What is going to be included in this blog?

Web Analytics, of course. We will also be extending our thoughts to include Online Intelligence, because today we believe that web analytics data must be used to not only supply a company’s information systems with data but also to enrich the data that it has available. This data needs to be considered in its context so that it can become a real decision-making tool and therefore benefit each different department within a company. Stéphane Hamel recently illustrated this evolution, and the need to somewhat guide the field of web analytics so that it can continue to evolve: “Today’s web analytics should be viewed as a smaller, narrower and more agile little brother of business intelligence – and as a little brother, web analytics might need some guidance and a reality check from time to time.”

What is AT Internet’s role in this field?

We have been thinking about publishing a blog for a long time now, the publication of excellent pieces of work associated with our different services have been rapidly increasing for several months now (see partner links), and the opinion of anyone publishing a blog post will also be suspect of being somewhat biased.

We finally decided to launch our blog for 4 different reasons:

• AT Internet has had a remarkable level of stability for more than 15 years now. In each of the company’s services (R&D, technical, consulting, support, management) there are web analysts who, together, have been able to see this rather unique sector evolve since it first began. I believe that this collective experience is unique in the marketplace and allows us to offer clients an original vision in this field.

• A series of takeovers amongst WA publishers which have occurred during the past few months has also put us in a unique position: a totally independent family run business, specialising in Web Analytics and Online Intelligence, on an international level. What I mean by totally independent is that we are not a subsidiary company of a group whose goals and objectives extend beyond our main business activity, and that we do not depend on any major investment funds. Our freedom of speech (and development) is entirely ours and our objectives and goals are clear cut.

• We believe that web analytics is a domain that is still in its infancy in a lot of companies and is non-existant in the majority of our universities. If we had to repeat any messages already mentioned by other experts I would quote Empedocles who was quoted in saying “what is right may well be said even twice”.

• The objective of this blog is to allow us to learn and progress thanks to your comments, critiques and suggestions. This blog above all belongs to its readers.