Metrics? DMers Don't Get 'Em

Most marketing execs pay lip service to accountability. But a staggering 84% say their firms' capacity to measure Web marketing is limited at best.

More than 15% say analysis is nonexistent on their teams, and more than half make it a part-time chore, according to a new survey by WebTrends. Only 15.1% described measurement as “a real strength of my team.”

The good news is that most firms want to take action that could improve matters. Almost half said they'll do training, and a slightly smaller percentage will build metrics into employee performance reviews and compensation. Some 19.4% will hire an outside agency to handle the service.

These things take money, and companies intend to provide it. Better than 83% will boost their Web investment this year, 21.6% significantly. None plan to decrease it.

WebTrends polled more than 250 marketing executives, 52% in the B-to-B arena, 10% in B-to-C and 34% in both.