Friday, November 13, 2009

Patrick Keane: Engagement vs. Utility

Common web-logic holds user engagement as the most important indicator of the effectiveness of a website: How much time do people spend on your site, and how many pages do they click through? But in evaluating sites that are ad-supported and search-driven, like Associated Content, AC's CEO Patrick Keane believes that immediate utility is an even more important quality to measure: How often does your site provide visitors with the exact information they're seeking, and how directly does it guide their decisions?

That's the argument Patrick Keane makes in his recent AdWeek column, "The Case Against Engagement." It's an important consideration for online publishers and advertisers alike. Click here to read the column in its entirety.

2 comments:

M.G. Hardiman said...

Interesting, so much learn about AC mission, infrastructure decision points, etc. Thanks for sharing abstract/link to entire article. Great stuff.

Marilisa said...

Patrick makes some valid points that I've been mulling over, too. The balance between time spent on a site, actual click backs to linked content and alluring ads. Thank you, Darnell.