| Web site monitoring is a global necessity | | | | adds. "While nobody can monitorindividual connections, |
| Web site and shopping cart performance should be | | | | we can monitor sever side connectionspeeds and |
| monitored fromaround the world | | | | web site accessibility - both of which are affected |
| By David Leonhardt | | | | bytransatlantic transfers." |
| Bill Huang sits down at his computer. As he connects | | | | In fact, bottlenecks can develop in several spots |
| to the | | | | along thetransatlantic connections - bottlenecks that |
| Internet, he glances out at the sun poking its nose | | | | could slow down oreven block a web site completely. |
| above the | | | | If a webmaster is notmonitoring the performance of |
| Hong Kong skyline. It will be another busy day, and | | | | his web site overseas as well as athome, he will not |
| he has toorder those slippers for his wife before | | | | be aware of the bottleneck and unable tocontact his |
| rushing off to ameeting. | | | | provider about it. |
| He types in his search terms and Google faithfully | | | | The fact is that a web site will load slower on the |
| reports: | | | | opposite sideof the world, regardless of the type of |
| "Results 1 - 100 of about 1,760,000. Search took 0.34 | | | | connection the surferhas. But that is compounded |
| seconds." | | | | when the transatlantic connections,or other local |
| Bill clicks on a the Big Soft Slipper web site and waits | | | | connections, block up. |
| for thepage to load. "Site unavailable," Bill reads. He | | | | Is connection speed a problem worth monitoring? |
| hits the | | | | In May 2001, Zona Research reported that slow |
| "back" button. Then he clicks on another of the | | | | loading web sitesaccounted for $25 billion in lost sales |
| 1,760,000 pages | | | | each year ( |
| Google offered him. | | | | ) As Internet usage continues to climb around the |
| High above Cleveland, USA, the executives at Big | | | | world, thatfigure might be closer to $40 billion by |
| Soft Slipper areclinking their glasses and patting | | | | now. |
| themselves on the back. "Wesure did it," the CEO | | | | Another study, by ( ) in 2000,revealed that most |
| crows. "Look at that beautiful home page. | | | | people abandon purchases on the Internet |
| Look at the easy navigation. Look at how fast it | | | | whilealready in the shopping cart section - 21 percent |
| loads." | | | | due to slow-loading pages. In other words, even |
| Somebody please tell them about Bill Huang. | | | | when the home page and thesales pages operate at |
| "Very few people realize how the web site that | | | | a satisfactory speed, customers getfrustrated by |
| loads so zippy intheir office, flows like molasses on | | | | slow loading or failed shopping carts. |
| their customers' computers -and may not even be | | | | "It's one thing to know that your web site is |
| accessible at all," says Vadim Mazo, CEO of | | | | accessible. It isanother to know that all your forms |
| Dotcom-Monitor ( ), a web sitemonitoring company. | | | | and your shopping carts areperforming to your |
| "While they celebrate, they could be losingcustomers." | | | | customers' satisfaction," Mr. Mazo says. Headds that |
| Even in the United States, the most developed | | | | web site monitoring avoids the embarrassing moment |
| Internet market inthe world, one out of five Internet | | | | whenthe customer lets a company know its site is |
| users still operate on 56Kconnections. Smart | | | | not accessible. "Theonly thing worse is if nobody lets |
| companies have gotten wise, and test theirweb sites | | | | you know and you just keeplosing sales." |
| on slow connections - usually 56K. That leaves | | | | This suggests there is value in monitoring your web |
| 13million Americans with even slower connections - | | | | site fromoverseas -- and in monitoring the forms and |
| along withhordes of customers in India, China, | | | | shopping carts andanything other server requests |
| Australia, Russia, South | | | | and user transactions |
| Africa and elsewhere around the world. | | | | Stella Huang loves her new slippers. They are just |
| Who is monitoring your web site from Europe and | | | | perfect. Shereally does not care where they come |
| Asia? | | | | from. The executives at Big |
| "We just opened up a new web site monitoring | | | | Soft Slipper were not monitoring their web site |
| station in Hong | | | | performance, sothey have no idea that they just lost |
| Kong, because there is a growing demand for | | | | a customer. And anothercustomer. And another... |
| monitoring web siteperformance from Asia," Mr. Mazo | | | | |