Ranjit Sidhu from SiD presented some of the combined data and analysis that he has been doing with universities, which include sector values in pounds…
Ranjit began by making the case for collecting and presenting data, and the power that presenting this data well can have for the institution and the sector as a whole.
Here are some of the key comments he made…
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Sidhu: It is important to put a value on what we do in the current environment #iwmw11 #p1 |
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Sidhu: “What if the data shows us in a bad light?” Answer: the data is out there, so if you don’t do it, someone else will #iwmw11 #p1 |
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Sidhu: We should be ahead of the curve. Get the information out there so you’re not a sitting target #iwmw11 #p1 |
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He went on to discuss the ways in which you communicate your data…
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Sidhu: If you are automatically emailing reports to people, you are spamming them. You are creating a negative feel #iwmw11 #p1 |
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Sidhu: We have so much information coming in that we want to automate, but if it’s not processed, it’s just garbage #iwmw11 #p1 |
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Sidhu: For online information to be meaningful, it needs to be combines with offline information, for which we need new models #iwmw11 #p1 |
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Sidhu: The problems with online data: the language, it’s automated, it’s dislocated from business and it’s badly designed #iwmw11 #p1 |
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He moved on to discuss some of the ways you can present information more usefully, including a demonstration of the types of dashboards he has been creating for universities…
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Sidhu: Provide the information people actually want & make sure you don’t try to do too much in 1 summary. Ask what’s relevant? #iwmw11 #p1 |
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Sidhu: It is important to project additional revenue using the data you have to justify your value #iwmw11 #p1 |
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Sidhu: It’s important to calculate the potential worth of a website visit from a country & compare to offline recruitment cost #iwmw11 #p1 |
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Reactions
The talk really fired up the audience, and there were lots of tweets commenting, critiquing and praising Ranjit’s remarks. Here are just a few of them…
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#iwmw11 #p1 key takeaway from Sid’s talk: not stats but interpretation of stats; keep ahead of the curb, playing catchup dangerous. |
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#iwmw11 #p1 Excellent starting session to get people thinking! |
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Lovely infographic interpretation of uni of Strathclyde’s international student web stats #iwmw11 #p1 |
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Looking at statistics defines what kind of university you are. @rssidhu #iwmw11 #p1 |
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Pretty impressed by the web stats panel @rssidhu is demonstrating at#iwmw11 #p1. So… how do you make one of these things? Anyone? Anyone? |
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I question the useful offline equivalent costs since online is main channel for many unis #iwmw11 #p1 |
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Excellent opening talk #iwmw11 #p1. Thanks Sid |
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Further responses to this presentation, including video footage and a session summary will be available shortly.