18 Adobe Analytics Pros and Cons

Adobe Analytics is an industry-leading solution that can help you apply real-time information and detailed segmentation across every active marketing channel. This structure makes it possible to discover the audiences with the highest amount of value for your organization. That means you can begin to harness the power of customer intelligence to scale your business upward. When you combine the APIs that are available, there are almost unlimited ways to integrate the critical data you own into key business processes.

Your apps can ask for the same dimensions and metrics that are exposed in Analysis Workspace thanks to the RESTful endpoints available through Adobe Analytics. You can take a deep dive through your data with unlimited breakdown levels, applying segment and search filters, date ranges, and much more to expand your opportunities.

You can apply Adobe Analytics to specific departments focused on marketing initiatives to keep it siloed if that is what you need. It can also help your people to begin analyzing their campaigns with custom dashboards which are specific to each need as well. Your teams can create graphs and charts within the tool, using the metrics and dimensions of each campaign to keep building on your successes.

If you’re thinking about using Adobe Analytics for your online data needs, then these are the pros and cons you will want to review.

List of the Pros of Adobe Analytics

1. The segmentation within the reporting tool is quite flexible.

If you are familiar with analytics, then this option from Adobe will help you to go through the segmentation process with relative ease. It is a flexible system that is somewhat forgiving as well, even if you have not set one of your variables correctly. If you were to set a prop instead of an eVar, it is still possible to use the segments to provide the required analysis for almost any purpose. There are plenty of opportunities to go back to correct any problems to verify the accuracy of your data as well, allowing your company to glean more insights from the process.

Today’s enterprise businesses need more. You must be able to see what is working in real-time and what is not. Then there is the need to track the intricate movements of potential customers through every online or offline channel. Once you have this data, then you must compare them in their proper context. That’s what Adobe Analytics can do.

2. You have total control over the data through the admin area.

The admin area of Adobe Analytics is another one of its advantages that you will want to consider. It provides you with total control of access throughout the entire platform. That includes the individual reports which are available through this product. Then you can favorite specific reports to use, take advantage of the features on the dashboard, or use bookmarks that make it much easier to provide reports to your managers or C-Suite even if you are a novice user.

You have access to a wide variety of rules-based, advanced attribution models, including linear, algorithmic, first touch, and last touch to help you understand where all of your investments are going across each channel. You even have the option to make custom models that fit the specific needs of your business.

3. The consistency of the reporting is excellent with Adobe Analytics.

When you start to use Adobe Analytics, then you will quickly find that the reporting through this tool is consistently excellent. It is rare for an organization to experience any major discrepancies in the data collection process. When you need to use a reporting tool to judge the performance of your company, then the quality of the data you have is a reflection of the tool you use. There are rarely any technical issues with this platform, which means you’re collecting data around-the-clock almost all of the time. That means the C-Suite can make knowledgeable decisions based on actual data to begin searching for new outcomes.

4. You can customize your reports.

All of the reports that are available through Adobe Analytics have customization options when they are downloaded or printed. That means you can create the specific data points that are necessary for the task at hand. Your information is instantly ready for managerial review without the need to export the information into Microsoft Excel or another compatible spreadsheet program to make it look more attractive. Your metrics are also customizable, so there is likely a way to measure anything if you’re willing to search for a meaningful solution.

5. Adobe Analytics allows you to see your full conversion funnel.

When you track paid digital advertising, you’ll be able to see all of the click activities from visitors at a single glance. You’ll have CPC, average position, cost, and impression numbers to consider with that data as well. When you go from there to a conversion, there is a large gap where information isn’t always available. That’s where Adobe Analytics can step in to provide some help.

You’ll be able to see how the performance of specific keywords are impacting the performance of your campaign. You and your bidding algorithms have more information to use to track the value of each keyword that you want to use. You’ll have more data with which to work in the context of your bid modifiers. That means you can go from searches to impressions, and then from clicks to engagement to conversion because you can use engagement modeling much more often.

6. You can use conversion metrics to optimize toward specific. Goals.

If you have Adobe Analytics, then you can take the customization of your advertising approach to the next level. This tool allows you to pull in any other conversion metrics that you feel are useful, linking them back to just a click. That means your bidding algorithms can understand exactly what results you can chase instead of offering a blanket ROI figure or some other command that gives you generic information that may not be as useful as it seems like it might be.

7. You’ll be able to do more because Adobe Analytics gives you access to more information.

Over half of today’s customers are mobile. They are taking advantage of the Internet of Things, wearable technologies, and advancements in total data access from almost anywhere. We are even driving in connected cars, yet many of us still visit physical storefronts to get some shopping done. Adobe Analytics was the leader in Gartner’s digital marketing analysis report in 2017 because there is an opportunity to integrate information from almost any channel.

You can use Adobe Analytics for video, IoT, apps, social media and much more. Then this tool allows you to analyze that information in real time so that you can understand your visitors and customers in a whole new way.

8. You can understand the impact of every touch from your current and future customers.

Organizations today are spending a lot of time and money on their content and marketing campaigns. It is imperative that agencies make investments into journeys and channels that have an excellent chance at success. Forrester gave Adobe Analytics a perfect score for its cross-channel attribution in 2017. You can understand the impact of each touch from visitors to grow the viability of each business opportunity, showing paid, owned, and earned channels through rules-based models and algorithms to make the right choice every time. There is even machine-learning insights and advanced statistics available to you so that you can keep growing.

9. Adobe Analytics allows you to create predictive insights.

Many companies use their data to reveal insights about the past. Then this information is used to make decisions about the future. What is happening online in the present is ignored because there is no way to use this data through other providers. Adobe Analytics uses predictive capabilities to help you use your data better.

