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brandon proctor's blog.

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segmentation comes in twos

I can’t even begin to calculate how many times I have been approached to add a metric or segment to our web analytics solution. These should be good requests for an organization, right? Unfortunately, this is not always a positive addition. The problem emerges because the proposed segment or metric has no business case; it may be that it’s just a cool new way to look at something.  This type of petition should never be implemented or allowed.

Analysis paralysis is not only caused by mindlessly digging into your data with no end goal in mind. Adding metrics and segments to your analytics with no real business case in mind also causes it. Ask the tough questions when an excited executive or colleague approaches you.

  • How will this make us more efficient?
  • What business action will this create?
  • How will this help us drive more revenue?

The third question is by far the most important — or at least it should be.

When I dictate that segmentation comes in twos, I mean that there should never be a group or segment created without a desired group being created with it. The simplest example of this is email. You send an email to a list of 100 subscribers, which is your first segment or group (sends group). You want these 100 subscribers to open the email, which in this case is your desired group (opens group).

Segmenting in twos with a group and a desired group will create possible action items or new segments for your business. In my example, using email leaves only one alternative for those not opening your emails; you need to test changing the subject line. This is the only way to drive the desired group to a new action and move these subscribers into the new group. This is an example of a business action created by segmenting in twos.

Question every request regardless who is making it (C level included). If the executive team is smart, it will thank you later. Don’t spend time creating things that will be fun to look at or may wow that one executive in a boardroom. Spend your time creating business actions to drive more business and compel your executive team to pay you more money for helping the company be more successful.

fight sopa!

Believe it or not, I work in a field considered to fall into the “tech” category. Since I was very young, all things resembling the electronic genome fascinated me immensely, which spawned a wonderful relationship with such devices for my entire life. It was natural for me to fall into the profession that I did as a result of this early romance. The only reason I recount this brief history of my psyche is because it is the field that I know and love that has also become the growth engine for our country. It is within this industry that innovation is still happening, and it is why I am so passionate about SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act).

The idea of a “lawless internet” should not have a dark light cast over it. Long ago in our country, “lawlessness” existed, or at least we lacked as many laws as we have today. It was during this “lawless” time that job creation was in fact part of the American dream. People took what little they had and headed West in hopes of finding something better, and they created cities and businesses with very little “start-up capital”. Innovation often doesn’t occur without constraints.

I would argue that the innovation, invention and revolutionary ideas we have been witness to over the last two decades occurred with constraints pushing them to fruition. Traditional brick-and-mortar business is now wrought with so many laws, constraints and start-up capital requirements that the lion’s share of businesses are doomed before they even have a chance at success As a result of such constraints, college kids and entrepreneurs sought to “green-field” a new type of business – one that resembled what once was the American dream. They were forced to create something in a realm not governed by the same laws and constraints of traditional business. The tech-preneur operated within a different constraint. They had to create a new road for others to follow – to keep the dream alive. The old system had become so difficult to navigate it smothered any chance of success – innovation forced its way free from possible suffocation.

SOPA is not just about privacy or copyright infringement. It is about stopping change – stopping innovation. The music industry and movie/television industry are huge advocates for the passing of such a bill. It is the companies and industries that fail to reinvent themselves that fear the sweeping change the open exchange of knowledge brings. The radio industry fought television. The music industry fought digital. Blockbuster video fought Netflix, Redbox and the idea of streaming video. We need to fight for innovation and the revolutionary change radiating from Silicon Valley outward. I love that the very definition of innovation includes the word revolutionary because this is the absolute reinvention that many of these industries need to create to survive. Change is coming no matter what, and SOPA will only slow it.

The Internet today is free enterprise as it was once dreamed and known, before laws and too much constraint smothered it. You can start an Internet business today for less than $1,000 annually. A traditional brick-and-mortar business will cost you an average of $5,000 per month ($60,000 annually). Is it any wonder why it is the tale of two nations when you compare Silicon Valley to the rest of the US? We have created the old West once again, and we are hiring despite the massive economic downturn. We are one of the few places where the true American dream still exists.

I believe SOPA is the first step of many to halt the ONLY economic growth this country is currently experiencing. Why would you even attempt to hurt one of the only industries currently hiring. If our government was really supportive of job creation, then it might be better off simply replicating the same innovative culture that exists today in tech. Reinvent business and education and reintroduce free enterprise. Private businesses tend to run a bit more efficiently than the government (DMV is a prime example). We need to Be The Change and stop complaining about the government changing it for us. Privacy has been dead for a long time, and I would leave that fight up to the media industry (movie, television, print and music) and continue to focus on creating more jobs, not killing the only ones available. The last thing we want is an Internet run by the DMV.

I received this video today from a friend, the 3rd time it has been passed on to me, so I felt inclined to share it. On a side note, I believe it was sent to me because I am a major supporter of personalization.

So, we all get personalized search results, which should be more relevant to us, right? I agree that there should probably be a button you can toggle on and off, but I would venture to guess that, given the option, most would opt to have the filter on. The grass is always greener, and we constantly dream about how great things could be. Things are amazing, and the solution the video is talking about (unfiltered search results) is for a fringe case. Don’t forget how things have changed in 10 years. Wasn’t the downfall of Yahoo because Google offered something Yahoo had forgotten about focusing on — relevant search?

Should Amazon do away with its personalization, too, so that we don’t actually get recommendations that show statistically what we are really interested in? I often joke that I buy everything from Amazon because I bought one thing from the company and it told me everything else I needed to buy. This was a depressing thought at first because I realized I wasn’t as unique as I thought I was. There are copies of Brandon Proctor everywhere, and some haven’t progressed as far as I have and others have progressed far beyond my current standing. I took solace in the thought that I was probably the most attractive of these copies, which still made me a very unique Brandon Proctor.

Personalization is not something to reject or to shy away from because nine out of 10 times, it is exactly what you were looking for. I do agree we need to open up Pandora’s box so that people have the option of unfiltered search results, but I also believe that once it is opened, 95% of the people out there will close it again. Hmm — or maybe it is the 99% (wink).

There you have it —  that kind of access to knowledge would only be reserved for the 1%. In fact, I am sure Google already has the button at the ready and will offer it up at the right price.