SAS Unveils Latest Version of Web Analytics

SAS, a provider of business analytics software and services, has released the latest version of SAS Web Analytics, which helps companies to automatically turn raw Web data into valuable business information.

According to SAS (News - Alert), the new version of Web Analytics forecasts Web data as well as integrates and analyzes online and offline Website data. The application will offer additional context for marketers that are seeking to understand how the Web channel is impacted by other areas of their business.

“Now SAS customers can go beyond basic Web analytics to understand both Web site activity and individual customer activity and integrate this with both online and offline channels,” said Jeff Levitan, general manager of SAS' Global Customer and Retail business, in a release. “With the ability to customize reports and integrate other business information on an ad hoc basis, this is the most flexible Web analytics solution available.”

The new version of Web Analytics allows users to monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) via the use of advanced analytics. The KPIs are analyzed and tracked to determine the underlying drivers of the business metrics. The advanced econometric time-series techniques helps users to statistically determine significant metrics that drive target KPIs, said the company.

SAS Web Analytics features Behavioral Identification of Non-Human Sessions (BINS). This feature leverages an algorithm that helps in spotting non-human sessions. The BINS automatically filters out automated activity for analysis purposes, thereby providing the highest level of confidence and accuracy of Web site metrics, said the company.

The new Web Analytics solution from SAS also offers customized reports. It features a fully documented and open dimensional data model for all historical data. The reports are defined and generated through SAS Web Report Studio and these reports can be created to analyze the information. Funnel report, path report, drop-down report menu are among the types that can be created using the solution.

SAS Web Analytics also features search engine bid marketing reports. Paid (News - Alert)-search analysis and reports employ metrics to determine the effectiveness of an organization’s marketing campaigns and keywords, said the company.

Also featuring organic search analysis, the latest version of SAS Web Analytics solution categorizes visits from search engines by nonpaid keyword search terms and user-selected goal pages. In addition, the solution’s econometric time-series techniques facilitates performance trend analysis.

SAS said that its Web analytics capabilities are part of a broader customer intelligence suite of solutions, which handles campaign management, cross-sell/up-sell, customer retention, customer segmentation, e-mail marketing, event-driven marketing, campaign optimization, marketing mix analysis, marketing performance management, customer experience analytics and Web analytics.

SAS claims that it offers an integrated suite of products that span the entire customer-focused marketing process.