07/06/98 HOW NET ADS CAN BETTER SNAG SHOPPERS

HOW NET ADS CAN BETTER SNAG SHOPPERS

THESE DAYS, ANYONE CAN ADVERTISE on the Internet. The hard part is making those Web ads more effective. That's where Personify Inc. comes in. The San Francisco-based company has come out with Personify Essentials, software to help Web site operators figure out which groups of visitors are the most frequent users and buyers. Using that data, Web businesses can better target ads or offer promotions to the right demographics.
Wine merchant Virtual Vineyards used the software to pinpoint its best customers. The company started by creating five groups, running from novices to experts, based on data gathered from the visitors and where they went on the site. Then the company tracked who was buying. Contrary to the assumption that aficionados were the biggest buyers, it turned out that wine novices were making 82% of the purchases. That helped Virtual Vineyards tailor its ads to beginners. Personify Essentials starts at $5,000 for monthly subscriptions or at $75,000 for a one-time licensing fee.
EDITED BY HEATHER GREEN