Analytics a priority for e-retailers

Web analysts have observed an increase in the frequency and value of economic activities undertaken over the Internet, reports TMC Net.

Owing to the flourishing e-marketing business, companies are spending a lot of time and money in designing their own Web sites to lure customers and induce purchases. Consequently, such companies have to study and interpret the behaviour of site visitors in order to determine the efficacy and impact of their sites.

Web analytics refers to the process of critically assessing and evaluating a Web site's activity in order to determine its performance. This data helps the company to check the workability of all the pages contained in a Web site.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will bring global payment systems like Visa International and MasterCard International under its regulatory framework, reports domain-B. The draft bill seeks to bring all payment systems, including those owned by non-banking companies, under the RBI's regulatory framework.

"The bill will empower the RBI to supervise and regulate payment systems. Non-banking entities such as card companies and remittance companies will also be brought under the regulatory framework," says AP Hota, chief GM at the department of payment and settlements systems of RBI.

The central bank wants the share of electronic payments in total non-cash payments to increase four-fold to 80% from around 20% in three years, especially by shifting high-value clearing to electronic platforms.

Consumers are continuing to pay more bills online, and insurers can take advantage of the resulting customer contact points, reports Insurance Networking News.

With consumers now paying more premiums online than by paper cheque, insurance carriers need to present electronic bills effectively enough to leave a lasting good impression. Online bill payments in the US accounted for 39% of bill payments among online households last year, an increase of 4% over the previous year, according to the 2007 Consumer Bill Payment Survey.

Consumers paying at least one bill online per month rose to 74%, compared to 69% of respondents in the previous survey. Consumer adoption of online bill payment has more than doubled since January 2002, when 37% of online households reported paying at least one bill online.