Gap closing between paid for and free analytics tools
The human touch is still the answer when it comes to understanding online behaviour and shaping digital strategy, a survey of 800 UK businesses has revealed.
Econsultancy in partnership with Lynchpin has published the results of their second annual survey of the UK analytics sector.
The survey shows that 12 months on, UK businesses are still not getting a good return from online analytics and that people, expertise and resource are the answer, not technology.
Companies are gradually shifting their spend from technology to internal staff and consultancy, but it's a very slow trend. The increase in client-side analysts has been minimal. Yet companies still claim to be trying to grow their investment in people.
Andrew Hood of Lynchpin comments: “While the technology gets more and more sophisticated (and arguably more accessible from a cost perspective), the challenges in interpreting and actioning the data only get bigger. Resource is still a massive issue, and while companies are looking to increase spend on people there looks to be an underlying skills shortage operating against this.”
Omniture's market share of paid tools has grown from 18% to 42% in the space of a year and WebTrends has dropped from 27% to 19%. 80% of companies are using Google Analytics compared to 66% last year.
This indicates the market is rapidly polarising into two camps, with free Google Analytics at one end and tools like Omniture at the other.
More importantly, there is very little difference in the value of free or paid for analytics with more than half of the companies surveyed reporting they are still failing to get any return on their investment in paid web analytics tools.
The barriers to getting return on investment remain lack of education, strategy and senior management buy-in.
There are still more than twice as many self-employed web analytics consultants than those working in web analytics consultancies, which suggests this end of the market is still highly fragmented.
Linus Gregoriadis, research director at Econsultancy, said: "Companies are focusing on analytics which help them improve both customer acquisition and customer retention. They are prioritising information requirements which relate directly to business efficiency."
He added: "There has been a shift from spending on technology to spending on internal staff but there are still too few companies with an internal strategy that ties data collection and analysis to business objectives."
A full copy of the report is available from http://econsultancy.com/reports/online-measurement-and-strategy-report
Ends
Notes to the editor
Key findings:
§ Companies are focusing on analytics which help them improve their efficiency both in terms of customer acquisition and customer retention. The recession has helped to bring into sharper focus the importance of understanding return on investment and how individual elements of digital marketing impact the bigger picture.
§ There is a prioritisation of information requirements which relate directly to business efficiency. The biggest focus is information relating to the cost of acquiring a customer or lead which is regarded as a “high priority” by 59% of responding organisations.
§ There is an increased appetite for most kinds of data which helps to understand how online channels impact on each other (and with offline) or how customers are engaging with them at an individual level.
§ The most important requirement is for data which show the interaction between different online channels and this information is now analysed by 70% of organisations, a healthy 17% jump since 2008.
§ The proportion of companies looking at reputation monitoring or social media metrics has doubled from 21% to 40%, which highlights the exponential growth of both social media and the reputation monitoring technology industry.
§ Companies are more likely to be paying close attention to the lifetime value of customers. Some 43% of companies say this is a high priority.
§ There has been a marked shift from spending on technology to spending on internal staff, with companies now spending more on human resources than on software and licences. The proportion of spending on internal staff has increased from 36% to 42% of total web analytics spend while spending on technology has decreased from 45% to 38%.
§ The use of Google Analytics is very much on the increase. Just under a quarter of responding organisations (23%) now use Google Analytics exclusively compared to only 14% a year ago.
§ A further 57% of respondents are using Google Analytics in conjunction with another tool (up from 52% in 2008), which means that 80% of companies are now using Google for analytics compared to 66% last year.
§ Correspondingly, only one in five companies (20%) now say they don't use Google Analytics compared to a third (34%) last year.
§ Excluding Google Analytics, Omniture, with 42% market share, is the most commonly used web analytics package, followed by WebTrends.
§ There has been a slight improvement since last year but only one in five companies (22%) have an internal strategy that ties data collection and analysis to business objectives. More than half (60%) of responding organisations said they are “working on this”, while 18% say that they don't have such a strategy.
§ There are still only a quarter of company respondents (27%) who say that their web analytics “definitely” provide actionable insights, with a further 55% saying that this is only sometimes the case.
Other findings: Information requirements
§ Since 2008, there has been an increase in the extent to which most types of data are analysed, with the exception of competitor information (down 1%) and third party market research (down 7%).
§ Processes and metrics which relate directly to the bottom line, such as the true cost of acquiring a customer, are being prioritised and optimised in a way which wasn't happening as much when sales were growing exponentially in the pre-recession days.
