30

Jul

By Dennis R. Mortensen
19 comments
Where’s Dennis? – a comment about Web Analytics in Asia

I recently returned from a month in Singapore, where I had the opportunity to explore the Asian Web Analytics market (as far as Singapore represent the region, which of course is not a fair representative). This is no Forester or Gartner in depth market analysis; this is my own very subjective comment and view after:

  • Meeting with some almost 10 interactive agencies (SME and Enterprise level)
  • Meeting with our existing partners in Singapore
  • Meeting with a handful of direct clients
  • Presenting and demoing IndexTools
  • Attending the Online Marketing and Web Analytics conference and seminar hosted by GSQM at the Marketing Institute of Singapore. (Jim Sterne actually presented there, what a small world)
  • Meeting up with Jim Sterne at Raffles Hotel, sharing a handful of Singapore Sling’s (see that is great in depth market RESEARCH if you ask me..)

With ultrahigh Internet penetration (they have nationwide FREE Wi-Fi) – one would expect sophistication in their use of online marketing and this including sophisticated use of Web Analytics Tools. There was only very limited in depth knowledge of the powers of Web Analytics as a discipline and even more surprising, there were very little knowledge about web analytics tools – Only two tools were mentioned:

  • Google Analytics
  • Webtrends (mostly the LOG analyzer)

No mentioning of IndexTools, Omniture, Visual Sciences or any other Enterprise Web Analytics Vendor – this including Asia specific vendors like Digital Forest and CCMedia. Whenever debating use of the deployed Web analytics tools – it became clear that it was merely on a reporting level and not on a analysis level.

My instantaneous conclusion is that the web analytics market is not yet mature in Asia (Singapore). A big reason for this includes the fact that Online Marketing spend was below 1% last year, BUT there is no doubt that it will be there soon (1 to 2 years according to most of the agencies interviewed).. so perhaps it is time to move out there, because Singapore in general was absolutely fascinating and the people I spoke to at the agencies utterly friendly.

I would be very happy to get your input on the market and I am more than happy to bring it up at the next fantastic 6 podcast Lars? :-)

N.B.
Where’s Dennis? – I am actually in Chicago attending Ad:Tech, so if you are there, post a comment or throw me an email and we should meet up! :-)

  • Florian

    Thanks for you post Dennis, this is first one I have seen in major Web Analytics blogs about Asia. As far as I can tell, being based in China, your conclusion holds true for all of Asia. Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea, might actually be more advanced than the rest. We are just getting started in China to focus on a more Analytics driven approach, and the initial gains promise a rich harvest. Drop me a not if you are coming to AD:tech Shanghai. A sprinkle of Web Analytics wisdom would certainly be of tremendous value

  • Lars

    You beat me to it! Expect a first post on web analytics in Asia on my blog today. I have planned for it to be a series just like my “Web Analytics in Europe” series.

    As for podcast, there will be a sequel, I’ll let ya know when it’s ready for take off. :)

  • Anil Umachigi

    Howdy Dennis!
    your “bang” on target, i totally agree most of them here in india believe web Analytics is merely reporting. Log Analysis prevails and Analytics ASP’s are picking up slowly. I spend lot of time explaining and evangelizing how web analytics helps taking “Data driven decisions”.

    P.S: Just curious does indextools have any existing partners or tied up with agencies?

    Anil

  • Anil Umachigi

    I meant in india
    Just curious does indextools have any existing partners or tied up with agencies?

  • Jacques Warren

    And as far as I understand, this is similar to the situation in Japan, although it is maybe a more mature Internet market. I was working a lot in the late 90′s on that market, Japanese being at the time, the second most used language on the Web. It is a very sophisticated economy. From what I’ve heard, people like Jim Sterne and Eric Peterson are being invite to present there. Expect the Japanese tocatch up quickly!

  • Dennis R. Mortensen

    Florian,

    Thank you very much for your comment, very much appreciated! And I will certainly drop you a note if we add ad:tech Shanghai to the our list, or if I just happen to be in the “neighbourhood”. We actually kept it off our “tour” list for the exact same reason as you write (..and as I experienced in Singapore) – So first step, from a more commercial point of view, will be to attend ad:tech Singapore 2008 in June.

    Who are the vendors playing the Chinese market right now?

