I’m happy to announce the first post in a series about web analytics in Asia. The following is an interview with Jonghee Jo.

What differences do you see in the approach to web analytics if you compare Korea to the U.S.?

Web analytics in Korea is still in its early stage. In Korea, almost all of local web analytics vendors use web logs as their data collection method, which is quite different from the U.S. where JavaScript tags are common. Web analytics is used mainly for web user behavior analysis on the site and not for competitive intelligence.

Can you mention some area(s) where you think Asia is ahead of United States and Europe?

I can’t find any area in web analytics where Asia is ahead of the U.S., at least not in Korea.

Which is the biggest web analytics vendor in Korea?

The three largest local vendors are BizSpring, Amazingsoft and Nethru. WebTrends is doing business in Korea but it’s smaller than local vendors.

Do you think that Asian web analytics vendors will gain ground in the rest of the world?

I don’t think so, at least for the short term. Their technology is not ahead of United States or Europe and the Asian web user behavior pattern is quite different, meaning it would be difficult to apply what they’ve learned to the rest of the world.

What do you think the most significant difference in web behavior is in Asia?

People love to see colorful, dynamic visuals on the web. At least in Korea. That is one of the biggest reasons why Google has less than a 10% share of the Korean search market.

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Jonghee Jo is a senior web metrics analyst at Victoria’s Secret. He coordinates site testing and competitive intelligence efforts for $1 billion e-commerce site, www.victoriassecret.com. He is originally from Korea and came to United States in 2003 to earn his MBA at Carnegie Mellon University.

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