An example of the output reporting from a web analytics service is shown in Figure 9.8.Marketing research using the Internet
Marketing researchwill help determine the influence of the web site and related com-
munications on customer perception of the company and its products and services. The
options for conducting survey research include interviews, questionnaires and focus
groups. Each of these techniques can be conducted offline or online. Offline methods
are especially appropriate for companies with a smaller number of customers, who can
be easily accessed, for example by sales staff. When surveys such as interviews are con-
ducted they may not solely concern the impact of the web site, but questions about this
could be part of a wider survey on customer perception of the company or its product.CHAPTER 9· MAINTAINING AND MONITORING THE ONLINE PRESENCE
Figure 9.8Web analytics tool Indextools used to assess page popularity in Dave
Chaffey’s site (www.davechaffey.com)Internet-based
market research
The use of online
questionnaires and
focus groups to assess
customer perceptions
of a web site or broader
marketing issues.