Web Data Mining
Web data mining describes the application of data mining techniques
to discover patterns on the Web. Web data mining is part of the
larger world of Web mining that includes the analysis of web usage
and web structure. Web data mining concentrates on using data
mining techniques with regards to content that is stored on the Web. Web
data mining can involve the discovery of useful information including
text, image, audio or video data and is also often referred to as text
mining because text is the most widely deployed for of content on the
Web.
Benefits of Web Data Mining
Web data mining has provided a number of benefits ranging from more
attractive forms of personalized marketing -resulting in increased
sales - to the use of web data mining in identifying threats to in
the fight against terrorism. For businesses, web data mining
allows the use of data mining techniques in order to better predict
what customers may be interested in. Using web data mining companies
can better understand the needs of their customers and provide faster
response times. Through web data mining companies can provide
more accurate pricing, increase response to web based offers and even
identify potentially high-risk customers before they become high risk.
Drawbacks to Web Data Ming
Web data mining, however, has its detractors. One of the most
frequently cited negative aspects of web data mining is concerns over
privacy. The issue of privacy in web data mining is increased
exponentially when the web data mining in question is accessing individual
information without the individual's consent. While many organizations
that provide web data mining products (also known as web analytics)
alleviate these concerns by analyzing, clustering and profiling individuals
anonymously, the simple use of this profile information in web data
mining has been a cause for concern for privacy groups. A secondary
concern of web data mining is the use of data collected on the individual
for purposes for which the individual did not expressly consent or
that might violate the users interests.
Web Data Mining and E-Commerce
Obviously the most broadly deployed application of web data mining
is in the world of electronic commerce - specifically - shopping-cart
enabled web sites. When companies sell products on a web site
it is of great economic importance to use web data mining to better
understand the behavior of viewers of the web site and their response
to specific techniques. Using web data mining, web commerce
companies can improve their click-rates (the rate at which particular
offers are clicked on) as well as what are known as "conversion" and "drop-off" rates. Web
data mining allows companies to optimize messaging by tailoring it
to the surfing habits of the actual viewer.
Web Data Mining and Off-line Data
This ability to interact intimately and immediately with web surfers,
means that companies that use web data mining often have much higher
conversion rates for sales on the web site than they do for other sales
channels. Web data mining allows for these higher conversion
rates through the form of close coupling of user need to offer through
a better understanding of their behavior. Web data mining does
have an "off-line" counterpart - through newly available
tools like EMANIO's Insight! data mining application, web data mining
now has low cost, easy to use counterparts that can be used to analyze
off-line data to provide equal benefits to non-web sales channels that
the web enjoys through web data mining.
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