Eyeblaster Digital Experience Strategist Dean Donaldson recently shared his insight into effectively measuring user paths to conversion in this article published in iMedia Connection:

So Google for the second quarter running is unable to hit predicted analyst targets, which is something I find saddening on one hand, but positive on another. Sad because I think it heralds an end of an era of how online advertising has come to be justified as effective, but positive in that it also signals a new phase of development for what lies ahead.

Seeing the web as a merely direct response medium as opposed to its true branding potential (especially when you evaluate the shift towards entertainment content over mere information) is something I feel must be addressed to ensure longevity for the industry. Online branding is still being justified by a response based metric, i.e., the ‘click’ for the most part. We would not measure TV by the number of people making phone-calls unless the creative said specifically ‘phone this number now’. It is therefore creative-dependent, and related to the required call-to-action. I would argue the same is also true of online video. New metrics need to be identified — and by that I am talking about user time spent with a brand — as opposed to anything relating to a response from clicks or interactions.

For the full article, click here.