Metrics for Understanding Customers

Happy New Year to One and All.
My new year's aim is to get much more involved in Analytics, using the data to help clients provide a much more user centric site. There's so many tools out there, free and paid for, that with the right analysis can really make all the difference between a mediocre site and a remarkable site that fits all it's visitors requirements.

I've started by among other things, reading Avinash Kaushik's "Web Analytics An Hour A Day". It's written in a very easy to follow manner. What's interesting is his focus on how Analytics data of old was IT centered and how it's come into the Marketing realms only recently and with this is the new focus of customer centered information that we require from the data, rather than IT focused info.

He says that a business that has implemented his process of data analysis will have the following key metrics at it's core for understanding how the site is delivering for customers:
Primary Purpose - Why are you Here?
Task Completion Dates - Were you able to complete your task?
Content and Structural Gaps - How can we improve your experience?
Customer Satisfaction - as Avinash says "Did we blow your socks off as a result of your experience today?"

Through the use of traditional Analytics data, complimenting that with online tools such as heatmaps, site overlays and using research tools such as surveys and testing we can benefit both the company and the users creating a resource that delivers exactly what the user wants and not what the company thinks they want.