Getting to know Chris Danks, Web Analyst
Here we find out a little bit about Chris, his role and what he enjoys most about working at Torchbox.
What is the role of a Web Analyst?
It can be pretty varied! Generally we work with our clients to help them measure the success of their website and marketing activity. That can involve creating measurement plans and outlining KPIs, implementing the required data collection, and then reporting on the data in a tool like Google Data Studio.
What do you like most about your role?
I've been lucky enough to work with a diverse mix of clients; from some of the UK's largest and most prestigious charities, to think-tanks, universities and government.
One of the aspects of my role that I enjoy the most is helping our clients access information that they just weren’t able to get on their own - that’s often helping charities understand how to effectively generate income from their website.
Can you tell us a bit about any current projects you’re working on?
Most recently I’ve been working on the measurement of The Royal Society’s Summer Science campaign. Coming up this month I'll be working with Google Data Studio to help the Youth Sports Trust understand how people find and use their School Games website.
What would you say to someone at the start of their career in Web Analytics?
Try to always consider the big picture and make sure that your work is delivering long term value. Don't be afraid to ask tough questions, and challenge people's opinions.
It helps to have quite broad first hand experience working on marketing campaigns and managing websites.
Picking up at least a basic understanding of HTML and JavaScript. It's important to know what you can do yourself, and what requires the support of a development team.
What has been a highlight of your time at Torchbox?
A client recently used the marketing ROI data from Google Analytics to persuade their directors to double their budget!
That was following my work to improve their Google Analytics set up, and the fantastic marketing work by my colleagues in the Search & Analytics team. It really demonstrated the power of using data to inform decision making, and the great things we can achieve as a team!
What are you most looking forward to this summer?
I’m going to be moving to Devon in July. I’m looking forward to being closer to family, and to the sea, and to start work renovating my new home.
