It is common for usability efforts to result in a hundred percent or more increase in traffic or sales. In a recent study reported by Internet World and Iconocast , Forrester surveyed Web marketing executives to find out how much they used various means of promoting their site and how effective these methods had been. In other words, the less results you get from a Web marketing method, the more it is used . Survey of Web marketing executives by Forrester Research, April 1999. I have said since 1997 that advertising doesn't work on the Web .
Many marketers are in denial of the plain-spoken message communicated by the data.
They would like advertising to succeed on the Web just like it was successful in the old media they know how to deal with. So they keep running banners even though they don't work. I say, let's believe the data and move on. The answer was basically that the software effort to develop an affiliates program was too burdensome. Many others probably have similar reactions, which could explain why the best marketing method is the least used.