Has your website been doing gangbusters recently? Think again. As Comscore explains, you may be just be welcoming back a single visitor with OCD.

Techcrunch is covering a mini-soap opera today starring Comscore’s web analytics business. Linda Abraham, Comscore’s CMO jumped in with some thoughts:

1) First of all, we measure Unique People rather than Unique Cookies which web analytics systems erroneously can unique visitors. I would challenge you to find any kind of server side measurement system that measures people, not machines or cookies. To show you how absurd server side numbers are, AOL Inc. had about 259 MM Unique cookies which gives it over 125% reach compared to a true reach of 54%. The inflation is driven by cookie deletion, multiple browsers, multiple machines for the same users, multiple devices etc… Large companies do not complain about their numbers because they know their server side numbers are flawed as obviously evident by the AOL metrics, not because “comScore fixes your number”. This dynamic is less obvious with smaller sites—they don’t realize how inflated their numbers are until their reach starts exceeding 100%.

(emphasis mine)

You’re probably asking yourself how bloated are those “unique visitor” numbers in your analytics software? Unfortunately, there is no universal flat rate that will reduce your numbers to provide an accurate reading. In general, if returning visitors make up a large portion of your traffic, your inflation rate will be running higher than would otherwise be the case.

In the longer term, these concerns will diminish. As the personalized/mobile computing trend accelerates, people will be online with the devices in their own pockets and time on shared systems will diminish in proportion to their overall online life. When not on the go, people’s mobile devices will sync with their more stationary brethren.

In the meantime, how would you quantify the concerns laid out by Comscore’s Linda Abraham? What formula or method are you already using to get an accurate reading?

NOTE: The MicroSD card, often confused with the larger MiniSD card (also currently available in 1gb), is actually a re-branding of the Transflash size flash memory card. The new MicroSD works in a variety of devices (including the Garmin hand-held GPS); but to avoid disappointment, be sure to check your manual first…ENJOY!

PayPal Mobile (signup or existing Paypal account required) allows users to make purchases (potentially) anywhere with the text messaging feature on their mobile phone. The trick will be to see how quickly retailers adopt this service. Whenever you see Text to Buy, just SMS away and you’re done.

It’s a great first step towards a true mobile wallet. Eventually the mobile phone manufacturer’s and service providers will recognize what an enormous additional revenue stream such services could provide…in fact, they’re already doing it in Japan and elsewhere.

For more in-depth coverage, check out this article from TechCrunch: PayPal Mobile Launches – And It’s Awesome.

Seattle-based Zillow, which raised $32 million in funding before launch, currently operates via an advertising model. The company displays Google AdSense ads alongside home data results [which include sales history for regions, individual homes, and a projection of their current value] and is selling banner ads on its site in two different positions. Advertisers can target their ads by ZIP code, with more target options opening up over time, according to Bohutinsky.

Real Estate Industry Owes Zillow Debt Of Thanks – by Realty Times editor Blanche Evans

Like comedians are mining Vice President Cheney’s hunting accident in which he peppered a 78-year-old lawyer with birdshot, real estate professionals are having a grand time ridiculing Zillow’s AVM.

This has publicized one of the many controversial issues that the NAR is dealing with; namely, How important it is that licensed brokerages provide a minimum level of service to customers? Too often with the NAR, it’s the customers that are almost entirely left out of the picture. As more companies emerge that take full advantage of the internet’s capabilities, the NAR will need to re-assess its age-old policies.
In Part II, I’ll explore more of these issues in detail, what this means for consumer’s pocketbooks and also look to what the future might hold for this industry in turmoil.