Web Analytics - An Hour a Day: Book Review
December 27th, 2007 by Michael Gray in BooksIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Read my top posts or learn more about Michael Gray. Want more frequent updates follow me on Twitter. Thanks for visiting!
One of the books I looked forward to reading this year was Web Analytics: An Hour a Day by Avinash Kaushik. I’ve hesitated making this post because I met Avinash at SES San Jose earlier this year, I sat in on one of his sessions, was in talks to get involved in Market Motive with him and a few other people. He’s a good speaker (see video below) and a very nice guy, but the book just was pretty disappointing for me.
I’ve been using web analytics for quite some time, I remember taking some very expensive training classes with webtrends, back before the program became so outrageously overpriced it bordered on ridiculous. Understanding I had a firm base for web analytics I was fully prepared to gloss over and skip some of the introductory chapters.
For me the book just never delivered. First off it was wordy, much wordier than it needed to be. I’d much rather have a 60 page book that costs $75 without the fluff and gives me only the info, as opposed to a 400 page book that’s 75% longer than it needs to be and costs $30. However that’s a personal preference from someone who lives in a time pressed sound bite world.
Secondly the book tends to really focus on conversion based ecommerce sites. Since I tend to run primarily adsense and affiliate websites, whole chapters were entirely useless for me. Run single or multiple sites where you have access to the full conversion data, you will probably get more value out of it.
Additionally there was very little new, and no leading edge analysis methodology in the book for me. To be completely honest I get more insight looking at my own crazyegg reports.
Lastly there were two things in book that drove me batty to the point of wanting to throw the book out of the nearest window in a fit of rage. First on page 206 there is section on SEO where he says black hat tactics are illegal … yes illegal. Breaking search engine guidelines is not illegal, you may find the practice morally reprehensible, but please don’t give Google any law making authority it doesn’t have. This kind of deification of Google, or any other company, pisses me off to no end.
Second is the continual reference for employing analysts who have college degrees. Just because you sat through 4 or 6 years of college is no indication you have any clue or idea what the hell you are talking about. I’ve been exposed to numerous college grads over the years and I’ve seen absolutely zero correlation between having a diploma and knowing your ass from your elbow. There’s a difference between being educated and being intelligent. In fact I’d make the argument the college grads with zero real world experience are more dangerous, because they have some delusion that they might actually know what they are talking about, when in fact they usually don’t.
So if you’ve never taken a course on analytics, or are in charge of a single conversion driven ecommerce website you’ll probably learn something from this book. If you have any meaningful experience with with analytics or deal mostly with affiliate and adsense sites skip it, it’s not worth your time.
Sphere It
December 27th, 2007 at 9:30 am
I read this book a few months ago when I was brand spanking new to web analytics. For a beginner, I think this is a good book to read. However, if you’re looking for something like a reference book, or book about advanced analytics concepts, this shouldn’t be the only book you read.
I also completely agree with your opinion on the correlation between a degree and intellegence. I suppose I learned a few useful things in college, but 95% of my worth as an employee has been learned after college.
- Jason Green
December 27th, 2007 at 10:17 am
Yes jason - it is only for beginners. a seo spezialist never say the “real seo” tricks or which keywords are gold keywords etc.
December 27th, 2007 at 11:48 am
I am reading this book right now. Also being a beginner, I find this book really helpful and easy to read. Definitely doesn’t seem like a book for those who are more advanced. But might act as a nice refresher.
Being that I do work with a few e-commerce sites, I’m glad to be reading the book because I definitely feel like I am learning a lot.
December 27th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
Could not agree more. Bought the bloody book and never finished reading it. An absolute bore. Kind of hold Rand Fishkin responsible for it, since he talked me into buying it (through one of his SEOMoz posts). Lack of humor, lack of writing skill, lack of just about everything except overconfidence of the author to have something interesting to say. DO.NOT.BUY.THIS.BOOK.
December 27th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
Good book review, I am glad you are honest about it even though you know the guy.
December 27th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Hello, I am really new to SEO and I can’t seem to fully understand everything that the speaker on the video was saying but mostly I would just bookmark a good website that i find.
Today, I am bookmarking yours because I like this post…interesting also.
December 27th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
I’m not going to buy this book now, I was definitely considering it for a long time, but now I am not sure anymore.
December 27th, 2007 at 2:20 pm
I’ve used several web-analytics packages but I’m still a beginner with Google Analytics. I should probibly read up on it this year.
Is there a better book that you could recommend?
“College grads with zero real world experience are more dangerous, because they have some delusion that they might actually know what they are talking about, when in fact they usually don’t.”
I have had the exact same experience. I’ve encountered more than one very confused folks who wave their marketing degree around like a flag and then speak to me about Internet Marketing like I’m an idiot. It’s very frustrating to get through to these types of people.
Give me someone who learned Internet Marketing the HARD way, by investing their own money into several of their own projects any day over the ivy league, Marketing grad.
December 27th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
Appreciate the honest review.
December 27th, 2007 at 4:20 pm
“There’s a difference between being educated and being intelligent. In fact I’d make the argument the college grads with zero real world experience are more dangerous, because they have some delusion that they might actually know what they are talking about, when in fact they usually don’t.”
A-freaking-men. A 22-year-old with an expensive college degree is still a 22-year-old, and there really is no substitute for experience.
December 27th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
secret paid review if I ever saw one. lol
December 27th, 2007 at 5:42 pm
@ken savage I wish
December 27th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
personally I really liked the book, content was good but what I really liked was the ‘hour a day’ exercises. Can’t really see the problem with anyone not liking it, ok some of it might not have been your cup of tea or fallen within your strategy remit but nevertheless you should have been able to take a few profitable ideas from it.