Web Analyst Skills

1. Problem Solving

This is an absolute necessity. Regardless of whether a web analyst works in-house or at an agency, stakeholders hungry for insights will ask a lot of off-the-wall questions. A good web analyst can tell you whether something is possible, but a great one is confident anything is possible (and works out the details later).

2. Technical Aptitude

A strong understanding of how the web works goes a long way when communicating with diverse business units. Bringing a technical background to the table isn't required, but it makes life as a web analyst much easier. Be prepared to code HTML, JavaScript, and PHP to achieve greatness.

3. Strong Communication Skills

Above-average presentation skills are a bare minimum as an analyst, because you'll need charisma, influence, and the ability to interpret complex or technical concepts to vastly different audiences.

4. Patience

This trait is especially important for the very ambitious or highly technical to master. As a mentor of mine once told me, "sometimes you see A and you automatically think Z, when everyone else is stuck at B and C... you have to be able to bring people along for the ride." :-P

5. Perseverance

As a change agent, so many opportunities are going to arise from your insights that it will be difficult to surrender some of your favorites. Start with small changes that yield large impact and build your credibility slowly over time. Take calculated risks and learn from mistakes, especially the mistakes of others.

6. Business Acumen

Always start with a business problem. If you don't know what the business problems are, find out by asking different people lots of questions, especially customers.