The Web Analytics Headache.

To prove the success of their campaigns, marketers need analytics. But many report frustration with understanding and using the Web analytics tools necessary to prove their success to management, according to “The Web Analytics War Reader Survey” by Unica.

The biggest challenge for marketers was integrating Web analytics with other marketing solutions, cited by 46% of respondents. Verifying the accuracy of data was a problem for 41% of marketers, while 32% reported trouble with analytics that were not comprehensive and 29% complained of budgets that were too small.

What makes analytics accuracy hard to verify? An inability to drill down into the data bothered 42% of respondents. Marketing attribution issues plagued 32% of those polled, and one-quarter complained of problems with campaign tracking codes.

While difficulty using analytics tools frustrates many marketers, they also recognize the need for more resources and expertise. Fully 72% of respondents to the Unica survey had no full-time worker devoted to analytics.

In January 2009, when Webtrends surveyed marketers worldwide about how to close the gap between data analysis and business action, their top answer was more knowledgeable staff (42%), followed by more training and awareness (23%). Significantly fewer respondents cited more comprehensive data (8%) and better analysis programs (6%).

For more information at http://www.emarketer.com