    Lars,

    Ha ha… I am happy I got there first for a change. :-)

    Jacques,

    I absolutely agree and it is also my understanding that Japan is a tad more mature than the rest. I also know that it have been a great market for ClickTracks – am I right on that?

  • Dennis R. Mortensen

    Hi Anil,

    As always, great to see your comments here!

    >spend lot of time explaining and evangelizing how web analytics helps taking “Data driven decisions”.

    I thought I had a tough Job :-)
    Could you let me know WHO the vendors (you here about the most) are out in India?

    >Just curious does indextools have any existing partners or tied up with agencies?

    We are slowly starting to move into the Asian market – And I am more that willing to guide you towards somebody… or have a chat, if you are at Agency (actually tried to look it up at Web Analytics Pulse, but it seems like the front page is down?)

    Cheers Anil

  • Anil Umachigi

    Hey Dennis!
    Yes iam in Bangalore India.
    No i do not work for any agency, i would be more than happy to probably give you a list of leading agencies out here (i would need some time for that)

    Oh yeah! my site was down, due to some CSS issues (i read somewhere, code is a poetry and i messed it up :( but things seems to be fine now)

    Anil

  • Dennis R. Mortensen

    Hi Anil

    >>No i do not work for any agency, i would be more than happy to probably give you a list of leading agencies out here

    Do not sweat it. However; I would like the opertunity to ping you when we move in that direction – I hope that would be OK?
    (… and ofcourse that occasional email with a great agency for us to contact :-)

    Cheers
    Dennis

  • Chung Wei

    Hi Dennis,

    You are correct that in Singapore currently, most users of WA tools are using them mainly for reporting and not on analysis level.

    The problem beside the lack of online marketing is the lack of education on the usefulness of the WA tools. It is difficult to justify paying the huge amount of money for enterprise level tools like Omnitune, Visual Science and Indextool without showing significant improvement in revenues or whatever important KPI.

    That also leads to why only two web analytics tools are mentioned in Singapore: GA and Webtrends. GA because it is a free product. It is painless (in term of cost) for testing the use of a WA tool.

    Webtrends because they have a distributor in Singapore. First mover advantage :) I don’t really know of any distributor for the other major WA tools in Singapore.

    Lack of local distributor and education on how to make “data driven decision” using web analytics is slowing the penetration in Asia not just in Singapore. :)

    All this will change once more players are coming into Asia.

  • Anil Umachigi

    Sure thing! i’ll be glad to do my best

    regards
    anil

  • Dennis R. Mortensen

    Hi Chung Wei,

    Great input, thanks a lot! – .. and I am happy to hear that the month spent there was not completely misunderstood :-)

    Cheers
    Dennis

  • Tariq Md

    Hi Dennis – Cheers with s’pore Sling,
    This s Tariq based from singpore. Well its an intersting post regarding the webanalytics ,its true, we can see the future online transaction in singapore also asia gonna vibrant with less aware of the statistical and analytical issues. Hope Indextools realy gonna work out of the box. Feel bad on missing ur talks here in singapore. Hope to see u on the coming adtech jun ’08 (if not mistaken). Juz to check with u whom ur wrkg with in singapore…
    thnks for ur post

  • Dennis R. Mortensen

    Hi Tariq

    Thank you very much for the comment… and see you in June! :-)

    Cheers
    Dennis

  • deric Loh

    Got to agree with you said Dennis,I’m from Singapore and very true like what you mentioned, taking awhile before many in Singapore start taking action with web analytics.Kinda wasted miss your talk in Singapore.So do drop me a note when you’re gonna have your next talk in Singapore yeah.

    Cheers,
    deric

  • Dennis R. Mortensen

    Hi Deric,

    Thank you for confirming the fact and status about the state of WA in Singapore. And I sure will ping you when in town again.

    My plan is to return around June 2008 for an update.

    Cheers

  • Tariq Mohamed

    Hi Dennis,
    Congrats on working with Yahoo!!

  • Dennis R. Mortensen

    Hi Tariq,

    Thanks a lot mate!
    Cheers Dennis

  • http://www.pragmites.com/web-analytics.html Web Analytics Pune

    In India as well web analytics is slowly but steadily picking up pace, with more and more companies realizing the potential results of web analytics.