Zachary Ciperski

I typically put a ban on the answer “analytics” for our ‘One Thing’ Q&A’s. But I must make an exception for Zachary Ciperski, VP of Marketing at CoffeeforLess.com. Why? Because he was actually one of the first ones to answer when I began bugging all you retailers out there with this series. In sorting through some of the awesome responses I’ve had over the last six months, I uncovered Zach’s answer of “Google Analytics,” and realized it had gone unused.

Google Analytics. Maybe not the most original response but it’s one of those obvious truths that it never hurts to talk about. Can any of us online marketers really live without analytics, whichever platform poison we may prefer?

CoffeeforLess.com prefers it in the Google form – hear Zach tell why… (His bonus answer makes him a bit of a suck-up, but knowing who we think he’s referring to, it’s understood. Good marketers those CoffeeforLess folks!)

1. As an online marketer and retailer, what’s something you can’t live without? And we don’t mean coffee. We mean anything from a technology tool to a partner to a cool trick you do on Excel to a team member to a shortcut you take…

Google analytics.

2. Can you explain what this is – if necessary? And how you use it?

It’s a site traffic and performance analytics tool. We use Google Analytics to understand attribution of our marketing channels, to gain insights into our buyers trends, seasonalities, etc. In addition, it allows us to proactively optimize our site for such things as site abandonment, and conversion funnel issues. In sum, Google Analytics allows us to make our site work harder with the insights provided.

3. Why can you NOT live without this?

We would not know where traffic is coming from, how we’re getting it, and what the respective results are from those sources.

4. How often do you use it and how long have you been using it?

Since its inception, and multiple times a day.

5. What did you do before you had this?

Nothing.

6. If lightning struck tomorrow and you suddenly didn’t have this one thing, what would you do to improvise?

Leverage log stats and implement a new analytics tool.

7. How can other people get this too?

Its free… google.com/analytics

BONUS: And what’s the non-work related thing you can’t do your job without? This is where the coffee, or anything else comes in…

Best boss in the world 🙂 Couldn’t do it without him.