Web-Usage-Based Success Metrics for Multi-Channel Businesses

Numerous Web usage metrics exist to evaluate the online success of Internet-only retailers. In the domain of Web merchandizing, success is ultimately measured by the number of purchases accomplished. Basic statistics such as conversion and traffic have been proposed to quantify this notion of success. However, when it comes to retailers with multiple distribution channels, there is a definite lack of standard metrics. This paper attempts to close this gap. We propose a set of Web usage metrics for retailers who operate both an e-shop and a number of physical stores. We build on and extend existing systems of business metrics. In particular, we focus on new conversion metrics and the combination of click stream and back end data to determine new methods of user segmentation. We demonstrate the usefulness of the new metrics in a case study of a large multichannel retailer.