I paraphrase words of one of my favorite songs (Talking Heads, ‘Once in a Lifetime’) to introduce an explanation of the forces and events which led me to write a blog at WebAnalyticsDemystified.com. As a reader, or analytics practitioner, you may have questions about: who I am, what I do, why should you trust my information, when I’m available, or where I work. The purpose of this submission is to help shed light on many of the main points behind each of these very valid facets of my existence. As a writer and web analytics practitioner, I feel its only fair to give a certain level of disclosure to present context for my content.

Brief Personal Bio:

• Hometown: Scranton, Pennsylvania - That’s right, the Electric City. I grew up in Scranton, the 7th of 8 children. None of us ever worked at Dunder-Mifflin.
• Education: Attended college for Psychology/Art/Communication Sciences at University of Scranton. Moved on to Florida Atlantic University where I continued and completed studies in Communications/History as of 2002.
• Experience: Worked in quantitative collection and analysis for a legal service provider to the State of Florida Department of Revenue. From 2003-2006: Spent 3 years building business, contacts and municipal policy for a FEMA/US Army Corp contractor. Saw my share of hurricane disaster efforts. Then, at New Year 2007, I was hired as a web analyst for the business research & development facet of CableOrganizer.com, Inc..
• Interests: In my current capacity, I find most of my time dedicated to development and implementation of highly advanced testing methods. I’ve now run about 8 or 9 unique multivariate tests using Google Website Optimizer and replicated these methods for refinement. Additionally, our team is very focused on on and off-site behavioral targeting, usability, and proprietary process development for business methods. (I can’t even wait to announce the patent work I’ve participated in)
• Personal: I’m thirty next month. I have a wonderful wife, Jenine, who is very patient with the level of attention she is denied by my analytics practice devotion, and a little boy named Logan (not after the airport, but after the Wolverine). We’re also expecting baby number 2 next April.

It was not a long shot that I tripped into computers, the internet, or web analytics for that matter. As a kid, I was a younger brother to at least 3 older siblings involved in formal computer education. I learned basic when I was 5; installed systems in my grade school, built a TriBBS bulletin board file sharing system at 13; hammered-out Lotus spreadsheets for Apple Bank in NYC on vacation when I was 15, built websites with Composer by 17. Data and measurement seemed a logical part of my life. This is what I do.

So, why should you trust me or my research? You shouldn’t…Wait. Let me clarify. Web Analytics is a funny thing. From site to site, or even from section to section on a single site, you have different goals, markets, people, and even micro-economies. As much as I, or Judah, or Eric, or any other advanced practitioner could tell you where to take your process, it is the context which is ultimately the determinant. So, my point really is that I can produce papers and research on practices until I’m blue in the face, and I do and will, but if you aren’t testing it or juxtaposing my findings versus some other viable strategy…we’re talking about religion, not science. I will always back up my assertions with numbers which I work hard to produce and protect from bad data. That does not mean they are infallible. Check’em out, work’em over, and let me know what you find.

Availability? - I have a full time job. I’m an analyst, full time. Responsibilities associated with this are pretty consuming. However, I’m always up for good conversation on practices and emerging methods. I can always be reached by email and I will almost always respond.

As a motion of gratitude for being given the opportunity to participate here at WebAnalyticsDemystified.com, I’ll refrain from any laudatory posting or linking in these installments. I plan on bringing dozens of useful posts based on sound findings. Please do not hold back on any comments or perspectives. Its my position that these are opportunities to grow the practice.

Thanks for reading.

Daniel W. Shields

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