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ACCURATE WEB SITE VISITOR MEASUREMENT CRIPPLED BY COOKIE BLOCKING AND DELETION, JUPITERRESEARCH FINDS
(New York, NY - March 14, 2005) -- Jupitermedia Corporation's (Nasdaq: JUPM) JupiterResearch announced today that, according to its recently released report "Measuring Unique Visitors: Addressing the Dramatic Decline in the Accuracy of Cookie-Based Measurement," in 2004 58% of online users have deleted "cookies", which are small files often deposited on their computers by Web sites they visit. Tracking cookies is a principal means Web site operators use to track visitors, personalize their sites, and account for the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and Web site enhancements. If users delete cookies, accurate long-term measurement of consumer behavior on the site is severely compromised. If users block cookies, accurate short-term measurement is compromised, relegating increasing numbers of Web visitors to "anonymous" status.
The report found that as many as 39% of online users may be deleting cookies from their primary computer monthly, undermining the usefulness of cookie-based measurement and leaving many site operators flying blind. "Given the number of sites and applications that depend heavily on cookies for accuracy and functionality, the lack of this data represents significant risk for many companies," says Eric T. Peterson, Analyst at JupiterResearch. "Because personalization, tracking and targeting solutions require cookies to identify Web visitors over multiple sessions, the accuracy of these solutions has become highly suspect, especially over longer periods of time," added Peterson.
Privacy and security concerns on the part of online users are responsible for the cookie-deletion behavior that JupiterResearch has found. According to a recent consumer survey cited in the report, 52% of online users indicate a strong interest in stories and articles about Internet security and privacy, while 38% of online users believe that cookies are an invasion of their security and privacy online and 44% of online users believe that deleting or blocking cookies will protect them.
The JupiterResearch report provides advice to site operators for how to cope with the decline in accuracy of visitor measurement and predicts that Web analytics vendors will adapt their tools in the face of a consumer landscape that makes established measurement practices unreliable.
The complete findings of this report are immediately available to JupiterResearch clients online. For additional information on the report or JupiterResearch's Site Technologies and Operations research service visit www.jupiterresearch.com or contact Kieran Kelly, Vice President of Global Sales and Client Service, at 1-800-481-1212 or [email protected].
About Jupitermedia Corporation
Jupitermedia Corporation (Nasdaq: JUPM), (www.jupitermedia.com),
headquartered in Darien, CT, is a leading global provider of original information, images, research and events for information technology, business and creative professionals. Jupitermedia includes JupiterImages, one of the leading images companies in the world with over 5.0 million images online serving creative professionals with brands like Comstock Images, Creatas, PictureQuest, Liquid Library, Thinkstock Images, Thinkstock Footage, Photos.com, HemeraImages.com, Ablestock.com, Clipart.com and Animations.com; and JupiterWeb, the online media division of Jupitermedia which operates five distinct online networks: internet.com and EarthWeb.com for IT and business professionals; DevX.com for developers; ClickZ.com for interactive marketers; and Graphics.com, for creative professionals. JupiterWeb properties include more than 150 Web sites and over 150 e-mail newsletters that are viewed by over 20 million users and generate over 300 million page views monthly. Jupitermedia also includes: JupiterResearch, a leading international research advisory organization specializing in business and technology market research in 18 business areas and 14 vertical markets; and JupiterEvents, which produces offline conferences and trade shows focused on IT and business-specific topics, including Search Engine Strategies and WiFi/VoWiFi Planet.
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties address a variety of subjects including, for example, the competitive environment in which Jupitermedia competes; the unpredictability of Jupitermedia's future revenues, expenses, cash flows and stock price; Jupitermedia's ability to integrate acquired businesses, products and personnel into its existing businesses; Jupitermedia's dependence on a limited number of advertisers; and Jupitermedia's ability to protect its intellectual property. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and uncertainties, refer to Jupitermedia's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The forward-looking statements included herein are made as of the date of this press release, and Jupitermedia assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements after the date hereof.
Contact:
Lisa DiGiacomo
Marketing and Public Relations Associate
212-547-7938
[email protected]
All current Jupiter Research press releases can be found online at
www.jupitermedia.com/corporate/press.html.
All current Jupitermedia Corporation press releases can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.jupitermedia.com/corporate/press.html.
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