Definition:
Sampling is a direct marketing technique in which small product samples or demonstrations are sent to future customers, in order for them to try them and acquire it later. This is done free of charge and promotionally, usually used when a new product is launched, as a form of advertising. It is usually done as a mailbox, magazines, by mail, on the street or with the acquisition of another related product or service.
In Web Analytics, the term Sampling is also used to refer to the sampling of the data collected by a web analyticstool.
Statistical sampling
On the other hand, sampling can also mean the process used in statistical analysis in which a predetermined number of observations are taken from a larger population. The methodology used to sample a larger population depends on the type of analysis being performed, but may include simple random sampling or systematic sampling. In business, an auditing CPA uses sampling to determine the accuracy of account balances in financial statements and managers use sampling to evaluate the success of the company’s marketing efforts.
Sampling in Web Analytics
Sampling or sampling supposes a reduction in the quality of the data in web analytics, since conclusions are drawn not from the total set of data itself, but from a sample of them. Working with a subset of data that is not significant enough can lead to erroneous conclusions if the sampling is too large.
In Google Analytics we will only know that there is no sampling when the reports show the message“this report is based on 100% of the sessions”