If the pundits on Wall Street talk about your industry, will the rest of the world listen? Good news for the analytics sector today. With all the talk of Web 2.0, YouTube, Google, Yahoo, and others, it's nice to see that someone is paying attention to the web analytics sector. It's not just the content creators that are making waves these days. The people that measure and track how that content is used are also causing a nice ripple in the financial markets. CNN reports that Wall Street is sitting up and taking notice of the performance gains of companies like Omniture and WebSide Story, as they continue to extend their measurement platforms and reach into the latest Internet boom. What's surprising about this is the validation that the web analytics industry is starting to receive from sources outside its own walls. It wasn't too long ago that the investment community was bashing Omniture for burning through $40 million in funding trying to bolster its workforce and infrastructure. In mid-2006 they looked like another IPO-focused tech company with little or nothing to show for the infusion except more people and a dwindling client list. WebSide Story has made some noise, too. Their acquisition of Visual Sciences from the grips of tight relationships with Uncle Sam and the men in black has moved from a "how-do-we-really-sell-this-product" to an earnings rainmaker for HBX. Wall Street is predicting 31% earnings growth next year, and 35% average yearly growth for the next few years after that. All numbers aside, this obviously is good news for shareholders of both Omniture and WebSide Story. But the real question is, now that Wall Street has given a stamp of approval on these types of services, does that mean that web analytics has now been validated for the rest of the online world? Increases in earnings and stock price can be indicative of a company's ability to provide tangible results for its clients and a valuable set of tools and services that impart value to digital marketing intelligence. Whether that intelligence impacts day to day tactics or longer term strategies, it is clear that the growth of these companies directly relates to the growth they're bringing to their clients. Will this financial success be enough to cause CEO's, Directors, and other decision makers to expand their digital strategies to include marketing intelligence? Wall Street seems to think so. The Other Online Ad Boom via [CNNMoney.com]

As with any major upgrade of a software package or online service, people are bound to ask "Is this merely evolution or a revolution"? We hear it about Microsoft products all the time, but now the question is firmly pointed at Google's re-release of its popular (and free) web analytics platform - Google Analytics. If you're familiar with the traditional GA interface it's clear that the first major change is in the way the data is presented. Gone are the hard, tree-like menu structures. Instead, the console now sports a familiar Web 2.0-type theme - drag and drop functionality, interactive menus and widgets, and cleaner spacing. The second major change is….wait….just a sec….oh yeah. That's about it. What? No drum rolls? No fanfares? Sorry folks. This one is more evolution than revolution. There are those who would argue the interface overhaul represents enough of a change to qualify this upgrade as a revolution rather than a simple evolution of the service, and to some degree there is credence in that statement. Cleary, Google spent some serious time thinking about how to make the GA experience a much more fulfilling and informative one, and to that end they've succeeded. Although it takes a little getting used to, there are some handy upgrades available that make traversing web data easier and more intuitive. However, when all the gloss, glitz, and glamour is removed, what's left? Underneath the Ajax, Flash, and softer font faces lies the same basic tool - a wonderfully powerful web analytics platform that does a fantastic job of tracking ankle-high and knee-deep analytics information, but unfortunately that's about it. At the heart of GA lies the Urchin core - and robust as it is, it's still not the home-run web marketers were hoping for. Improving the user experience of looking at data is very helpful, but it's still the same data we've been looking at for a long time.

Not only are we becoming increasingly lazy, we're translating that into our literacy. It's mind boggling to me that I can't go to CNN.com and "read" about a news story, my only option for that story is to watch a video. Don't get me wrong, I love videos as much as the next guy, especially America's Funniest Home Videos, Bob Saget anyone?, but come on. The line has to be drawn somewhere or before we know it they'll introduce CNNTube, a spin-off of YouTube where news will come in no form other than videos. Well I'll be…if that's not a million dollar idea right there then you can call me Tubecrazy.

One of the things we often miss as American marketers is the fact that there is a bigger world out there. America has had the luxury of being a self-contained marketplace through much of the 20th century. But the world is changing--quickly. Much of the world's economic growth will happen outside our boarders as the 21st century progresses. How can companies expand their reach with the smallest investment? Your web site by its very nature is global. Why not harness this power and create a site that is your international calling card? Here are some steps to get started: 1)Show, don't tell: One way to communicate effectively is letting visuals tell a story. Think of those international business signs you see in airport. Pictures, illustrations and animations can sometimes tell a more compelling story than a paragraph of text. This goes for data as well. Charts and graphs can provide information at a glance that is universally understood. One technology client, I am familiar with, had success communicating product benefits without translation by publishing industry standard data charts on all their products to help Asian engineers make product comparisons and purchase decisions. 2)Translate: Even if you are designing a site for the North American market, leaving out Spanish is cutting out a larger and growing share of the market. With database and web interface technology, creating translated sites is not only more cost effective than ever, but reaches out to the broader market in a way that speaks their language. Nothing can really replace translation if you want to be global. No, everybody doesn't speak English. 3)Cultural Sensitivity: If you are going to translate, it is important to find culturally sensitive translators. If you have overseas' partners, sales or distribution channels, use them to help write copy or develop marketing themes that will resonate. Don't assume everything translates. I just returned from Russia for the second time in two years. Every guidebook tells you how to say, “Hello, how are you?” in Russian. The trouble is, Russians don't ask, “How are you?” to acquaintances. This is a question reserved for good friends and relatives. Yikes, I didn't mean to be rude! 4)Extended Technologies: Design content for alternative delivery devices. Make sure your web site works on other web-enabled digital devices beyond a computer. Cell phone and wireless culture is far ahead in many other countries. Make it easy for customers to find you no matter how they connect. Small, but considerate steps can go a long way to position your company outside our shrinking borders.

DowJones/VentureOne reports that U.S. video startups received $682M in venture funding last year. Already in the first quarter of 2007 video startups have raised over $200M alone. That's almost $2M per day. Todd Dagres of Spark Capital (investor in KickApps, Veoh, and Next New Networks) apparently said that the online video space could see more than $1B (with a "B") this year. Having a behemoth like Google lay down some big-time dollars for online video certainly legitimized the gold rush for web-based video, and the NBC/NewsCorp online video plans also gives credence to this distribution channel. Without calling it a bubble (remember Excite@Home's graceful exit?), creeping into the billion-dollar venture range is sure to make some people skittish. Shakeout reports have been on the Interweb for some time, and some believe that a correction will happen, but when? U.S. Video Startups Raised $682M Last Year via NewTeeVee

Joost, the broadband-enabled TV platform from the guys that brought you Kazaa and Skype, has gone live…sort of. Previously-invited Beta testers are now able to invite an unlimited number of users (Gmail, anyone?). Instead of having a limited number of invites, current Joosters can invite friends, family, and colleagues. Joost Launches Commercially via Geekzone