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We tested 10 Web analytics services to get the lowdown on our NETWORK COMPUTING and CMP sites. Omniture's SiteCatalyst provides all the right stuff
We've always tested products on real networks, sites and systems, but for this review of Web analytics services, we went a step further: Our parent company, CMP Media LLC, needs a new Web analytics service for its 150-plus sites, which get new content daily. This many dynamic sites means CMP needs dynamic management, and you can imagine how many dynamic cooks are making sure all this dynamic data doesn't fall flat.
At the center sits CMP's Web analytics department, headed by manager Emily Sunderman. Sunderman and her staff played a central role in this review by contributing their requirements, assisting with our tests and vendor evaluations, performing demos with real end users, offering feedback, and weighing in on our assessments. Her comments precede our review of each product.
We invited CentrPort, Core Metrics, Datanautics, DoubleClick, IBM, lntellitracker, Manticore Technology, Maxamine, NetlQ, NetRatings, Omniture, Route Science, Sane Solutions, SAS, ThinkMetrics, Watchfire, WebAbacus and WebSideStory to participate in our tests. We explained that we would use live traffic and that their services were to be implememnted as if we were a customer-which we might be if they wowed us. We wanted to identify site-visitor behavior and determine the reasons for that behavior. Also crucial to us was further end-user interaction and the support for non-IT business and content owners. We also considered, though did not test, integration with other business-information sources. We evaluated each product based on visitor identification, campaign information, path-navigation analysis, e-commerce report writing, administration, integration, training and performance.
We also presented pricing scenarios and asked for monthly recurring and other possible charges. Our chart (page 50) shows retail pricing. We won't divulge the pricing CMP received, but our advice is, negotiate!
Given these parameters, IBM, lntellitracker, Manticore Technology, NetlQ, NetRatings, Omniture, ThinkMetrics, Watchfire, WebAbacus and WebSideStory agreed to put their services to the test. CentrPort, Core Metrics, Datanautics and Sane Solutions declined to participate, while the services from Maxamine and Route Science did not meet our minimum requiremerits. SAS said its product would not be ready until next quarter, and DoubleClick cited a lack of resources.
New Tools, Stat!