WebTrends
Encyclopedia
Webtrends is a private company headquartered in Portland, Oregon
, United States. It provides web analytics and other software solutions related to marketing intelligence. The company was founded in 1993 and now serves more than 10,000 large and small firms.
products, services, and solutions which focus on the collection and presentation of user behavior data for websites and mobile device applications.
Based on data captured, the products can be classified into:
(SaaS) models.
The software analyzes and organizes the captured data into reports for each configured 'Profile'. Reports are viewable by various means, most commonly through a web-based graphic user interface or a scheduled emailed export of the report in PDF or csv
format. Collected data can also be viewed via raw log file delivery, REST
and ODBC queries, and other solutions which utilize the Webtrends Data Extraction API. The web-based report presentation interface is highly configurable, allowing a Webtrends administrator to specify what information should be analyzed, where it should be presented, and to whom it should be available for viewing.
On October 31, 2007, three corporate vice presidents and the CEO were asked to resign. Although there was initial speculation the company was to be quickly sold to its largest competitor, later reports indicated the change signaled a long-term move.
Webtrends acquired Seattle based Widemile, a provider of multivariate testing and targeting on July 30, 2009. The product was re-branded and relaunched as Webtrends Optimize the day the acquisition was made public.
Webtrends acquired San Francisco based Transpond, a maker of social microsites and applications that can be distributed over the web or Facebook
. The product was re-branded as Webtrends Apps at the time of the announcement and was later rebranded as Webtrends Social.
Webtrends acquired Reinvigorate from Culver City, CA based Media Temple Ventures. Reinvigorate developed a real time analytics web solution with visit heat mapping technologies. The product has yet to be rebranded into the Webtrends portfolio as of 8/27/2011.
. The ad asked, "Should Cyclists Pay A Road Tax?". Both drivers and the cycling community reacted strongly to the ad, with strident opinion on both sides of the debate. The aim of the campaign was to demonstrate the ability of the company's Web analytics to track the resulting online commentary around the issue.
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, United States. It provides web analytics and other software solutions related to marketing intelligence. The company was founded in 1993 and now serves more than 10,000 large and small firms.
Products
Webtrends offers a variety of Web analyticsWeb analytics
Web analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of internet data for purposes of understanding and optimizing web usage....
products, services, and solutions which focus on the collection and presentation of user behavior data for websites and mobile device applications.
Based on data captured, the products can be classified into:
| Data Captured | Webtrends Solution Offerings |
|---|---|
| Client/Server Side Data |
Webtrends Analytics, On Demand & On Premises |
| Data Warehouse | Visitor Data Mart |
| Usability Testing Data | Webtrends Optimize |
| User behavioral Data | Webtrends Social Measurement, Webtrends Social (previously Webtrends Apps) |
| Marketing Channel Data | Webtrends Ads |
Webtrends Analytics
The core product, Webtrends Analytics, is available in both software and software as a serviceSoftware as a Service
Software as a service , sometimes referred to as "on-demand software," is a software delivery model in which software and its associated data are hosted centrally and are typically accessed by users using a thin client, normally using a web browser over the Internet.SaaS has become a common...
(SaaS) models.
Webtrends Visitor Data Mart
At the core of this tool is comprehensive "Interest Profile" that combines a unique visitor's online behavior with offline customer data, such as CRM or demographics, to build insight into that person over time. This insight, combined with analysis and multi-dimensional reporting, gives enterprise organizations the ability to answer questions that are critical to improving marketing ROI.Data Collection Technology
There are two main technological approaches to collecting the data:- Log File Analysis - Reads the log files in which the web server records all its transactions.
- Page Tagging - Parameter name/value pairs are appended (either automatically by a JavaScript "tag" or manual hand-coding) to the query string of a gifGIFThe Graphics Interchange Format is a bitmap image format that was introduced by CompuServe in 1987 and has since come into widespread usage on the World Wide Web due to its wide support and portability....
image which resides on a data collection server. When a visitor loads the page in a browser, the browser sends a request to the data collection server so that it may load the gif image. The data collection server receives the request and logs the parameters included in the query string of the gif image.
The software analyzes and organizes the captured data into reports for each configured 'Profile'. Reports are viewable by various means, most commonly through a web-based graphic user interface or a scheduled emailed export of the report in PDF or csv
CSV
CSV may refer to:* Clerics of Saint Viator* Common Stored Value Ticket* Confederación Sudamericana de Voleibol* Character Strengths and Virtues* Christian Social People's Party* Community Service Volunteers...
format. Collected data can also be viewed via raw log file delivery, REST
Rest
Rest may refer to:* Leisure* Human relaxation* SleepRest may also refer to:* Rest , a pause in a piece of music* Rest , the relation between two observers* Rest , a 2008 album by Gregor Samsa...
and ODBC queries, and other solutions which utilize the Webtrends Data Extraction API. The web-based report presentation interface is highly configurable, allowing a Webtrends administrator to specify what information should be analyzed, where it should be presented, and to whom it should be available for viewing.
Corporate history
W. Glen Boyd and Eli Shapira founded the company in 1995 as "e.g. Software". In 1999 they took it public, raising $45.5 million. In 2001 California company NetIQ bought Webtrends for $1.1 billion in stock, then sold it to Francisco Partners four years later for $94 million.On October 31, 2007, three corporate vice presidents and the CEO were asked to resign. Although there was initial speculation the company was to be quickly sold to its largest competitor, later reports indicated the change signaled a long-term move.
Acquisitions
Webtrends acquired ClickShift, an automated optimization solution in online advertising, in December 2006. ClickShift's technology was integrated into Webtrends' Marketing Lab suite, which includes its analytics and marketing warehouse products. The offering was re-branded as Webtrends Dynamic Search. In August 2008, the product was relaunched as Webtrends Ad Director.Webtrends acquired Seattle based Widemile, a provider of multivariate testing and targeting on July 30, 2009. The product was re-branded and relaunched as Webtrends Optimize the day the acquisition was made public.
Webtrends acquired San Francisco based Transpond, a maker of social microsites and applications that can be distributed over the web or Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
. The product was re-branded as Webtrends Apps at the time of the announcement and was later rebranded as Webtrends Social.
Webtrends acquired Reinvigorate from Culver City, CA based Media Temple Ventures. Reinvigorate developed a real time analytics web solution with visit heat mapping technologies. The product has yet to be rebranded into the Webtrends portfolio as of 8/27/2011.
Controversy
In 2009, Webtrends launched a transit ad campaign revolving around whether or not cyclists should pay a road taxRoad tax
Road tax, known by various names around the world, is a tax which has to be paid on a motor vehicle before using it on a public road.-Australia:...
. The ad asked, "Should Cyclists Pay A Road Tax?". Both drivers and the cycling community reacted strongly to the ad, with strident opinion on both sides of the debate. The aim of the campaign was to demonstrate the ability of the company's Web analytics to track the resulting online commentary around the issue.