§ Drop-off across key site processes is something which is also coming under close scrutiny, with 57% of businesses saying this is a high priority and a third (31%) saying it is a medium priority. Similarly, more companies are realising that content can have a huge effect on acquisition and conversion rates. Just under half of companies (48%) say that the impact of content on acquisition is a high priority.
§ Almost two thirds (63%) of respondents say that they experience conflicting information from different sources of online measurement data, and this figure increases to 70% of supply-side correspondents.
§ Respondents were asked to specify which types of data do not tally and it is clear that much of the conflict boils down to a lack of clarity and confusion around the definition of different types of metric.
Use of Google Analytics and other web analytics tools:
More than half (55%) of those organisations relying completely on Google Analytics said they have logged into their system within the last 24 hours and a further 30% had logged in within the last week, showing that Google is widely used by those companies who have configured it.
§ This pattern is similar for companies who use another web analytics tool and who don't use Google.
§ Those who use both Google Analytics and another paid-for tool are slightly more likely to use their paid-for tool more frequently. Half of these respondents (51%) say they use their paid-for tool more frequently compared to 33% who say they use Google Analytics more often. The remainder (17%) report the same level of usage.
§ Companies who don't use Google Analytics are more likely to report that they regularly change something as the result of an insight from their analytics tool. Just under half of those organisations (46%) who don't use Google Analytics change something .frequently. or “very frequently” because their analytics tool has told them something worthwhile, compared to a third for Google Analytics users.
§ The main reason for not using Google Analytics is because “it isn't sophisticated enough for their requirements”, cited as the issue for 31% of respondents who don't use this tool.
§ Less than half of responding organisations believe they are getting a return on investment (ROI) from their paid-for analytics tool.
Resourcing and budget:
§ Since 2008 there has been an increase from 8% to 15% of companies who have two dedicated web analysts and a decrease in the proportion of companies who have one analyst (from 32% to 26%). However, exactly the same proportion of companies (46%) report that they do not have any web analysts.
§ Senior management are most likely to be in charge of budget for online measurement, with a third of company respondents (32%) saying that budgetary responsibility resides here.
§ Despite the proportionate increase on web analytics spending on internal staff since 2008, companies are in fact (marginally) more likely over the next 12 months to increase their spending on technology than they are to invest more budget on human resources internally.
The Heatwave begins
This week forecasters predict that we could experience some of the hottest days of the summer so far and said there is a 60% chance of temperatures reaching 32C (89.6F). The Met Office has issued a "heat health" warning for this week.
The Department of Health have advised staying in the shade during the hottest parts of the day, avoiding strenuous activities and to stay hydrated by drinking plenty. Children and the elderly are most at risk. Air conditioning fans at home are a good way to keep cool and having ice lollipops in is another way to keep fluid levels up. As we are not use to such hot weather lasting for so long, it is important to follow the advice on offer. Too much sun can lead to health complaints, some short term such as dehydration and heat stroke. But these can easily be avoided by looking after yourself in the sun.
NetVoucherCodes provides a massive selection of retailers that can help you prepare yourself and your family for the hot weather. There are retailers covering sun cream, sun-hats, fans, aftersun, sunglasses, summer clothing and footwear. These products can be essential in ensuring you stay safe in the sun. You don't have to sepnd a fortune either, as many retailers on www.netvouchercodes.co.uk have offers, vouchers and Summer Sales currently on at present, some as much as 70% off!
Here is just a small selection of the retailers available on www.netvouchercodes.co.uk; Boots.com, Sunglasses UK, AirConDirect, Miss Selfridge, Simply Beach, New Look, Born2BeCool, Kids Shoe Factory, Debenhams, D&A Designer Sunglasses, Schuh and Superdrug.
So for all your summer sun needs, remember to visit NetVoucherCodes for special offers, deals and discount codes.
For more information contact Joanne Jones : pr@netvouchercodes.co.uk
Sizzle Media Take Manchester Web Design by Storm
With heritage and expertise that dates back to the mid-‘90s internet boom, Sizzle Media can quite rightly lay claim to being one of Manchester’s leading multi-service digital agencies.
The award-winning company’s roots are based in web design and that remains a key offering today with many customers utilising Sizzle’s superb skills in tandem with their price plan of an initial payment followed by the remainder spread across twelve months in easy low-cost instalments.
Every site created through this system comes with a year’s worth of premium quality, UK-based web hosting and a free domain name, ensuring that you can get your completed site up-and-running as soon as possible.
