IAR Bits and Bytes for November 10, 2003

WebSideStory, Salesforce.com Integrate Offerings

Analytics player WebSideStory has integrated its HitBox Enterprise Web metrics platform with offline customer conversion reporting from salesforce.com, a developer of CRM tools.

The combined offering lets marketers track what happens after a lead obtained online is handed over to a salesperson. This allows people to see what site behavior and pre-conversion metrics, such as response to a particular keyword campaign, end up leading to conversions. Marketers can then increase their investments in channels likely to produce conversions, and drop efforts that show poor results.

“Together, with WebSideStory, we are helping customers that collect sales leads via the Web better understand and maximize the role of online marketing in their sales cycles,” said Roger Goulart, VP of global alliances at salesforce.com.

The companies first announced their partnership in June 2003.

AOL Partners with Time Inc. on Food Content Area

Through a partnership with sister company Time Inc., America Online is offering its members an exclusive food content area.

The effort will also create a cooking-oriented section where advertisers can reach consumers interested in such topics.

Called AOL Food, the service offers cooking content from Time Inc. magazines Real Simple, Cooking Light, Southern Living, Health, Sunset and Coastal Living, as well as from Oxmoor House, a cookbook publisher. Articles and recipes are offered alongside AOL’s search, ratings and community features. In the interactive toolset are features letting AOL users access a database of recipes, store and customize favorite menus and add personal notes and ratings.

“AOL Food exemplifies our new life management programming approach to providing solutions for everyday living,” said Tina Sharkey, SVP of Life Management and Community for AOL.

IMN Launches Behavior Analysis Tools

E-mail marketing firm IMN is offering its clients new behavior analysis and reporting capabilities. Through the company’s Web-based interface, marketers can now correlate specific email content with reader behaviors, assess mailing performance, sort content according to popularity with users, and segment subscribers by level of activity.

Among early users of the reporting capabilities is PartyLite, a direct seller of candles and decorative accessories.