Alternatives: a 4-step Approach

1. Map your organizational needs

2. Use comparison websites to identify your software options.

3. Test-drive your selected platforms

4. The “fine print” checklist


Step 1: List Your Organisational Needs

Steer away from any vendor marketing materials at this stage! Instead, focus on your organizational needs and requirements.

Key questions to investigate at this stage:

1. What does my business need to measure (metrics and KPIs)?

2. Which departments in my organization will need the reports?

3. How much can we spend on the tool?

4. Are we allowed to use a cloud-hosted tool or do we need to look for an on-premises solution?

5. Does my business need access to raw data? In what formats?

6. Will I need to have access to older reports for comparative purposes at a later stage?

7. Will my organization have dedicated staff to use the tool to gather insights on a full-time basis?*


How Much Should I Pay for a Tool?

• Always consider cost versus value!

• Make sure to include staffing costs in your calculations!

• According to Brian Clifton, if analysis for your company will only be performed part-time, e.g. 1-2 days per week, then you will only scratch the surface of your data, as you will lack the resources to dig deep.

• Calculate your website value and make sure you get a return (see Brian Clifton’s post).

https://brianclifton.com/blog/2015/10/27/should-you-pay-150000-for-google-analytics-premium/


Step 2: Find Your Options On Software Comparison Websites

• Once you have your requirements listed, it’s time to start your software hunt!

• Try popular software comparison websites:

• You can read vendor materials on each analytics platform, but also check what other business users think about these tools.

• Spending time on comparison websites will pay off: Software Advice Survey confirms that 75% of buyers consult online reviews before making purchase. Users who consult online reviews are ultimately more satisfied with their purchases.

http://www.softwareadvice.com/buyerview/power-of-online-reviews-2014/

http://www.softwareadvice.com/buyerview/power-of-online-reviews-2014/


At the end of this process, you should have a shortlist of software

contenders. Ideally, look for 2-3 promising candidates.


Step 3: Test-Drive Your Selected Tools

• Now it’s time to get familiar with the selected platforms:Free Trial, Demo

• Sign up for free trials by vendors you’re interested in.

• Take enough time to poke around each platform. Get to know the features and settings as much as possible to understand whether the tool meets your organisational needs.

https://panel.piwik.pro/checkout/client/create-account?pk_campaign=slideshare_4stepshunt&pk_medium=slides&pk_source=slideshare

https://demo.piwik.pro/?pk_campaign=slideshare_4stepshunt&pk_medium=slides&pk_source=slideshare


While test-driving, pay attention to these things:

1. General ease of use and customization: simple and functional UI, ability to adapt the tool to your particular business objectives,

2. Dashboard: availability of features, reports and types of tracking, ease of adjusting dashboards to best visualize your KPIs

3. Connectivity and integration with the rest of your setup

4. Analytics approach and data accuracy: user-level reporting vs aggregated data, data sampling, data retention

5. Availability of raw data & export data capabilities: check if data is available in the format required by your analysts

6. Professional services and support: details of plans, data limits and pricing


Also Check: Legal Compliance

Doing business in certain parts of the world, such as the European Union, means that your software needs to comply with local regulations.

This is especially relevant to data collection and protecting the privacy of your users. In particular, the EU is about to see a new set of stricter privacy regulations come into force in 2018.

When the General Data Protection Regulation takes effect in the EU, problems with privacy compliance may cost as much as €20 million in fines.

Try to use the test-driving stage to check if your chosen tool respects the privacy regulations of your jurisdiction!

https://piwik.pro/2016/02/gdpr-actionable-facts-and-steps-to-follow/


For an In-depth Discussion of Privacy Compliance:

If you want to learn more about mitigating data risks, read our comprehensive whitepaper written by a renowned European privacy

Free Download

https://piwik.pro/c/web-analytics-in-data-sensitive-industries-2/?pk_campaign=slideshare_4stepshunt&pk_medium=slides&pk_source=slideshare


Don’t Forget About Data Ownership!

Why should I worry about this?

