Analytics

Amazon.com executives and investors had a very merry holiday season as buyers chose the online mall in huge numbers. Amazon said the 2007 holiday season, its 13th, was its best ever in terms of sales. While the Seattle-based e-commerce giant did not reveal final sales figures, it noted customers ord...

While retailers are rich in data, they are struggling to gather information from point-of-sale systems, planning systems and various other locations where customer, vendor and internal data collection take place. Retailers are generally performing poorly in terms of executing analysis and utilizing ...

Online retailers agree that it's better to give than receive, yet they stand to receive more than most. Santa will barely have time to shuck his boots for his slippers before the merchandise misfits begin a return journey to the warehouse to wreak havoc on the season's sales numbers. "The reality is...

In a three-year deal worth US$4.5 billion, Dell is consolidating its far-flung advertising efforts into an integrated "new marketing model" that involves partnering with one agency: London-based WPP Group. Dell officials said they've been calling the new arrangement "Project DaVinci," a name intende...

Google and Nielsen have formed a relationship designed to help advertisers create targeted ads for viewers and track how and where their advertising dollars are delivering a return. Under the agreement, Google will provide Nielsen's demographic data through its Google TV Ads advertising platform. Go...

These days, just about every business -- from the corner store to Wal-Mart -- has a Web presence. While the Internet's vast expanse provides companies with the ability to reach more potential customers, it also pits them against more competitors than ever before. As a result, it has become increasin...

The holiday shopping season is almost upon us. Many online retailers are still trying to get everything ready for the anticipated hordes of shoppers who will be beating down their online gates to buy gifts for their loved ones and friends. Most retail sectors depend heavily -- and some, almost exclu...

As Internet applications grow more complex and versatile, end users' experiences get more colorful and interesting. However, rich Internet applications also place a far greater performance demand on Internet browsers, which have to orchestrate the expanding variety of Internet elements and objects.

Duff Anderson, vice president of research, development and knowledge delivery at iPerceptions, is a pioneer in the attitudinal Web analytics field, endeavoring since 1996 to forge standards for online research methodologies and analysis. iPerceptions, with offices in New York, Montreal and Toronto, ...

In its first major move since cofounder Jerry Yang returned to the CEO's chair, Yahoo will buy online ad network BlueLithium, a firm that uses online behavioral tracking to help advertisers reach specific consumers at defined times. The Web portal said it would pay $300 million in cash for the firm,...

Google continues to win the battle for Internet search dominance, according to the latest findings of Web traffic measurement firm comScore. The Reston, Va.-based Internet metrics company said its July numbers show Google leading the field of what it considers the top five search engines. According ...

Reacting to changes in Internet browsing fostered by Web 2.0 applications, Internet market research company Nielsen//NetRatings is adding to its toolbox two new ways of measuring Web site use. The company's NetView syndicated Internet audience measurement service will now include "Total Minutes" and...

Has your company defined a Web analytics strategy yet? If your answer is no, then ask yourself: Why not? Companies with defined analytics programs are realizing double-digit growth in new Web site visitors, returning visitor traffic and conversion rates. The barriers to entry for adopting analytics ...

Web analytics and personalization of Web sites have surfaced as key development initiatives for online merchants, according to a new benchmark report from Aberdeen Group, "Clicks to Customers: The Real ROI in B2C eCommerce." More than 44 percent of firms currently use Web analytics to evaluate custo...

Google today announced that its hosted Web analytics service, Google Analytics, is now free. Formerly known as Urchin from Google, Google Analytics is designed to help businesses use performance data to improve their online marketing campaigns and Web sites. Google Analytics is already used by many ...