SurveyAnalytics Blog

Last week as we were batting around our “Web Analytics” integration strategy (Omniture, Google Analytics) – we thought up of an interesting concept that I’d like to share with all our readers and more importantly, get you to comment and discuss this.

Problem Statement:
We were talking to WebTrends about integrating surveys (stated-choice data) with behavioral data. We already do this with Google Analytics and Omniture SiteCatalyst. The folks from WebTrends asked us an obvious quesiton – How many customers/users do we have who have WebTrends deployed? – Good Question. So obviously, we thought, we can simply post a survey on the blog and get at least an idea (the blog in general represents our early adopters and more engaged customer base) – of how the distribution of the Web Analytics solutions is. Google Analytics, Vs. Omniture Vs. Webtrends Vs. Clicky Vs. Hitwise

Easy enough – we can get this done. Hell we don’t even have to pay for Survey Software!

Then something dawns on us:
As I was getting ready to put the survey together, we thought – “I wonder what some of my other blogger friends have to say about this? – i.e. Would they want to find out the same information about their own readers? I knew Ivana on her DIYMarketers blog would find that interesting – The Web Analytics solutions her readers are using. I also contacted Paul Dunay one of the most prolific B2B and Integrated Marketing bloggers out there to get his take – he seemed intrigued.

The brain expansion continues…
We then started thinking – how about we let anyone syndicate/republish the survey? In theory, if Ivana or Paul wants to collect the _exact_ same data, she should be able to use my survey – instead of copying and creating a new survey – and having a disparate data-set, she (or for that matter anyone) should be able to syndicate/republish the survey that I am doing. Not only that – anyone (including you) can take the survey and republish it with a new encoded URL – for your own website. Sort of a benchmarking profile. Now, this introduces some challenges and some advantages:

Challenges:

• I am probably not interested in intermingling my data with other’s – After all the reason I am doing this exercise is to find the the answer to a specific question – How many of my users could be using WebTrends, Omniture, Google Analytics?
• If I consider the survey to be a competitive advantage – the structure, questions etc. – I would not want to give that away to anyone else (without fair compensation.)

Advantages:

• I can do “comparative analysis” – my reader profile vs. Ivana’s reader profile vs. anyone else that has chosen to a part of this benchmarking/syndication experiment.
• By letting anyone syndicate/republish the survey, the data I collect from other blogs can actually be interesting – maybe there are patterns that can be discerned that group B2B blogs vs. B2C blogs vs. Product Blogs Vs. Marketing Blogs etc.
• Ivana/Other bloggers can promote the survey and extend its reach (far beyond the QuestionPro blog)
• The data that is collected can actually be VERY interesting to Omniture, WebTrends and Google Analytics.
• If there is enough data, it could then be sold (and revenue could be shared) amongst the participants of the experiment.

Co-Creation:
Here is where you come in. Now we know (based on the commentary above) what we need to do. But like all good things, “we don’t know what we don’t know” –  I’ve decided to blog about this Benchmarking tool/offering and make it as open as possible. As part of this benchmarking experiment, I also decided to follow another model for development. I am going to do two things:

a) Blog in detail about the co-creation experiment.
b) Update and modify the software based on recommendations and consensus opinions (yes I know this is subjective – but this is not a democracy – it’s a meritocracy.)

Please use the comments (below) on this blog to post on:
a) What do you think about this Benchmarking/Republishing Concept?
b) Would you use it? Be a part of the pilot? If not why not?
c) What are the pitfalls?
d) What updates/enhancements can we make to the model to make it more attractive.

I’ll be posting a series of blog posts on our Benchmarking solution and as it evolves…

Next Post : The Web Analytics Benchmarking Survey itself.

When a consumer buys a service there are a set of intangible activities carried out on his/her behalf.  When a consumer buys an experience, however, he/she buys a set of memorable events that a company has created – as in a theatrical play – to engage him/her in a personal way.  Engaging a customer in a personal way gains their trust and their continued loyalty as well.

The nature of economic value follows a natural progression from commodities to goods to services and then to experiences.  Each step along the way adds value.  Think of coffee.  The coffee bean is a commodity to be sure.  It is widely traded on the futures market and is a classic example of economic elasticity.  When it is roasted and packaged it now becomes a good that is distributed throughout various retail channels.  When it is brewed it now becomes a service that is available at cafe’s, restaurants, etc.  When it is served in a high-end restaurant or espresso bar, where the ordering, creation, and consumption of the cup embodies a sense of ambiance or sense of theater, it now becomes a distinctive experience.  It is interesting to note that the price one is willing to pay increases as the good or service moves along this evolutionary path.