While owners of small websites may not worry about their data ownership, this is one of key issues faced by medium and large enterprises that rely on information processing of some form.

Data ownership relates to exercising legal rights and control over a given set of data, including the ability to create, edit, modify, share, and restrict access.

Performance metrics are crucial, but ownership of the data that informs intelligence is just as critical, as not having it could hurt your business.

Try to check if your vendor provides you with 100% data ownership or if they reserve the right to share information collected in your use of their services with their subsidiaries.


Step 4: Contact the Vendor and Use This “Fine Print” Checklist

Once the free trial is over, you should have an idea whether the tool could be a good fit for your organisation.

If it seems promising, then scheduling a demo with the vendor is the way to go.

Ultimately a demo session is not only a guided tour of the tool, possibly letting you discover features you weren’t aware of. It is also an opportunity to ask questions about the “fine print” of the platform.


What do we mean by “fine print”?

Any product or aspect of a service that for whatever reason is not highlighted in marketing collateral used by vendors to promote their offer.

But please remember: you don’t need to grill your software rep!

Simply try to use their knowledge of the product, support and terms of service (TOS) to get the missing information that will make your platform choice easier.


How About a Proof of Concept (POC)?

• Check with the vendor to see if they offer a proof of concept implementation.

• This usually comes with a price, but it may be worth investing in!

• POC gives you a better picture of how the tool can be adapted to your organisational needs.

• While having POC implemented you can also see how the vendor’s team works, gauge responsivity, etc.


“Fine-print” Checklist 1: Services and Support

1. What range of services will you get when purchasing a premium tool?

2. What costs will you incur?

3. Is there training available?

4. Is there a Service Level Agreement with guaranteed reaction times?


“Fine-print” Checklist 2: Data Ownership

1. Do you retain full control over your analytics data?

2. Can you retrieve all of the data collected and stored by the tool?

3. Does your vendor’s TOS include a clause on 100% data ownership or do they reserve the right to share information collected in your use of their services with their subsidiaries?


“Fine-print” Checklist 3: Supplier and Software Reliability

1. Do you know the vendor’s past history and current condition?

2. Do you know what will happen to the tool if the supplier ceases to exist?

3. Will you be able to develop and customize the tool on your own even if your supplier is no longer available?


“Fine-print” Checklist 4: Total Cost of Ownership

1. What is your rough estimate of TCO (total cost of ownership)?

2. Does traffic volume impact your pricing and what are your data limits?

3. What happens if you exceed your allowance? Does accurate data collection continue, does the tool switch to sampling, or do you lose access to your data?

4. What premium features can you add to your solution and how much will they cost?


“Fine-print” Checklist 5: Legal Compliance

1. Are you sure your chosen tool respects the privacy regulations in your jurisdiction?

2. Does your tool enable you to comply with current and forthcoming legislation?

3. Does your tool use cookies that require consent?

PRO TIP: For an even more comprehensive checklist see this resource on the Piwik PRO Blog.

https://piwik.pro/2016/09/selecting-enterprise-analytics-platform/?pk_campaign=slideshare_4stepshunt&pk_medium=slides&pk_source=slideshare


A Final Word Before You Set Off...

Searching for a web analytics tool for your business is no easy task. The broad range of tracking software options available on the market is both a blessing and a curse.

Keeping our guide in mind will make your software hunt easier. Sticking to the issues discussed here will not only help you choose the right tool for your needs, but also prevent potential problems in the future.


You May Also Find Useful:

Free Download Get Free Infographics

https://piwik.pro/c/piwik-vs-google-analytics-whitepaper/?pk_campaign=slideshare_4stepshunt&pk_medium=slides&pk_source=slideshare

https://piwik.pro/2016/09/infographic-web-analytics-checklists/?pk_campaign=slideshare_4stepshunt&pk_medium=slides&pk_source=slideshare


@piwikPRO /PiwikPro /piwik-pro /piwik-pro

Thank you & Good Luck In Your Analytics

Hunting!

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How to Select an Enterprise Analytics Platform?

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