And The Hits Just Keep On Coming…But Does Success?

According to a recent report by Forrester Research Inc., Web site success will be determined by more than just site hits and page views volume.

"Using hits and page views to judge a site's success is like evaluating a musical performance by its volume," says Eric Schmitt, a commerce site research analyst for Cambridge, Mass.-based Forrester. "This practice doesn't consider the site's visitor experience and subsequently, it doesn't reflect business goals."

To support business goals and accurately quantify success, the report maintains, companies need a robust Web intelligence model, which uniquely identifies and segments users and is capable of accommodating new strategies and technologies. The report also notes that companies must tie measurement infrastructures directly into operational applications to form the foundation for personalization and one-to-one sales.

"For personalization to succeed, a library of rich visitor profiles must be present," adds Schmitt. "But many companies will lead with the wrong decision, buying software engines that they cannot properly fuel. The poor data file being used will result in overeager personalization, reducing customer retention, margins and sales."