1. Engage consumers in a personal way.  How?  Well, it’s always best to ask.  Asking customers what they want sounds almost too easy but it’s surprising how many businesses forget about this critical step.
2. Watch customers.  Observe your customers and note their frustrations as well as their enjoyment.  Are there any unmet needs you notice? Anything you could do to enhance the experience?
3. Think about the difference between opening a Dell computer (not too exciting) and opening a new Apple computer (exciting).  Think about the coffee shop that double seals your bag of freshly ground coffee because they knew you were traveling and didn’t want the coffee to get stale.
4. From a technical services point of view, think of how you can make a typical service call an experience or think of something that the client always asks for and then just add that into your routine.
5. Does your client often stop at a specific coffee shop before a meeting?  Next time, have the coffee shop mention that their drink is free – compliments of you.  They will remember this gesture – for a very long time.

There are many types of experiences that can engage an individual and the challenge of the business is to create experiences compelling enough to make a lasting impression.  When you do this, you create loyalty and loyal customers are one of your best forms of sustainable competitive advantage.  They are priceless.

So the next time you hear about something being a commodity – think about how you can make it invaluable by creating an experience around it.  It’s value will increase greatly and you win by creating loyal customers.

About the Author: Shane Ketterman is an IT Professional and MBA grad.  He owns Gorilla-Force.com and is a Certified Professional Coach focusing on the IT industry.  He is passionate about social media, marketing, and seeing others succeed.  His website is http://www.fiveforcesgroup.com

We’ve added a new tool for Complex / Multi-Variable Quota Control – with a dashboard to view (in real-time) how the cells of the quota are getting filled:

Detailed Help:
http://surveyanalytics.com/help/484.html

Over the last few months, you’ve probably noticed that our Survey Analytics blog articles come from a variety of experts. We’re not just about market research or online surveys — we’re about customer feedback, customer experience and so much more.

We’d love to have more of our readers become our guest experts!

Guest Posting is A Great Way to Get Your Brand and Expertise Visible

Used to be that simply getting your blog listed on another “popular” blog’s blogroll was enough to build traffic to your site. These days, that doesn’t seem to be as popular as guest posting.

At a time when good content is hard to come by – guest posting is a wonderful way to get your brand and expertise noticed by others. Think of it as an “advertorial”; an educational ad that you post for FREE on a related blog or site.

You may have noticed that I’ve been using guest posts recently to feature services and tools that my readers might find interesting. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved. The guest writer gets some added visibility to a new audience and I get interesting content written by an expert in a particular area.

If you’re a new blogger or have recently gone into business, try reaching out to other bloggers in a related industry and ask if you can post articles on their site.

Hints for Great Guest Posts

1. Educate – Don’t Sell.This is an opportunity to educate a new audience about your expertise. You are selling by virtue of being included in the blog. There is no need to over-do it.
2. Keep it Conversational.Keep your tone friendly and conversational. Pretend that you are sitting at a bar with a friend and just sharing information that they will find helpful.
3. Offer links and examples. Show examples of what you are talking about so that the audience can get a sense of context. In other words – help them choose.
4. Provide an “About the author” bio. Create a super-short About the Author bio to include with your article. It should contain no more than two sentences about who you are and what you do as well as a link. It’s best to provide a link to a blog where they can read other articles – but a web site will do.

Now you’re ready to start promoting yourself, your company and your brand. Reach out to your favorite blogs and contribute content – you’ll be surprised at how open people are to learn about what you offer.

How to Start Contributing to Survey Analytics Blog

It’s easier than ever to submit your articles and article ideas.

In the right-hand column, you’ll see that we’ve created a button that will take you to a quick and easy form that you can use to tell us about your article and send us your contact information.

I will get back to you and we can work out the details of your article and when we can publish it.

Survey Analytics has over hundreds of thousands of customers. Every time we run a report and receive the results in an e-mail, we also receive the latest blog post.

This is a terrific opportunity to educate and inform the Survey Analytics community about your area of expertise.

We only ask that you contribute original content and that you focus on educating and informing and NOT SELLING. We will not publish any articles that are pure promotion.

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