Web Analytics Vendor Cross-Check H2/2008

By Phil Kemelor and Theresa Regli at 2008-08-07 05:51:00 |

It is all too easy to select vendors for your shortlist based on their supposed "leadership" status in the market -- status either given by analyst firms or by the vendors themselves. As our Web Analytics Report 2008 amply describes, web analytics represents a range of technologies suited to different scenarios.

Our aim is to provide you with current and verified information to make the right "fit" choice for your specific needs. Once you have selected toolsets that meet your requirements, you also need to consider the status of the vendors. Again, "leadership" status in a top right quadrant on an analyst chart does little more than tell you who has the biggest revenues in the sector, along with the widest array of technology to offer. It does not tell you whether the vendor's corporate status is in a state of flux, or whether the product set is currently undergoing an overhaul, or whether both are in the process of becoming somewhat irrelevant in the marketplace due to a lack of innovation and investment.

All of these above factors involve risk to you, the buyer. The purpose of the chart below then is to provide you with some key indicators to recognize and weigh those risks. It makes for very interesting reading (we believe), as one will see that major brands do not always fare well and may, in some circumstances, represent an unacceptable risk.

To gain maximum value from this chart you need to consider two key factors: your own organization and the web analytics marketplace. Each buying organization is different. What represents a high risk to one may represent a chance for innovation and a competitive advantage to another. What represents a staid, uninspiring, and somewhat slow-moving product set to one, may represent a solid area of comfort and low risk to another. Matching your appetite for change and risk against the vendors is an important element of the selection process. Equally important is the knowledge that this chart is in constant flux. Each edition looks different as new products and initiatives are launched and others mature. As many enterprise search projects stretch over many months, monitoring this vendor movement is an important part of the project process.

Making Sense of the Chart

The chart below represents four key dimensions that we believe should supplement a functional and cost/value analysis in any major procurement decision. Use this tool in addition to the specific vendor chapters that look in more detail at the specific functional and technical capabilities of the product sets.

Web analytics tools will become integral to your business, and in committing to a purchase you are also by default committing to a long-term relationship with the vendor. Major vendors will gladly dazzle, and wine and dine, your team, but though they may appear to be a safe and conservative choice, in fact today many are ironically higher-risk partners.

Let us be clear: there is no "right" or "magic" or "leader" location this chart. Buyers with strong internal IT processes and a predilection for "early adoption" may favor a vendor undertaking fundamental change, on the grounds that they can influence roadmaps and new technology and "leapfrog" competitors stuck with older tools and approaches. Other customers will prefer a web analytics supplier evolving at a more moderate pace; while still other buyers will prefer a more conservative approach. It is for you to decide where your preferences sit.

The four dimensions we plot are:

Size -
Denotes the relative size and importance of the vendor in the broad technology marketplace.

Focus on web analytics -
Indicates how much of the firm's efforts are focused on web analytics. For some it is a side activity, for others it is the sole focus.

Vendor Evolution -
Weighs the current pace of change at the vendor itself: is it evolving as the marketplace changes? Has it just been acquired, or acquired another product?

Product Development -
Weighs the current pace of change for the web analytics solution. Is the product line about to undergo a major revision? Is the firm in the midst of trying to piece together many disparate modules? Or is little happening, with a mature product undergoing minimal change?

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Each buyer will rate the importance of these dimensions differently and we encourage you to make use of this tool interactively. Our placement of the vendors denotes our assessments as of mid-2008; we will update it substantially at each revision of the report.

Indeed, this is a snapshot of vendors in motion. For a better sense of where each supplier is headed, consult the individual product chapters in The Web Analytics Report 2008.

The Vendors

24/7 Real Media
Web analytics isn't a core focus for 24/7 Real Media, as the company's top lines of business are the "24/7 Web Alliance," a network of websites selling ad space and "24/7 Search," a search engine optimization and paid inclusion service.

AuriQ
Although AuriQ seems to fly "under the radar," their core data collection technology, which is based on network sniffing, is a differentiator in today's marketplace.

Lyris
Lyris' ClickTracks has long had a history of being an industry leader in innovation, usability, and transparency at an affordable price point.

Coremetrics
The entire company is focused on developing, marketing, selling and supporting its web analytics and digital marketing optimization solutions.

Foviance
WebAbacus, one of the oldest analytics vendors based in the UK, is undergoing a bit of a transition since its acquisition by The Usability Company.

Digital River
In the scheme of the company's offerings, Digital River's Fireclick is a very minor player, and contributes little to Digital Rivers' bottom line.

Google
Google has aggressively upgraded Google Analytics since May 2007 with a host of features that enhance usability and analytic scope.

IndexTools
Focusing on e-commerce reporting, the company has built a loyal following due in part to its small company feel and overall responsiveness to feature requests.

Nedstat
Nedstat seeks to differentiate itself through its focus on product usability and its commitment to local support.

Omniture
As with other acquisitive vendors, we still question how effectively Omniture will assimilate the new technologies and how its new offerings will impact existing services.

Unica
Affinium NetInsight comes out of the previous Sane Solutions "NetTracker" log file analysis package.

WebTrends
WebTrends has been in the analytics space longer than any of its current competitors, and many experienced analysts got their start working with WebTrends.

Editor's note: this article was excerpted from the Web Analytics Report 2008. In addition to full evaluations of each of these products, the full report contains detailed information for why we categorize these products in the particular sectors.