Web analytics, web metrics, and how to use them to track and improve conversions

Eric Peterson's post today titled My thoughts about Omniture and WebTrends is interesting and deep about what Omniture should do - now that it purchased Visual Sciences Corporation and the real meaning of the WebTrends firing for senior executives last week.  

While Eric Peterson mentions Josh James, who runs Omniture, prominently in the post, it's almost weird, in that I was just talking to Josh James tonight while walking thought the Exhibition Hall at Ad-Tech.  

I spoke to Josh about the work the Web Analytics Association is doing with Social Media Standards and my committee's work on beginning to build a Social Network for the WAA - a white label social network open only to current WAA members - we hope to have it online early next year.

But I did mention to Josh James that Omniture has been at the center of a lot of changes recently in Web Analytics and that Omniture pretty much owns most of the field - and I'm wondering when it's going to buy up the rest of it besides Google Analytics - that seemed to perk his interest up and Josh mentioned that he knew of me and read my blog, Webmetricsguru.com, from time to time.  

I told Josh that I've worked with Omniture some, recently, but found the platform, while it can do everything, doesn't always do it elegantly  - he responded that I should be using the newer technology Omniture has come up with - not the older stuff; I replied the newer stuff (IE: Discover 2) is very expensive and not everyone can afford it.

And I got all of that interaction while even though I did not go to Ad-Tech with a press pass this time, just an exhibition pass that's free. 

I always go everywhere with the firm belief that I meet and talk to whom I'm meant to intersect paths to - so I'm happy to have had a short conversation with Josh James tonight (and I'd wish Omniture would sponsor this blog, BTW, hint).

But getting back to what Eric Peterson is saying about his thoughts of the recent changes - it seems to echo much of what Gary Angel is saying in terms of what current customers of HBX and Visual Sciences should do - and I feel confident that Eric knows the Web Analytics field better than anyone - so I hope Omniture is listening to what Eric is saying about what should come next for HBX, Site Catalyst and Visual Site.  

As far as the Webtrends layoffs go - I'm tempted to think the real reason  WebTrends announcing  Greg Drew, Jason Palmer, Tore Steen, and Hamid Bahadori had all been asked to leave the company, is due to some exotic circumstance totally unrelated to Web Analytics - and I'll make up a reason (because I don't know the real reason and no one else seems to either) - leveraged debt.

Ok, my best guess - and this is totally a guess, on my part, so I might be really, really wrong or all wet about this - is that WebTrends was counting on being sold to Omniture in order to payoff some leveraged debt the parent company, Francisco Partners, has (?).  

So, maybe, getting rid of the leadership of WebTrends (who, we can surmise either did not aggressively court Omniture well enough or ... resisted the idea of chopping up WebTrends to handle the debt, or both) (my guess - again - likely wrong) from the Sub Prime Mortgage meltdown which is creating a liquidity crisis in World Financial Markets.    

I have to admit, again, that I'm taking a shot in the dark on this one - but often, I also have to admit, my best guesses turn out to be right, or partially right.