14 DAY TRIAL // The Google Analytics Help Forum is a part of the Google Groups service that was designed by the search giant to represent an easy way to enhance communications between Google's employees and customers. Recently, Google Groups was released from beta with a brand new interface and some attracting tools that improved the use of the service. Analytics is currently one of the most popular services provided by Google, providing extremely useful information about the way your website works, interacts with visitors and other important details.
Google Groups stores many interesting discussions that can solve users' problems without being necessary to contact the company or its employees. Today, Keyon Hedayati, Google Analytics Team, posted a message on the official blog of the company trying to promote the forum especially designed for the Analytics topics.
Under the title "Fun in the Google Analytics Forum", the Google employee said: "have you ever needed some quick advice about using Google Analytics, or wanted to learn some cool tricks? The Analytics Help Forum in Google Groups is a great place to go to see people helping out their peers by asking for, and quickly sharing, best practices, references, advice, and observations. There are six discussion sections: Analytics Basics, Tracking Your Site , Your ROI, Troubleshooting, Urchin 5 Software, and Miscellaneous, each with a good number of interesting contributions."
In my opinion, Google tries to avoid common messages sent by its users that regard Analytics issues by promoting these Groups discussions where experienced members are trying to explain them to beginners. Although this may look like a good market strategy, some users might find it easier to contact the company and receive an official solution for his problem, instead of following other Groups members' advices.