But Sizzle certainly aren’t a one-trick pony with a dedicated team for all your business needs, including graphic designers, copywriters, marketing experts and SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) specialists.
Over the last four years, Sizzle’s branding and marketing teams have helped one of their clients, Indian Ocean Restaurant, pick up no less than 15 industry awards, including the much-coveted ‘Best in the North’ at Be Inspired Business Awards 2008.
Get in touch with Sizzle Media, web design Manchester, to find out how they can help your business.
Will the New Aflite Affiliate Network Be Good for Affiliates As Well As Small Business?
Aflite is the new affiliate network built for new and small online businesses due for launch early July. The broader selection of new, unique and innovative merchants delivers attractive propositions for affiliates to market.
The Aflite.co.uk network has been designed for accessibility to small and new businesses to start affiliate marketing. But, does it make sense for affiliates to join?
Affiliates want the following from their network and its merchants:
- Assurance of payment
Aflite provide tools to ensure affiliates can analyse the quality of a merchant. The API (Application Programming Interface) gives affiliates the power to run live checks on merchants before displaying a merchant on their website.Calculations based on historic data produce a quality score of a merchant. This information is passed to the affiliate for their own assesment. - High commission rates
Due to Aflite’s billing model, 100% of commission is paid to affiliates. Aflite charge merchants on their credit top ups, freeing up commission for affiliates. - High conversions
Although conversions in some cases may be lower, smaller less well known businesses often pay more commission than the large brands. Combined with Aflite’s billing methods affiliates should see a good return from their chosen merchants. - A good proposition
It’s always good to offer something a bit different. New businesses are often innovative in their approach, providing new business models and services that aren’t typically found from the larger retailers.
Aflite has worked hard to address the issues that face affiliates, striving to be a network profitable for both small businesses and affiliates.
The new network is due for launch in the second week of July 2009, if you have any questions or suggestions for Aflite please checkout their holding page at http://aflite.co.uk for contact details. There are also some benefits in registering your interest early.
New Affiliate Network Brings Affiliate Marketing To New And Small UK Businesses
Aflite.co.uk, a new affiliate network for small businesses, brings a wider more exciting selection of merchants to affiliates. Aflite's technology gives small businesses access to affiliate marketing whilst protecting affiliates.
The leading affiliate networks currently have tough eligibility requirements and credit checks making affiliate marketing difficult for small businesses to access. Aflite.co.uk brings affiliate marketing to these businesses with a low cost, pre-pay and self-managed system.
Affiliates get the benefit of new and more innovative offerings that are not currently available from the larger networks. Protection for affiliates comes from live analysis of merchants available through Aflite’s API (Application Programming Interface). “It is important for us that affiliates have the tools to make an informed choice on merchants. Helping them to protect themselves will be a key component for us”, commented Director Ben Norbury.
A notable affiliate www.eduPayment.co.uk will be one of the first to join Aflite, attracted by the accessibility for smaller retailers to join and participate in their marketplace. David Nayar of eduPayment.co.uk noted “Aflite will allow eduPayment.co.uk to offer a wider choice of retailer for customers, giving access to niche and alternative brands.”
The new network will be ready for merchant and affiliate Sign-ups from the 6th of July 2009. Merchants and affiliates should register their interest at http://aflite.co.uk , with no commitment, before the 1st July to be guaranteed free set up and technical support. Please see http://aflite.co.uk for more details.
The Much Needed Twitter Resource Guide Is Now Available To The Public
Whitney, TX ( Prfire ) June 11, 2009 - “Twitter has become a very effective marketing tool. You’d have seen many articles that explain the benefits of using twitter as a marketing tool. While some of the savvy marketers have already started to squeeze out the marketing benefits of twitter, some of them are still unaware of the basic marketing idea behind this platform. There are some online marketers who are really desperate in getting into twitter but are not aware of the marketing techniques to be used in this one of a kind web 2.0 platform. Many of them think that they should get their business into twitter like everyone else and so they just sign up with the site and just keep on posting the updates. They should remember the fact that twitter is not just for showing the updates and there are much more marketing options that remain hidden”, says the professionals of dtalpha.com
Mr. Stephen Pierce, the author of the newly launched twitter resource guide says, “This twitter resource guide is a result of many days of hard work and research. However, we are generous enough to provide this resource guide for free. You’d have noticed several twitter applications that are widely spread in the Internet. Many people would have tried atleast a few twitter applications and noticed that not all the applications available out there are good for promoting their business in twitter. Some of the twitter applications available today claim to be timesavers but they are actually time killers. It is a difficult task to identify the best twitter tools available online. Twitter users can now have a great sigh of relief because, my twitter resource guide 100+ pages of information about the most wanted twitter applications.”
