According to the Google Analytics Blog, Google today launched a new Application Programming Interface (API) for Google Analytics, their free service for tracking and analyzing website traffic and usage. We use Google Analytics extensively at Netwise, of course, and are thrilled about the things that will be possible now thanks to the API. Google says:
The API will allow developers to extend Google Analytics in new and creative ways that benefit developers, organizations and end users. Large organizations and agencies now have a standardized platform for integrating Analytics data with their own business data. Developers can integrate Google Analytics into their existing products and create standalone applications that they sell. Users could see snapshots of their Analytics data in developer created dashboards and gadgets. Individuals and business owners will have opportunities to access their Google Analytics information in a variety of new ways.
The exciting possibilities? Positively endless! One obvious one is to create mashups of selected GA data and your own internal business intelligence, thus making the jump from from where GA effectively ends (e.g. – an online quote request “conversion”) to the final business outcome (e.g. – estimate approved or rejected). This ability to “close the loop” in terms of business intelligence means more accurate monitoring of ROI and the ability to more effectively refine and improve marketing campaigns.
Data collected via the API can also be used for automatically generate reports that are sent via email or displayed on mobile devices, or stored in your own database to be comingled with your other business intelligence. Simpler still, the API also makes it possible to extract selected metrics and plug them in to your own website or Intranet, with the look-and-feel completely up to you! We’re positively giddy just thinking about it.
