Site Search Provides a Major Boost for E-Commerce Sites During 2005 Holiday Shopping Season, According to WebSideStory

Site Search Provides a Major Boost for E-Commerce Sites During 2005 Holiday Shopping Season, According to WebSideStory


Visitors Using the Search Box on a Web Site Nearly 3x More Likely to Convert
Than the Average Visitor, According to WebSideStory Index

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 12 -- Site search provided a huge
boost to e-commerce sites during the holiday shopping season, helping convert
visitors into buyers at nearly three times the rate of average site users,
according to a new study by WebSideStory, Inc. (Nasdaq: WSSI), a leading
provider of on-demand digital marketing applications. During the last three
months of the year, the conversion rate for visitors using the search box on a
web site was 7.54 percent -- 2.7 times higher than the conversion rate for
average site users (2.79 percent), according to the WebSideStory Index, a new
statistical barometer that features techno-graphic and e-commerce trends
culled from the millions of users that visit web sites using the company's
award-winning web analytics technology. Site search conversion rates also
soared as the holiday shopping season progressed, jumping from just under
6 percent in October to more than 8 percent for the month of December,
according to the index.
"This data shows that effective site search is becoming one of the most
critical conversion drivers in online commerce," said Ali Behnam, senior
digital marketing consultant for WebSideStory. "Helping visitors find what
they are looking for in a fast, convenient manner significantly increases the
likelihood of their making a purchase. We only expect these conversion rates
to increase as more and more e-commerce sites engage in best of breed site
search implementations."

The WebSideStory Index is a compilation of techno-graphic and e-commerce
trends. It spans everything from browser and operating system trends to
shopping cart usage and checkout conversion rates. Other findings of the
latest index, which covered the last three months of the year and early 2006:

* Branding and customer loyalty also continue to drive conversion rates,
especially during the holiday season. Repeat visitor conversion rates
(13.88 percent) were seven times higher than new visitor conversion
rates (1.68 percent) during the last quarter of the year

* Despite making strong gains in 2005, the Firefox browser did not meet
its reported goal of 10 percent market share by year's end. As of
Jan. 5, 2006, Firefox had a U.S. browser usage share of 8.88 percent,
according to the index. Although Mozilla Corp. did not reach its
intended goal -- a target first reported by ZDNet -- the browser still
made significant strides over the last year, rising from a 4.23 percent
share on Jan. 5, 2005. Three-quarters of that growth came during the
first half of the year. The last time a non-Microsoft browser achieved
close to a 9 percent market share was Netscape in April 2002, according
to the index.

"The good news for Firefox in 2005 is that it established itself as a
viable Microsoft alternative with millions of users," said Geoff Johnston, a
WebSideStory analyst.
For more information about WebSideStory, please visit
http://www.websidestory.com.

U.S. Browser Share Over the Past Year

Browser Jan. 5, 2006 July 5, 2005 Jan. 5, 2005
Internet Explorer 87.63% 88.57% 90.55%
Firefox 8.88% 7.44% 4.65%
Other 3.49% 3.99% 4.80%

Note: For consistency and accuracy, WebSideStory always compares weekday
averages.

About WebSideStory, Inc.
Founded in 1996, WebSideStory, Inc. (Nasdaq: WSSI) is a leading provider
of on-demand digital marketing applications that improve online marketing and
sales. Its Active Marketing Suite(TM) consists of web analytics, site search,
web content management and keyword bid management (scheduled for release in
early 2006). WebSideStory is headquartered in San Diego, California, and has
European headquarters in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. For more information,
contact WebSideStory. Voice: 858.546.0040. Fax: 858.546.0480.
Address: 10182 Telesis Court, 6th Floor, San Diego, CA 92121.
Web site: http://www.WebSideStory.com. HBX and Active Marketing Suite are trademarks
and WebSideStory is a registered trademark of WebSideStory. Other trademarks
belong to their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are not a description of historical
facts are forward-looking statements. You should not regard any
forward-looking statement as a representation by WebSideStory that any of its
plans will be achieved. Actual results may differ materially from those set
forth in this release due to the risks and uncertainties inherent in
WebSideStory's business including, without limitation: WebSideStory's reliance
on its web analytics services for the majority of its revenue; blocking or
erasing of cookies or limitations on our ability to use cookies;
WebSideStory's limited experience with digital marketing applications beyond
web analytics; the risks associated with integrating the operations and
products of Avivo Corporation with those of WebSideStory; privacy concerns and
laws or other domestic or foreign regulations that may subject WebSideStory to
litigation or limit our ability to collect and use Internet user information;
the highly competitive markets in which we operate that could make it
difficult for WebSideStory to acquire and retain customers; the risk that
WebSideStory's customers fail to renew their agreements; WebSideStory's recent
achievement of profitability and the risk that it may not maintain its
profitability; the risk that WebSideStory's services may become obsolete in a
market with rapidly changing technology and industry standards; and other
risks described in WebSideStory's Securities and Exchange Commission filings,
including WebSideStory's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2004, as amended, and quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the
quarter ended September 30, 2005. Do not place undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements which speak only as of the date of this news
release. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by
this cautionary statement, and WebSideStory undertakes no obligation to revise
or update this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date
of this news release.



SOURCE WebSideStory, Inc.
Web Site: http://www.websidestory.com




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