06:24:36 - 12 December 2008

Share |Submit |RSS|Print|Comments

Loading...

New research launched today by managed hosting provider NetBenefit reveals that only half (55%) of digital marketers believe online campaigns stand up well to unexpected volumes of traffic and demand for bandwidth.  In addition an overwhelming 80% acknowledge the potential damage to a brand caused by website downtime and poor performance.

Despite this a third of those surveyed do not include managed hosting requirements in the list for discussion at the start of an online marketing campaign, with a shocking 5% admitting to not considering it at all.

Commenting on the findings of the research, Jonathan Robinson, chief operating officer at NetBenefit, says: “Without the necessary planning, significant increases in traffic to any website can impact upon the visitor’s experience.  When an integrated marketing campaign has cost hundreds of thousands of pounds, or even millions, the online component has to stand up to the demand.

Robinson continues “The US election is a great example of successful online marketing. With enviable success, Barack Obama’s website enjoyed 100% availability throughout the campaign using the Panther Express Content Delivery Network service. Whilst John McCain’s website could only manage  99.96% uptime in the six months leading up to the election, which equates to downtime of over 17 hours during that period. Where every minute is closely analysed this was vital for the presidential campaign.”

Marketers are aware of the potential brand damage caused by poor performing websites but still the question of managed hosting remains low down the list of priorities when planning an online campaign. With online advertising spend in the UK accounting for 19% of the total advertising market last year*, expected peaks in traffic must be planned for as early as possible to protect marketing investment. Whether bandwidth is deployed through a traditional managed hosting infrastructure or supported via a Content Delivery Network, the appropriate capacity and performance can readily be built into the hosting infrastructure, so ensuring the site remains available, irrespective of demand.

The research was conducted recently amongst marketing professionals, both from agencies and in-house, with 42% of organisations having more than 500 employees and 25% less than 50. It was designed to gauge awareness of the importance of a secure, scalable hosting platform for online marketing campaigns.

  - Ends -

*Ofcom

For further information please contact Louisa Constable or Jonathan Bawden, Portfolio Communications – 0207 240 6959 or netbenefit@portfoliocomms.com

Del.icio.us 

Digg 

Reddit 

Propeller 

Mixx It 

Hosting Bookmarks 

Share