As you read this connected to the web through your computer, mobile or even a tab, your usage is being monitored. No reasons to panic here, but these are some entities doing their everyday job which includes measuring and generating the online user stats. The big ones in this field include the IMRB and its WAM (Web Audience Measurement) tool, ComScore – who claim to be the global leaders in measuring the Digital World and ViziSense – a big player in Web Analytics. Let’s take a peek into how these firms go about doing it.
IMRB are the pioneers in this business in India with their measurement platform launched in November 2010. WAM continuously tracks the web usage and provides insights on various factors like the demography, gender, time spent and more useful insights to those have interested in doing business in the web. WAM has introduced something unique like Web Rating Points (WRP) that tracks the time on site and the exposure which is of much relevance to advertisers. IRMB does the tracking through software installed (.exe file) in the target panels members’ computers and thus track the usage across all browsers once the user is connected to the web. IMRB currently surveys about 6000 individuals across 8 metros. We wonder whether that is a bit too small a sample especially when your competitor samples over 60,000! However the company claims 99% accuracy in the findings.
Yes folks, the next big player – Vizisense ( Komli Media’s Audience Measurement System), also use a panel approach but we hear that they use about 60,000 of them. Again, anonymous in nature tracks the internet usage unknown to any user. They also place Accutags which are embedded by publishers provides stats for publishers in exchange of these tags placed in their sites that again helps in providing more accurate analysis of the internet usage. Vizisense then uses data from the above mentioned ways and provides useful insights.
ComScore – A US based Web Analytics provider boasts of having over 2 million users worldwide to their panel list. In exchange of installing the web monitoring software, they provide several benefits to the users including security programs, data storage and chances to win cash or prizes. They have introduced a Unified Digital Measurement that combines panel insights with the Census insights.
The Big 3 of web analytics provide businesses useful insights that help them make better decisions. With the internet world expanding in India, there’s no doubt that there will be many more like them coming up!
