Data Leaders Series
Jennifer Dungan on Tough Truths in Analytics
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Right. So, well, one tough truth is just because you can track something. It doesn't mean you should, don't be afraid to say no, I will get lots of requests for, I want to track this or I need this data. But you also have to look at is that going to cause a performance impact? How are you actually going to use that data? I've had so many times where people have asked for data, I've tracked it. They have never looked at the report once. So I'm using all of those server calls. And so that is something that you really need to pay attention to because it's not just about your site performance. It's also about your under all costs. So basically we pay by server calls. So the more server calls you use, the quicker you're going through that contract. And if you go over those overcharges are going to kill you. So again, always make sure that there's a good business case for what's being asked. Don't be afraid to say no. Even if it's your CEO you know talk with them find alternates just because somebody says they want a click on something. Is that really what they need, talk to them, understand what they're actually asking for because most of the time they don't speak our language. So rather than just blindly putting in what somebody asked for, because they think that's the quickest way to get the data. Say no, no, no, you don't need clicks. We have activity map, we have this, we have that we can track this data more efficiently and still get you the results you need. So always, always, always look at everything with a critical eye. You know, our job isn't just to do the data. It's also to analyze how that data should be collected. And essentially, you know, what is actually of utmost important to the business, even though somebody thinks something is important to them, it may not be. So I think that's a really important truth that most people actually overlook. Everyone wants to be a yes man or a woman and that our job is more than that. So that would be my take away.