Audience measurement for the Web; Google Analytics

Zheng, Chyi and Kaufhold (2012) discuss a multidimensional model for measuring attention on websites. They discuss that attention is a measurement that is valued on the internet (vs. exposure) which is something I agree with completely.  Attention and engagement often precede actions such as attitudes and purchase intentions which are important in advertising.

Web attention is described by a five dimensional model. I especially like popularity and believe it is a significant measure that attributes to a website's "success." Even if a site has all of the other four dimensions, without popularity, there is less chance of the 4 dimensions playing a meaningful role. However, if a site has one dimension, popularity, it increases the likelihood of all of the other four dimensions. With many unique visitors, visitors could gain loyalty, stickiness, depth, and of course visibility. These sites could be websites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google, etc. However, if there is a lot of stickiness with high loyalty, deep depth amongst a small number of unique visitors, it would mean the website has failed to cater to the public and only serves a niche. These kinds of websites could be personal blogs, family bands, etc.

Also, I found the loyalty to weather channels interesting. Upon reflection, weather channels may have outnumbered television shows, etc. not due to loyalty but because it addresses our daily needs. It is a channel that does not fulfill our need for entertainment or specific gratifications but rather serves to fulfil our daily routine. It's a habitual behavior to check the weather every morning or before one goes outside. It may be a different kind of loyalty than the loyalty we develop toward television shows (fandom, entertainment, etc.). This highlights how difficult it is to analyze audiences' web behavior online.