If you’ve realized you need a web analytics consultant, here are some screening questions to ask.  Many clients are new to web analytics.  It is not hard for someone who knows a little bit about web analytics to pull the wool over your eyes.  You need to have a solid way to discover their true ability.  Fire away!

1.  Can you give an example of an outcome directly related to an insight that you provided?

This question is about understanding their analysis capabilities and, more importantly, have they really done any analysis.  Many web analysts can provide “real life” examples of how web analytics can help you succeed, but you need to hear how they have actually used it themselves.  After all, they’ll be providing the analysis and should have experience digging around.

2.  Can you explain an implementation challenge you faced and how you overcame it?

Even if you have capable web developers to handle implementation tasks, it is important that your web analytics consultant have at least a basic understanding of the ins and outs of implementation.  If you don’t have developers on staff, then you definitely want your consultant to know more than basic tag placement in the site footer.

3.   If a company had no experience with web analytics, what would your strategy be?

It is very important, regardless of technical facility, that your web analytics consultant have a clear end-to-end strategy well thought out.  This end-to-end strategy should include starting with business goals to determine a few success metrics.  The continuous improvement process is then used to affect these success metrics appropriately.  Web analytics needs process to ensure that reporting is not random.  There may always be a need for ad-hoc reporting, but a clear method will provide the best results.

4.  What are common errors that you have discovered during QA testing (Quality Assurance)?

Web analysts usually use HTTPFox with FireFox or IEWatch with Internet Explorer to perform QA.  This is a way of making sure that all the parameters are being sent to your web analytics tool with the proper values.  Some common issues are variables not being set properly and improper placement of JavaScript tag.

5.  What web analytics tools have you used?

Your web analyst should have experience with Google Analytics, even if it is just on their own site.  Google Analytics is the common denominator among web analysts.  However, they should be intimately familiar with at least one other platform and hopefully more.  If they are certified by a web analytics vendor such as Omniture, that is great also.  Beyond the main tools, they should also mention some of the special-feature vendors like Tynt, FeedBurner or AddThis.  These vendors provide niche web analytics for behaviors like copy/paste, RSS and social bookmarking.

I hope this has been a helpful list.  It is by no means complete, but covers enough for you to understand your potential web analytics consultant’s breadth of analysis, technical skill, strategy, QA and tools.  If you have been through the process of hiring a web analytics consultant, do you have any questions or insight to add?