Skip to main content
Intellect

BYU bests U of U in annual web analytics business competition

There weren’t any painted faces or fight songs playing, but a rivalry was in the air as teams from the University of Utah joined Brigham Young University at the seventh biannual Omniture Web Analytics Competition. But the cougars triumphed with team “.convert” taking home the grand prize of $10,000 and three plasma TVs.

“This was the first time the U of U teams have participated in the competition,” said Jeff Brown, Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology program director. “The in-state rivalry added a new and exciting element to the competition.”

The competition called for teams to use Omniture’s SiteCatalyst software to analyze online traffic and consumer patterns on Overstock.com. Students then found the most profitable paths through Overstock.com’s Web site, determined where visitors were leaving the site and made recommendations to increase revenues.

“The skill set that the teams have been practicing here is incredibly valuable in the world,” said John Meller, executive vice president of Omniture.

.convert competed last semester and took fourth place. They came back this semester with a different approach and a more polished presentation to take the top prize as well as the audience-choice award.

The team consisted of Oliver Christensen, a first-year MBA student from Oak Hill, Va.; Justin Maner, a second-year MBA student from Taylor, Ariz.; and Nate Smith, a first-year MBA student from Orem, Utah.

“The biggest challenge of the competition is the sheer volume of data. You have to be able to quickly hone in on something that is a diamond in the rough,” Christensen said.

More than 70 teams from BYU and the U of U submitted presentations. Omniture reviewed the presentations and narrowed it down to two BYU teams and two U of U teams to compete in the finals.

Going Green, from BYU, placed second and received $5,000 and an iPod touch for each team member. Sand Pit Ninjas, from the U of U, placed third and received $2,500 and a digital camera for each team member. Triple Threat, from the U of U, placed fourth and received $1,000 and an iPod shuffle for each team member.

A Hall of Fame award was created this year to allow past winners to compete while letting new teams win cash prizes. Reed Olsen and David Wilson of Group X, the first-place winners of last semester's competition, were the first Hall of Fame inductees and received $5,000.

The competition is co-sponsored by the Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology and Omniture. The next competition will take place during fall semester 2009 and is open to all BYU and U of U students.

Writer: Emily Webster

2009OWACWinners.jpg
Photo by Mark A. Philbrick/BYU Photo

Related Articles

data-content-type="article"

Green-thumb dynasty: BYU landscaping wins fifth national championship in six years

March 27, 2024
For the fifth time in six years, BYU students dug, pruned and planted their way to the National Collegiate Landscaping Competition title, the March Madness of college landscaping teams. BYU bested 50 other universities in the four-day event, outscoring the second-place finisher by more than 358 points and breaking the 5000-point total for the first time in the 48-year history of the tournament.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Forum: How to be a confident pluralist

March 26, 2024
In a democracy where people hold many conflicting views, how do we each honor our own values while making decisions together? Grappling with that question in Tuesday’s forum address, Harvard professor Danielle Allen encouraged her audience to meet this challenge by becoming “confident pluralists.”
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

More than money, family and community bonds prep teens for college success

March 21, 2024
Family bonds make the difference in getting teens to college, BYU study says.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText=