--- title: "Wednesday Buzz: The History and the Future of Web Metrics" id: "29208" type: "post" slug: "wednesday-buzz-the-history-and-the-future-of-web-metrics" published_at: "2015-07-08T19:03:27+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T14:17:01+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/07/08/wednesday-buzz-the-history-and-the-future-of-web-metrics/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/07/08/wednesday-buzz-the-history-and-the-future-of-web-metrics.md" excerpt: "Many of your questions about why web metrics are the way they are, answered. Plus: An event-planning group rises from the ashes." taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "digital analytics" - "live performance" - "metrics" - "Technology" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Wednesday Buzz: The History and the Future of Web Metrics Ever wonder about the wide world of web metrics that you and your association’s advertising partners use to gauge your site’s performance? Having trouble differentiating between comScore and Quantcast? Then it’s time to explore *FiveThirtyEight* contributor [Sam Dean (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/samaugustdean) ‘s [extensive report on the state of web-traffic measurement (opens in a new tab)](http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-we-still-cant-agree-on-web-metrics/) . Basically, web metrics, with their varied methodologies and results, have a long, storied history of confusing site admins, audiences, and advertisers. As it stands, there’s no perfect way to measure online audiences, and that status quo won’t be changing anytime soon. “So, unless you have a serious paywall, and therefore have users who are logged in 100 percent of the time (like the *Financial Times*), there is just no way to know for sure how many individual real-live people visit your site in a month, week or day,” Dean writes, adding the caveat that you will still have to worry about whether your traffic is even made up of people to begin with. “A study published this year by a Web security company found that bots make up *56 percent* of all traffic for larger websites, and up to 80 percent of all traffic for the mom-and-pop blogs out there,” Dean adds, giving association webmasters yet another thing to worry about. [Click here to read Dean’s entire story (opens in a new tab)](http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-we-still-cant-agree-on-web-metrics/) , and see what organizations are trying to do to improve the state of web metrics. ### Resurrection of the Day **When popular technology site *Gigaom* [shut down earlier this year](https://associationsnow.com/2015/03/lessons-implosion-analyzing-gigaoms-demise/) ,** it left behind a burgeoning event-management business. Now, former members of the *Gigaom* team are using their event expertise to launch a new company, Structure, which will host its first event this November. For more info on Structure, [check out the debut announcement (opens in a new tab)](http://www.structureconf.com/introducing-structure-a-new-tech-events-company/) . ### Other Good Reads **When you’re done with the history of web metrics**, check out [How Email Become the Most Reviled Communication Experience Ever (opens in a new tab)](http://www.fastcodesign.com/3047273/how-email-became-the-most-reviled-communication-experience-ever) , by *Fast Co. Design* contributor [John Pavlus (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/johnpavlus) . **As speculation grows over [the New York Stock Exchange’s mysterious shutdown (opens in a new tab)](http://money.cnn.com/2015/07/08/investing/nyse-suspends-trading/index.html) ,** check out what auditing expert Norman Marks thinks is [The Greatest Cyber Risk of Them All (opens in a new tab)](http://www.cmswire.com/information-management/the-greatest-cyber-risk-of-all/) , via *CMS Wire*. **“Everyone knows that storytelling is a win for nonprofits,”** Caryn Stein, Network for Good’s vice president of communications and content, writes. But is your organization telling stories worth hearing? [Check out her tips for better stories here (opens in a new tab)](http://www.nonprofitmarketingblog.com/site/3_musts_for_better_stories) . (Wilfred Iven/StockSnap) [Morgan Little](https://associationsnow.com/author/morgan-little/) Morgan Little is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/morgan-little/) Tags: [#digital analytics](https://associationsnow.com/tag/digital-analytics/) [#live performance](https://associationsnow.com/tag/live-performance/) [#metrics](https://associationsnow.com/tag/metrics/) [#Technology](https://associationsnow.com/tag/technology/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Tech Stack: How AI Is Changing the Association PlaybookOctober 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/29/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-tech-stack-how-ai-is-changing-the-association-playbook/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: More Than Marketing: The Power of Strategic CommunicationsJuly 30, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/07/30/associations-now-presents-more-than-marketing-the-power-of-strategic-communications/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: Why Slower Marketing Can Drive Stronger Member Engagement (Episode 27)June 25, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/06/25/associations-now-presents-why-slower-marketing-can-drive-stronger-member-engagement-episode-27/) - [TemplateMembers onlyGovernment Affairs MetricsJanuary 8, 2020](https://associationsnow.com/2020/01/08/government-affairs-metrics/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2015%2F07%2F08%2Fwednesday-buzz-the-history-and-the-future-of-web-metrics%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !