Measuring Engagement - Unique Browsers Outdated?

"by a continuing increase in the use of AJAX, and XML, which allows a Web site to refresh content without reloading an entire page, and to the growing use of audio and video streaming.

"It is not that page views are irrelevant now, but they are a less accurate gauge of total site traffic and engagement," Ross said. "Total minutes are the most accurate gauge to compare between two sites. If [Web] 1.0 is full page refreshes for content, Web 2.0 is, 'How do I minimize page views and deliver content more seamlessly?'"

"Unique browsers are currently the best metric to determine reach, but do nothingto determine engagement. Consider this, is it preferably to have 5 million people visit your site and click on one page only, or would you rather have 1 million people who spend hours a month engaging with your site? There is no doubt both are important."

Posted by Tom Rolls at 3:55 AM GMT