Measuring the Impact of Your Web Site
Robert W. Buchanan, JR. and Charles Lukaszewski, 1997
New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
ISBN: 0-471-17249-9
"If you know your objectives and know what you want to measure, then this book will be somewhat of a disappointment."Reviewed by Roger Tilson
|
@ the reviewers |
|
Roger Tilson is a User Involvement Specialist for IBM in Austin, Texas.
|
Establishing a successful Web site requires setting objectives, measuring progress in meeting those objectives, and improving the site based on these measurements. These are the core assumptions of Measuring the Impact of Your Web Site. The book, however, focuses too much on the sundry types of measurements, and not enough on using these measurements to improve sites.
The authors acknowledge that most organizations collect user data to improve sites more so than to justify sites, but the authors nevertheless concentrate mostly on justification. Much of the book, moreover, is simply a list of different types of measurement techniques that could be used for any purpose. Readers will likely find a measurement or two that they may want to apply to their sites, but they will also find many measurements that won't apply. More important, the list of different measurements does not include much discussion of how they should be used.
The book does have its good points. For instance, it outlines a simple 4-step process for beginning work on a site. The steps include setting objectives, analyzing the audience, selecting appropriate content, and choosing a promotion strategy. For the audience analysis, the authors provide worksheets to help you determine whether the Web is the best medium to reach the audience you want to reach.
The authors also contend that site evolution needs to be based on audience feedback, and the chapter "What Do Your Measures Mean?" contains some suggestions to help in this process. But the suggestions for improving a site based on user feedback spans only a few pages, whereas the list of different measurements goes on and on.
If you need to justify a Web site, and need help coming up with a strategy and data to do so, then this book will likely help you brainstorm some different possible justifications. If you know your objectives and know what you want to measure, then this book will be somewhat of a disappointment.
© Internet Technical Group
Last update: March 6, 1999
URL: http://www.sandia.gov/itg/newsletter/mar99/review_impact.html
hosted by Sandia National Labs
Disclaimer: Neither Sandia Corporation, the United States Government, nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately-owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by Sandia Corporation, the United States Government, or any agency thereof. The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of Sandia Corporation, the United States Government or any agency thereof.