Today, I’ll take you through the fascinating story of Adobe Analytics, a powerhouse in the field of web analytics. Having been actively involved with the platform since its days as Site Catalyst from Omniture (2011-2012), I’ve witnessed its remarkable evolution, from basic reporting to the cutting-edge visualization capabilities of Workspace.
One question that frequently comes my way is, “Why should I choose Adobe Analytics?” Drawing from my extensive experience with the product, here’s my response:
- Robust implementation capability – Setting itself apart from other analytics platforms, Adobe offers a host of built-in plugins that can be easily activated as per your needs. For example, plugins like getPageLoadTime or getGeoCoordinates allow you to gather data on page loading times and Geo-Coordinates. Additionally, there are several other plugins available that enrich your data by adding valuable metadata.
- Custom tracking capability – In addition to the built-in tracking functionality, Adobe provides custom tracking capabilities. This allows you to employ your own JavaScript (JS) or jQuery code to track specific user behaviors that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.
- Multiple tracking variables – Adobe Analytics boasts a feature called eVars and Props, which are tracking variables. Depending on your requirements, you can choose which one to utilize. For instance, if you need to track and retain a value throughout a visitor’s journey, especially if it is long (up to 255 characters), eVar is the ideal choice. On the other hand, if you only need to store a short value (up to 100 characters) for the page the user visited, prop is the way to go.
- Visualization & reporting – The introduction of Workspace brought with it impressive visualization capabilities akin to popular tools like Tableau or Power BI. Workspace includes special templates such as Map and Heatmaps, Scatter Charts, Key Metric Change, Summary Change, and Combo charts. In my upcoming blogs, I will delve into each of these templates separately, providing you with a comprehensive understanding of their benefits.
Another powerful feature worth mentioning is Breakdown, which allows you to enrich your data further. For instance, if you’re interested in understanding the bounce rate for each page and its monthly variance, Breakdown is the tool you need.
Let’s not forget Calculated Metrics – a powerful feature that empowers you to create your own metrics, define their trends, set decimal places, and more. It even provides a preview of how effective the metric would be when pushed live.
Segmentation stands as the most notable differentiator between Adobe Analytics and other platforms. Segments enable you to filter precise data based on logical conditions, using different relational containers such as Hit, Visit, or Visitor.
For those who seek raw data directly from Adobe Analytics, Data Warehouse is your ally. It proves immensely useful when diving deep into granular data or exporting it to any Data Lake.
Another remarkable tool in the Adobe Analytics arsenal is Report Builder. This Adobe plugin seamlessly integrates with Excel, enabling you to work with analytics data directly within the familiar environment of Excel. You can even perform breakdowns if necessary and leverage the powerful features of Excel.
When it comes to handling erroneous or modified data, Processing Rules come to the rescue. If you need to rectify data or make modifications based on specific criteria (e.g., filling up an approval column based on age), Processing Rules provide a reliable solution. However, it’s important to note that once data is changed, it cannot be undone. I highly recommend testing Processing Rules before implementing them.
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