What does a Digital Analytics department do?

I was going to move on to the next step of my journey, replacing more plugins with Dynamic Tag Management features when I came across and article written by Richard Hayes, that I really want you to read, especially if you are a developer and not an analyst or marketer.

Read this: What does a Digital Analytics department do?

Finished?

This is what your friendly marketer is doing. This is what your analytics team thinks about all day. This is what they have to deal with.

Now that you know that, does it change your perception? Does it sound a bit less fluffy and vague? I hope so!

Interaction

What is really interesting for you, though, are two areas in Richard’s list: Quality Assurance and Tracking. Why? Because they both sit where you and the analysts and marketers meet.

Your friendly marketer will likely need your help or at least your thoughts on QA. If you help her, you both might have a smooth ride. If you block her, it’ll be a rocky relationship, at best.

I think it is in your best interest to help her on QA.

I can see only one alternative: completely shut her out of changing anything on the site. And as far as I see, that is very rarely an option (maybe if you work in a bank, or a state-owned business). Marketing will always want quick changes, and you very seldom have the resources to satisfy those requests.

Which brings us to the second area, tracking. Richard mentions Tag Management, and he rightly says that:

Maintaining the “Optimisation Platform” will often require technical know-how so having and individual that understand JavaScript, networking and how your systems work will be useful.

Think about it: this is someone who will partly take JS-development or the maintenance of JS code off your shoulders. They will be able to work independently, using the Tag Management System rather than your release mechanism.

This might sound frightening, but it really means that you can concentrate on the important stuff and let them fiddle with the details.

Make sure you get to know that person! It’ll make everybody’s life easier if you speak with each others, maybe bounce ideas off each others, and definitely help each others out.

Just wanted to share that article. Back to plugins and DTM in two weeks, I promise.