I got the Detailed Web Analytics Report from CMS Watch about 10 days ago - but have not had any time to really dig into it - and now I have something just as good to announce - Phil Kemelor, who wrote the detailed report on Web Analytics vendors, has a new blog he'll be posting to regularly.

I sorta wish I had read his blog (before I knew about it) so I could have gotten the number to call him up and say…let's meet.  Same thing happened with a couple of others, we were all within a couple of feet of each other, but somehow, did not connect.

Phil's face looks familiar - had I known it was him, I would have made the time to have a conversation.  Here's some information at Phil Kemelor:

Phil Kemelor, Contributing Analyst

Phil Kemelor is a leading Web Metrics guru and founder of PKWeb Communications, a web strategy and measurement consultancy. Phil is the lead analyst on our forthcoming Web Analytics Report. He consults frequently with enterprises looking to select web analytics technologies or apply best practices.

I don't think I've ever been as full of input as I was at last week's Emetrics Summit - which I'll start processing with my feedback - tonight.   I literally could not post anything as my time was totally occupied talking with people or taking in information - and that never happened to me, to this degree, before.

Without going into every post that Phil wrote, so far, this one stands out to me: Why are customers frustrated with their Web Analytics solutions?

"…Customers generally underestimated the level of effort required of them — for example the tagging required to collect "basic" data, such as downloads of PDFs, Excel and Word files. Not understanding the need to develop a process for data collection, page tagging, and analysis, customers often assume that once the web analytics solution is in place, it will run itself. To some extent, analytics vendors spawn these problems themselves by selling to marketers with the pitch that JavaScript tags are easy to implement. Marketers then expect implementations to go quickly and provide actionable results. However, this isn't always possible based on requirements, or with the need to test any implementation. Says one vendor, "In the 'old' days, IT would be more involved and understand the need to test. However, they would also kill deals. Focusing on marketers speeds the sale."

Gary Angel ,who I had dinner (with his family) last Thursday (and he even drove me to the SF Airport - thanks Gary!) has developed a methodology to work with clients who are having trouble with the tagging implementation of their URLs - this is one of Semphonic.com's specialities. 

I would suggest large firms contact Semphonic if they feel overwhelmed with the task of tagging URLs properly for their analytics solutions.  Semphonic also publishes tips that are helpful (I like it when a company gives away good info for free - it's the nature of the internet - you get by giving). I also think the HBX and Site Catalyst Comparative Analysis will be interesting to some who are debating with of these two popular platforms to purchase.

And read Phil Kemelor's CMS blog for some new insights about Web Analytics vendors.