Recently I have had the opportunity to look at a few analytics packages for web sites I work with. In my journey to spend a boat-load of someone else's money on analytics, I find myself getting very irritated at what I am seeing. While this may be my first time having to do a shop and compare on these programs, I do know they cost tens of thousands of dollars. So, I have to ask myself one question; Why on earth would you try to market a product to marketers and not tell them about the product?

 I mean, I'm a marketer too and you want to sell me a marketing package right? Well then market your product to me. These companies seem to be way too head overheals in love with the fact that they can spell Web 2.0 than bothered about what their product does for there customer. What these companies are selling is an idea. That idea is that they know more about  marketing than you. I assume that their thought is if they can prove that, then they can get you to believe that their products are awesome. I mean hey, if they tell you what the longtail is, tell you what web 2.0 is, and what worked for this guy and worked for that guy (even though two totally different things worked) maybe you will buy in to their software.  

I understand that this software costs a lot. I also understand to do anything I need to call a guy and setup meetings etc... all of which I am fine with. However, I would much rather read "our software tracks all sales data, click data, and funnel data so you can see all the habbits of your customers. It also integrates with..." But instead i see "(name removed)...allows you to act on deep insight into the person behind the visitor to drive micro-targeted marketing and online experiences that increase engagement and build loyalty."

 Okay, that tells me you make analytics software, nothing else. Listen, I'm a marketer and i'm proud of it but come on. There is one thing that every marketer needs to know to suceed, everyone is smarter than you. You can't fool them, you can't trick them, and you can't use fancy word play to make them go "ooooo fancy words" to sell them something.

'm a marketer, your a marketer, tell me what marketing benifit your software gives me. Don't tell me it tracks things, tell me exactly what it track, how it installs, and how it works. Because lets be honest, if you are worried about competition, guess what, they already know that information.