Valitics. Web Strategies, Net Results

A belated thank you for your observations.
Within the construction industry, many contractors "rely" on word of mouth and referrals for business -- I put that in quotes because they don't proactively manage the process. So when things dry up in the recession they get desperate, and suddenly decide they need to "market" and "advertise".
Alas, many are not very sophisticated about the processes here and they can be victimized by sales reps and badly thought out advertising/media purchases. The challenge is to guide them into less expensive and risky options
Contractors who advertise in good times and have solid metrics of course don't have these problems; they can simply adjust/modify their spending to suit the current conditions.
Obviously, we share a common perspctive on the smartest form of marketing: Making sure your client experience/service is so good that existing clients won't leave or seek alternatives. I think that strategic association membership/participation is the best way to find the dissatisfied clients who are looking for options.

From a business perspective you have to love this blog's attitude. What gets measured gets done. We now have technology that extends often times beyond our ability to fully utilize it.

What's your web site telling you about your customers and potential customers.

If you don't really care, find a different vocation.

catchmeifyoucan

To add to the cliche's that we know but often ignore -- "You can't manage what you can't measure."

Your point on "People's Actions" is what every marketer wants to know. Not so we can manipulate, but so we can deliver what people really want.

And to Catchmeifucan, thanks for the connection to web analytics -- what an amazing tool for understanding customers! That's why I love this job!