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Net metrics inching along
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Monitor tracks real-time Web usage
July 28, 1997
The study measured 
growth in audience reach between December 1997 and June 1998, according to
the research firm, which uses proprietary technology to determine Web usage
patterns. At the top of the list were sites that offer space and resources
for personal home pages as well as chat and email, the firm said.
The top five sites on the list were Angelfire.com, Xoom.com, Preferences.com, TheGlobe.com, and Hotmail.com, all of which offer community-oriented services.
Consumer e-commerce sites also played heavily on the list, with booksellers Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com and Net auction site eBay landing in the top 25.
Rating traffic on the Net has become an influential but controversial undertaking, with firms such as RelevantKnowledge, NetRatings, Media Metrix, and Nielsen Media Research's online unit all vying to be the authority on who goes where online. The firms--whose methods and accuracy have been the subject of debates lately--wield tremendous power, since, similar to television ratings, Web traffic ratings help determine how much a site can charge for advertising.
"Media Metrix identified the trend in popularity among community Web sites as early as 1996 when consumers first started using the Web to connect with others all over the world," Steve Coffey, vice chairman and chief research officer of Media Metrix, said in a statement. "Consumers are attracted to these Web sites because it gives them an outlet for creativity, instant access to and potential recognition among an audience of millions."
The study, which polled an average of 11,000 U.S. Net users monthly, ranks sites based on "reach point increase," a measure of unique visitors that is presented as a percentage of the audience as a whole.