“Based on my research, I was able to find about 201 essential twitter applications. I have grouped them and presented them with the details in the twitter resource guide” says Mr. Stephen Pierce
Speaking on the move, the author said, “First experience with twitter will be a bit confusing. This free twitter resource guide will help you fly with the bird from form the very beginning itself.”
About “The Definitive Twitter Resource Guide!”
“The Definitive Twitter Resource Guide” is a free, downloadable 104 page ebook with the much needed information about the twitter applications and tools. The author, Stephen Pierce has done a great job in compiling this guide with 201 much needed twitter tools and applications. The guide is available for download at http://www.dtalpha.com/talkback/?p=355.
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ISOPURE WATER Releases New Water Filtration System
The ISOPURE WATER filtration system has released a new reverse osmosis water filter system for your home. This whole house water filters and system give you not only clean and healthy drinking water, but also give you reduced lime scale and softer water for washing clothes. This system entails several water filters throughout the home and uses reverse osmosis to remove 99% of all contaminants in both the drinking water and water for other household uses. These water conditioners offer many benefits of water softeners, so there are many benefits of having a water filtration system of this type.
There are many different reverse osmosis systems that are available for home use. One such system is the four stages Reef and Aquarium reverse osmosis water filter system. This is just one example of systems for water purification. There are also several systems that involve Fleck water softeners as well as drinking water filters that can be used to clean 99 percent of the contaminates that currently lurk in water. These systems can also have pentek water filters attached to the system. With all the variety of the systems that are available, why go for anything else?
Why spend hard earned money on bottled water when you can have clean water for less than 2 cents a gallon? Another system of note with the ISOPURE WATER system is the ISOPURE WATER 4 stage reverse osmosis system. This has UV protection from contaminated water and removes 99 percent of solids and organics. This is another one of the good water purifiers as well as an excellent reverse osmosis system with reverse osmosis water filter included. Why get bottled water when with this water purification system takes out all the contaminated particles and leaves you nothing but fresh clean drinking water.
This and other water purification systems can be found at the company’s website which is http://www.isopurewater.com . There are many different types of water purification systems that go along with the ISOPURE WATER systems. With so much to choose from, why go anywhere else for water purifiers that have at least a five stage system attached to it. With so many different reverse osmosis systems out there, why not choose the leader in reverse osmosis water systems. You can’t go wrong with the taste and cost effectiveness of any of the ISOPURE WATER systems that are currently for sale either in stores or via the company website.
The Lifestyle Dental Whitening Solutions
Lifestyle dental has put together a series of packages which can help you achieve that whiter brighter smile
for more details check out the link whitening offers
Ameya Marketing launch new lead generation lifeline to UK small businesses
HAMPSHIRE, United Kingdom – Hampshire based marketing and lead generation agency, Ameya Marketing Solutions, launch new range of low cost telemarketing services to help SME’s identify sales leads, retain customers and conduct market research.
The new lead generation lifeline enables the client to efficiently manage costs and successfully build sales pipeline by paying only for leads that are qualified and meet predefined sales criteria. The range of customer retention programmes are designed for identifying up and cross-sell potential to maximise sales opportunities. In addition, bespoke market research campaigns are available for gathering market intelligence to drive competitive advantage.
Targeted at SME’s, this new range of services is ideal for any organisation that needs to boost its sales pipeline or gather market intelligence, without increasing overheads. By outsourcing telemarketing, they can instantly benefit from highly trained sales and research professionals and implement the services around the needs of the business.
Ameya Managing Director, Simon Charly, comments “In this challenging economic climate, companies need to become smarter with marketing. Organisations are becoming more prudent with expenditure and the pressure is on for marketing departments to justify spend with ROI. During the credit crunch, focus is moving away from traditional brand marketing and turning to more measureable and guaranteed lead generation techniques. Our new range of professional telemarketing services are implemented using highly experienced staff and are the ideal solution to any organisation wanting to build a sales pipeline and maintain their customer base. By guarantying the quality of our services, we position this new offering as a winning proposition.”
For further information about Ameya Marketing Solutions and lead generation services, please visit www.ameya-marketing.co.uk or call 08454 751749.