Economic downturn drives online marketing attitudes
SYDNEY,
Australia – 9 February 2009 – WebTrends, the leading provider of web analytics and
online marketing solutions, today released the findings of its 2009 analytics
survey. The in-depth report, Analysis V Action, has found that 48
percent of Australian businesses surveyed consider internet marketing a key
component to overcoming the challenges faced by the economic downturn. The
report also finds that 68 percent of Australian respondents believe that more
sophisticated web analysis would boost online sales.
“The
Australian market is incredibly switched on when it comes to web analytics,”
says Mark Allison, Territory Manager for WebTrends, Australasia. “Australian
businesses are very aware of the need to spend less time looking at their
online data and more time putting their analytics into practice. From our
experience, businesses that use sophisticated analytics to influence their
online marketing strategies achieve greater success than other online
businesses.
Delving
into the minds of Australian businesses, the report shows how they are keen to
better interact with their customers through online channels, including online
advertising. Australian internet advertising will see increases of up to 9.7
per cent, according to a recent report by Aegis Media. The WebTrends survey
shows that 67 percent of Australian businesses believe that online advertising
is important in generating visits to a website, an attitude that correlates
with the expected growth in internet advertising.
“Australian
businesses appreciate the importance of cultivating meaningful online
relationships with their customers. They are willing to try new tactics,
explore new opportunities with online advertising and are driving the uptake of
highly-developed online strategies to engage and understand their customers,”
says Allison.
Getting
to know you
Only
41 percent of Australian businesses involved in the survey say they struggle to
understand their web-based audience and are not effectively capitalising on
internet sales opportunities because of it.
76 percent
of Australian businesses surveyed place a high importance on the analysis of
data generated by their website or online marketing activity to aid better
business decisions.
Counting
the dollars
The
results of the survey say that 48 percent of Australian businesses agree that
internet marketing is considered a way to overcome challenges presented by the
current economic downturn. However, according to the survey, Australian
respondents see internet marketing posing a higher risk than traditional marketing,
as the outcomes are harder to predict and there is a higher chance of failure.
The
survey found that Australian businesses invest 20 percent of their yearly
marketing budget on internet-based marketing and 66 percent of Australian
respondents are satisfied with the return on investment from their online
marketing.
Moving
online
The
survey found that 56 percent of Australian businesses rate online advertising
as important or very important in helping drive e-commerce sales.
In
addition to the importance of online advertising, 57 percent of Australian
respondents say they conduct diligent research into publications and websites
to ensure that their online advertising is reaching the appropriate audience.
Furthermore, 54 percent of respondents answered that they ensure real-time
analysis of click through rates from web links to the desired destination.
Demonstrating
their willingness to put analysis into action, 41 percent of Australian
businesses surveyed allow for dynamic content in their advertisements that can
be changed based on the activity of the respondents.
Jumping
into action
According
to the research, 68 percent of Australian businesses capture online data, with
54 percent of businesses modifying their website as a result of traffic analysis
and 52 percent modifying e-marketing content as a result of user analysis.
50
percent of Australian businesses say they change their business practices based
on the analysis of internet data.
However,
the typical barriers to changing from business analysis to business action
cited by Australian respondents are; lengthy process or bureaucracy, financial
constraints and lack of knowledge and expertise.
Bridging
the knowledge gap
When asked
to identify the areas where more help was needed to improve the way that
internet data was analysed and applied, 58 percent of Australian respondents
stated that they need more knowledgeable staff, training and awareness.
However,
only 28 percent of Australian businesses outsource the gathering and analysis
of internet data.
From
analysis to action
“With
consumer behaviour altering so drastically in these economic times, Australian
businesses need to make more informed decisions about how and where to spend
their marketing dollars,” says Allison.
“This
report shows how Australian businesses are acting on their analytics data,
creating and implementing strategies that keep them ahead of the curve and most
effectively reach their customers. With the right integration of analysis and
action there are clear opportunities for internet businesses to flourish even
in tough economic times.”
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ends -
About WebTrends Analysis & Action Research
Findings from the WebTrends Analysis & Action Research are based on 300
interviews with online marketing managers in businesses with more than 250
employees. 50 interviews were conducted by telephone in each of UK, France,
Germany, Italy, Sweden and Australia. All respondents in the survey rely upon
internet marketing to either sell directly to customer via e-commerce (40
percent) or engage them with sales and marketing activity. The research was
commissioned by WebTrends and conducted by Loudhouse, an independent research
consultancy based in the UK.
About WebTrends Inc.
WebTrends provides
web analytics and online marketing solutions to optimize marketing campaigns
and customer engagement. WebTrends Marketing Lab delivers the industry's most
recognised analytics, SEM, and visitor intelligence solutions to enable companies
to understand their customers, drive customer engagement, and enhance marketing
and brand awareness. Thousands of leading global organisations, including
Microsoft, Reuters, General Mills and Ticketmaster have chosen WebTrends
business solutions and client services expertise to optimize their customers'
online experiences.
For more information, visit: www.webtrends.com
WebTrends is a registered trademark of WebTrends Inc. in the United States and
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properties of their respective owners.
Media information:
Angela Coombes
Max Australia
02 9954 3492
angela.coombes@maxaustralia.com.au
Tara Schwarze
Max Australia
02 9954 3492
Tara.schwarze@maxaustralia.com.au
