Understanding the preferences, behavior and attitudes of online shoppers is the holy grail of e-business. Geno Prussakov has proven that nearly 3,000 respondents (all of whom are actual consumers) teach you much more than a handful of industry experts. He does that in a book that encompasses the entire online shopping experience from research to purchase to retention.

Some of the results will reinforce what you already suspected while other parts will probably raise a few eyebrows. Did you know that fewer than one out of 20 consumers shop at the store first visited? And even when pleased with a store, more than 70 percent would consider other stores the next time they make a purchase?

Another interesting finding is that despite the rapid growth of online video, much thanks to YouTube and copycat sites, seven out of ten consumers state that video introductions by company officials do not influence their purchasing behavior.

The term customer-centric is used frequently by marketers, yet how often do businesses really take the time to try to understand the customer experience?

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I agree with the good folks at OX2 when they say that Vicky Brock should get elected to the board of WAA. I also think that June Dershewitz should get elected. After all, without her we wouldn’t have Web Analytics Wednesday (thanks to Eric as well)!

Why you should vote for June:

• She has been in the field since 1999.
• She has spent most of her career being a web analytics practitioner.
• She says she’s 100% committed to active participation and follow-through.
• She says that all people, strata, and companies should have equal opportunities.

Eric T. Peterson about June’s role in the creation of Web Analytics Wednesday:
“.. the idea was nothing more than a fantasy until one person I had never met put the wheels in motion in her own community and simply made it happen. That person was June Dershewitz.”

I also believe Avinash should get re-elected.

By the way, imagine how intriguing it’d be if an official could only be re-elected once. That would stir the pot and make things more interesting!

Read up on all nominees

Voting will open on Monday, March 24, 2008 at 12 PM GMT. Voting will close at 11:59 PM GMT on Monday, April 7, 2008.

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Take this survey if you’re a web analytics professional.

“The research findings will be shared back with you later this spring. These findings will help you better understand compensation levels and job migration patterns- specifically with respect to those functions and responsibilities that you perform on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.”

Please note that the survey will be closed after this week.

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