I think a lot of times it can be boiled down to lack of training, especially in higher ed where staff are asked to be jacks of all trades. So many times its, “you think web analytics is a good idea? Great, you own it now. You learn about it (in your spare time, of course), implement it, and get some useful insights out of it.”

Your idea of starting small is so key, in my opinion. In Stéphane Hamel’s Web Analytics Maturity Model, he suggests, “Posting a single or a couple of metrics on the cubicle wall, along with a comment or recommendation no longer than a phrase …” This is a great way to get started.