Web Analytics Optimism in Italy

Last November Luca Meyer organized the first Web Analytics Wednesday (WAW) in Milan, in conjunction with the IAB Forum interactive marketing event.

All of six people were present to represent the Internet’s accountability side in Italy. A pitiful number when you consider the thousands of visitors at the IAB Forum.

Since the Milan WAW, Giovanni Lorenzoni has worked to keep the ball rolling by organizing Web Analytics Association / WAW events in Bologna. Yet therein lies the problem: with the apparently small Italian web analytics community spread across the peninsula, significant meet-ups can only occur when there is a critical mass due to an Internet industry event happening at the same time.

Yet a lot has happened in the last six months. Web marketing practitioners, such as my friend Leonardo Bellini, are writing extensively on web analytics. The Italian blogging community has become even more interconnected through the various barcamp events which have provided a needed pretext to meet like-minded folk outside of the ether-sphere.

So it maybe isn’t a surprise that Italy will host two WAW events in the next few weeks – one WAW in Milan (with more than 30 potential attendees) and one in Bologna.

Let’s hope this positive trend continues.

Selected web analytics articles and posts:

• Blog statistics with BlogBabel at ZenaCamp in Genoa, Italy
• Google rolling out much improved Google Analytics V2
• AWStats Resources and Tutorial

Similar Posts:

• State of the Net, Udine 2008
• Social media to solar power: RomagnaCamp offered it all
• Google Analytics Event Tracking – New Option to Avoid Impacting Bounce Rate
• Yahoo Directories in Europe RIP. Did anybody notice?
• The human dimension of Search Marketing

Registration is now open for the next SEO Course (March 22 and 23) and Google Analytics Course (March 14 and 15) in Milan. Don’t miss the opportunity!