Beginning in Web Analytics

Recently, on the Yahoo! Web Analytics Group, we've seen a couple of people asking how to get started in web analytics. Today, someone asked the same question on the Web Metrics Quebec forum. There is no "Web Analytics for Dummies" yet... but one should be published in the spring of 2007. So here are a few selected sources to get you started:

• The book from Jim Sterne entitled "Web Metrics: Proven Methods for Measuring Web Site Success" is often cited as a best seller in the field. Even if nearly 5 years old, the book is still a very valuable read to get started.
  
• The Web Analytics Association proposes some good articles, although there should be more introductory material.
• Avinash Kaushik, Director of Web Research & Analytics at Intuit, is quickly becoming a trusted and renowned guru in the field of web analytics and as a business adviser.
• Once you get the hook, the discussion group is also a good source of information, with posts varying from very basic up to narrowed, to the point questions.
• The University of British Columbia offers the "UBC Award of Achievement in Web Analytics".
• Finally, the web analytics blogosphere is covered by at least 45 blogs. I recommend using Google Reader or something similar to aggregate all those feeds into an easier to manage source of information.