Measuring Internet Communication Activities
In this lab, we will discuss three ways to measure activity in an Internet communications effort. These three methods appear in the order of quality. Each method provides useful information. Information that is specific to an individual audience member is more useful for marketers as it provides more opportunities to develop relationships based on individual wants, needs, and desires. But all of these methods provide data that can be used deliver targeted presentations to audiences.
The first method involves reviewing general information from server log files and reports. This is a useful method but is least effective from a marketing and communication perspective. The second method uses a software tool, called a cookie, that is built into the client-server computing model, which allows servers to track the activities of an individual PC. The third method, which is the most effective measurement tool, involves the review of the communication actually taking place through a Web communication effort.
The first method uses server logs to review activity on a Web site. Every time a client computer communicates with a server via the Web, a record of the transaction is recorded by the server. These log files contain a lot of useful information for measuring Web activity. This information can then be reported by the server itself using a reporting software tool. A number of third party services can also be utilized to track server activity and publish easy-to-read reports for Webmasters. A new tracking service called superstats.com is used as an example in this lab.
Captured and reported data can include many topics:
- Page views- records of what and when individual pages were viewed by end users and the history of this activity
- Unique visitors- the number of individual visitors to a page or site by hour, day, or month
- Referring documents- the pages that visitors linked from outside and inside the site
- Search engines that provide links to your site
- The operating systems of the end users' computers
- Browsers and plug-ins being used by the end users
- The domain names of the end users' computers
- Origin countries and languages being used by the end users
All of this information is useful for Web communicators. The popularity of a Web page can help determine the needs of a Web site audience and provide opportunities to improve a presentation. The link records can help determine how a visitor is interacting with a presentation and how it can be improved. Usage numbers can be compared to promotional activities. Client computer information is useful when improving presentation content.
The client-server computing model also provides another useful tool for tracking Web activity. A function built into the client and server software packages developed by Netscape and Microsoft allows Web communicators to set cookies into the client software when end users access servers. These cookies are text codes generated by the server and stored in a file on the PC. Cookies act as individual identifiers or name tags. When a PC logs onto a server using this method, the server checks for cookies. If one is present, the server can track the activity of that PC over time. If one isn't present, the server will try to create a new one. This process can be blocked by the end user, however.
This information is useful for marketers as it provides opportunities to track individual users of a Web site. In the first chapter we discussed the value of cookies as used by amazon.com. These individual identifiers can be combined with usage information to create comprehensive pictures of individual end users and their activity on a Web site. Historical data can be compiled to document users' wants, needs, and desires over time.
Unfortunately, this method does not immediately identify the actual person involved in the communication, just a PC. In the amazon.com example, the cookie identifier was matched with the end user account information to provide personalized greetings when I logged onto the Web site.
The best kind of measurement involves the review of actual communication completed with individuals over the Web or net. Direct communication with individual audience members is the purpose behind this type of communication. Measuring this type of activity involves reviewing the capturing of data and contact information from customers or prospective customers over time. The number of individual profiles built from direct, individual communication is the best type of information to measure. It is the most useful for building relationships.
Success or failure of a Web site or Internet communications effort should not be based on measurement of activity. Success is based on the goals of the effort, the information exchanges, and the audiences involved. The fulfillment of wants, needs, and desires is the motivation for marketing. Fulfillment of these issues via the Internet is the ultimate measurement of success.
Exercises
Understand Web Site Usage Reporting
Let's look at an example of this type of activity. Log onto the Web site at this address: www.superstats.com. This site describes a service available to Webmasters that will track the usage of a Web site using HTML code embedded into the Web site's documents. This service stores and reports that information via a Web interface.
This service is provided free to Webmasters in exchange for the display of a banner ad on the Web site being tracked. This provides promotional opportunities and banner sales opportunities. This service may or may not be beneficial for Web marketers depending on the click-through opportunities and response of these banners. A paid tracking service is also available from superstats.com and others.
On the index page, click on "Examples" or "Demo."
| a) | What three categories of information topics are tracked and reported by this service? |
| b) | Why is this information helpful for Web communicators? |
Understand Cookies that Compile
To examine a more specific measurement tool, conduct a search on your PC for a file with the word "Cookies" in it. This can be done with the Find tool in Windows or Find File on a Mac. Once the file is located, open it with a text editor.
| a) | What does this file contain? |
| b) | Is the information gained by a Web server setting and tracking cookies more helpful than information from usage files? |
Profile People
Consider again the discussion in Chapter 1 regarding amazon.com. In that first chapter we discussed the process involved with purchasing a book from this on-line merchant.
| a) | What specific customer information can be captured and stored by this company? |
| b) | What is the best kind of measurement discussed in this lab? |
Exercise Answers
Answers
Let's look at an example of this type of activity. Log onto the Web site at this address: www.superstats.com. This site describes a service available to Webmasters that will track the usage of a Web site using HTML code embedded into the Web site's documents. This service stores and reports that information via a Web interface.
This service is provided free to Webmasters in exchange for the display of a banner ad on the Web site being tracked. This provides promotional opportunities and banner sales opportunities. This service may or may not be beneficial for Web marketers depending on the click-through opportunities and response of these banners. A paid tracking service is also available from superstats.com and others.
