Behavior Analytics: Tracking Needs, Pain Points, and Churn

Summary

When I joined Verisk Analytics, there was no focus on understanding our users. We didn’t track actions or use behavior analytics to see how people engaged with our products.

Opportunity

Bringing in behavior analytics completely transformed how we approached our ClaimSearch application. It was a game-changer in shifting to a customer-first mindset, helping us truly understand how users interact with the product. Back then, we had to challenge the old-school belief of “We know the product better than our customers.” Now, it’s clear—listening to real user behavior leads to smarter design and better engagement.

Challenges

Before we started measuring customer behavior and tracking the success of new features, our process was all over the place. Teams worked in silos, following separate roadmaps that often ignored what customers actually wanted. This led to wasted time, resources, and features no one asked for—ultimately missing the mark on customer satisfaction. By adopting behavior analytics, we gained real insights into how users interact with our products, helping us make smarter decisions and deliver what truly matters to them.

Outcome

Once we implemented Google Analytics, the real story of how users interacted with the application came to light—and it was eye-opening. What we thought we knew didn’t match reality. My go-to advice remains the same: start with the data. Let go of assumptions and focus on how users actually engage with your product. From there, the next step is key—use the insights from user behavior (clicks, conversions, funnels, goals) to guide deeper conversations with customers. This mix of quantitative and qualitative data is what drives smarter strategies and better decisions.

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