Predictive tools are powered by machine learning, with artificial intelligence becoming a major part of your product strategy thanks to the power of this platform. You can even take advantage of the heavy integration with Adobe Sensei so that everyone in your organization can take advantage of everything that big data can offer at an unprecedented level.

List of the Cons of Adobe Analytics

1. It can be costly to bring in Adobe Analytics and challenging to implement.

Adobe Analytics can be costly to implement, especially if you are a small business who is looking to do more things with the large amounts of data that you collect. It can also be very difficult to implement this platform using your internal resources, even if you are a large organization. Most firms need to work with a third-party vendor to integrate this option with the other tools you are already using. Unless you have a strategy in place prior to your implementation it is not unusual to see costs increase because there are mistakes made along the way.

2. You cannot use some of the data points you collect on the same report.

Two of the most common data points that companies track are the amount of time a potential customer spends on their website and the conversion rate from each visit. Adobe Analytics does not allow you to incorporate this information onto the same report. You must use the prop version of the variable and other tools to counter this issue, which is a significant problem for some sites since the amount of time a visitor spends looking at something can be a conversion.

That is why some people feel like Google Analytics is still superior to Adobe Analytics. There are some unique pain points that some websites encounter simply because this product tries to differentiate itself.

3. There is a steep learning curve present with Adobe Analytics.

You will notice almost immediately that Adobe Analytics offers a very steep learning curve to new users. It takes some time to get to know the platform, which means you may be unable to take advantage of all of its features right away. Unless you are very familiar with the information that this platform records for you, expect it to take about six months before you can really get good insights that you understand from this product. If you are unfamiliar with the technical data points this platform offers, then it will take even longer to start using the data to your advantage.

4. It can be challenging to location the specific items you need.

Although Adobe Analytics offers excellent documentation and reports that can help your company create more value from collected data, finding specific items that you need is not always easy. Complex issues can sometimes take some time to go beyond the first layer of customer service as well, which can slow down your productivity if answers are not coming your way. It helps to document the workflow that you used to find a specific data point so that you don’t experience an extra level of downtime each time you print out reports.

Part of the reason for this problem is the fact that the user interface is not really intuitive. It takes a long time to get used to the various processes that are necessary to initiate commands. If you are unfamiliar with an analytics platform, then the various benefits that are possible with Adobe Analytics may not be as useful for you.

5. The features offered by Adobe Analytics are usually already provided by smaller companies.

Adobe Analytics provides numerous updates throughout the year to help you manage your data, but it is not as quick as the smaller competitors that are in the marketplace right now. That means it always feels like you are playing catch-up with the rest of the industry while trying to generate specific responses to the data points you receive. There are times when being with a more agile provider can provide you with the actual benefits you need immediately instead of forcing you to search across the entire platform. There are glitches and bugs to manage during each new update as well, which means you can experience several days of disruption that can cause some lag with your project.

6. You must pay a significant fee to reprocess historic data.

When you start to use Adobe Analytics, then you can glean real-time data benefits with relative ease. Where you start to run into problems is with your historic data. If there is a need to reprocess this information, then you are stuck with it unless you decide to pay a significant cost. If you captured bad data in the past or imported something that was inaccurate, then you are stick with the results. Even though it seems like a simple disadvantage to manage, it is a problem that happens fore often than not for this platform’s users.

7. There can be deficiencies in the technical support service of Adobe Analytics.

One of the significant disadvantages of Adobe Analytics for new users is the fact that the support services are somewhat lacking from a technical standpoint. It is quite limited, almost to the point of being deficient, because the answers that you receive are not always accurate. You might wait several days for a solution that doesn’t even work. If you do not have a complete command over what the software can do and the processes necessary to create results, then you might not be able to use this information until you can get up to speed.

You’ll need to look for third-party training tools, videos, and how-to guides to learn what Adobe Analytics can provide for you – and then take what you’ve learned to the service department to collect the answers you require.

8. The cost of Adobe Analytics is a significant barrier to use.

You must be prepared for a large expense with Adobe Analytics if you decide that this platform is the best tool for you to use. The amount that you pay to use the service depends on the number of features that you require for your online presence. There are about a dozen different types of services from which you can choose, including predictive tools, that do not activate in the platform if you don’t pay for them. This disadvantage can prolong the learning process since there will be items on your dashboard that may not be fully accessible with your current payment plan.

9. There isn’t a lot of flexibility in Adobe Analytics for customization.

Individual customization is possible with Adobe Analytics, but it can be challenging to complete. If you want to organize your own segments to create a fast discovery process, then this disadvantage can be problematic for you. There should be options to do some color customization on the charts and panels that are in the system too. It can already take some time for the reports to load, so adding a couple of extra personalization features won’t create excessive levels of lag to manage.

Verdict on the Pros and Cons of Adobe Analytics

If you want to take the data that your visitors provide you to create more conversions, then Adobe Analytics is an excellent option to consider. Although it does not offer the same ease of use as some of its competitors, the overall user experience is a positive one once you navigate the learning curve. You will be able to see the impact of every customer interaction thanks to this marketing attribution platform.

You will find that there is a lot of flexibility available with this tool. The possibilities for segmentation are virtually endless, allowing you to refine your data and approach. There are times when this tool can be slow, and some of your resources may not work with the product. Adobe Analytics does not work well in the Workspace module.

The pros and cons of Adobe Analytics show that it offers plenty of benefits where the positives typically outweigh the negatives. You will notice improvements to your productivity while refining your reporting and data analysis.