On the index page, click on "Examples" or "Demo."
| a) | What three categories of information topics are tracked and reported by this service? |
| Answer: | Your answers will vary but should include the following topics: site traffic reports, visitor profile reports, and marketing reports (a very loose use of this term). Without going into too much detail, a lot of information is available from looking at the usage of a Web site by end users. All of the information presented in this tracking service can be also gleaned directly from the Web server that is hosting a Web site. Every interaction between a server and a client computer is recorded, or logged, by the server. Generally speaking, these logs record hits. A hit is the term used to describe a file download from the server to the client. These logs can be read directly but are not very simple to decipher and vary according to operating system and administrator. Software products and services like the one shown here capture this log data and generate reports. This exercise is utilizing this service and its demonstration to show the types of information available from server log files. |
| b) | Why is this information helpful for Web communicators? |
| Answer: | Your answers will again vary. Here's mine. This type of information is useful to measure the traffic activity on a Web site and to begin gauging the effectiveness of the presentations being made on it. These reports give a rough idea as to what end users are doing on your site. Deductions can be made about audience characteristics and what is working on a site versus what is not working. For example, historical data can be compared to site promotion activities to see what efforts are successful. Individual page usage can identify what pages and subjects are popular and effective for the audience. Internal link records can demonstrate how users are interacting with your presentation and how it can be improved to meet their needs. External link records can tell you where users are coming from and influence decisions about on-line promotional activities. Client computer operating systems, browsers, and plug-in usage can help determine how best to present information to the audience. Domain addresses can help indicate if users are logging on from work or home. It is important to note that none of this information tells you exactly who you are communicating with, just general activity. This type of information is valuable but not as useful as more specific information about individual end users. More specific ways to measure Web site use are discussed next. |
Answers
To examine a more specific measurement tool, conduct a search on your PC for a file with the word "Cookies" in it. This can be done with the Find tool in Windows or Find File on a Mac. Once the file is located, open it with a text editor.
| a) | What does this file contain? |
| Answer: | Your answer is subjective. Mine follows. This file contains a series of text messages that represent cookies. If this file is empty, then this machine has not accepted cookies set by Web servers. If the file contains text, then your PC has allowed cookies to be set. It probably looks like this: On the left side of the document are Web site addresses. On the right side of the document are a series of corresponding code strings. Together this information acts as a kind of marker or identifier for this individual PC. This information was written here by the Web servers that are identified on the left side of the document. The code string is unique to this machine. Every time this machine logs onto the same server, the server checks for cookies. If a cookie is present here already, the machine can track the activities of this PC on that server. If a cookie isn't present, it creates one and writes it to this file. Cookies can be blocked and erased from a PC by an end user as well. This cookie identifier allows a Web server to track this particular PC's activity on the server. Every repeat visit provides more information about the wants, needs, and desires of this PC. |
| b) | Is the information gained by a Web server setting and tracking cookies more helpful than information from usage files? |
| Answer: | The answer is yes. This information is more advanced than the information taken from usage records because detailed information on an individual PC is captured. When combined with the information discussed in the previous exercise, a more in-depth picture of audience members can be created. Granted, the server doesn't track a person. Cookies track PCs, and more than one person can use a PC. But data generated by tracking the movements, history, and activity of individual PC users is valuable for developing customized, engaging presentations and measuring results. The only thing more valuable for building relationships is to know the actual identity of the end user involved. |
Answers
Consider again the discussion in Chapter 1 regarding amazon.com. In that first chapter we discussed the process involved with purchasing a book from this on-line merchant.
| a) | What specific customer information can be captured and stored by this company? |
| Answer: | Your answer will be clouded by all the information you've covered since that discussion, but it might sound something like mine. When a customer purchases a book or other item from amazon.com, the customer's name, contact, payment, and shipping information is captured to process the order. In addition, specific product preferences are captured from the customer by providing opportunities to specify wants, needs, and desires. Remember the option for selecting your interests, likes, and dislikes on the amazon.com site? That site even suggested products based on the preferences of other customers. All of this information is captured in a database and is updated with each visit or purchase. The company can then build a profile for each individual person. Relationship marketing can be developed, delivering offers to the specific wants, needs, and desires of this person. |
| b) | What is the best kind of measurement discussed in this lab? |
| Answer: | Your answer will vary but should identify individual responses from customers or prospects as the best kind of information to capture and measure. Site usage reporting and cookie tracking are both valuable for measuring the results of a Web communication effort. But the best kind of measurement involves reviewing actual responses from prospective or current customers. This is why we initiated Internet communication: To communicate directly with an audience. Therefore, the measurement of our success is based on the amount of direct communication we actually accomplish. Capturing information about the actual people we are communicating with allows us to continue the communication and to build profiles of the people we are communicating with over time. Knowing how many people looked at a Web page is good. Knowing if the same people came back again and when is better. But knowing who they are and what their wants, needs, and desires are is the best. With this information we can use Internet communication to build relationships. Capturing information from our individual audience members helps us find ways to serve their needs. The actual success of an Internet communications effort can best be defined by looking at our original goals discussed in Chapter 2. If we are reaching them and communicating based on our original plan, then we are succeeding. |
Self-Review Questions
In order to test your progress, you should be able to answer the following questions:
| 1) | Traffic reports from a Web server are useful for gauging what?
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| 2) | Link histories and referring pages provide what information?
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| 3) | Cookies can identify the end user of a PC being tracked.
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| 4) | The best kind of information for measuring Internet communication is captured from what methods?
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