• by Paul Gough , October 28, 2003

Online advertising conversion rates aren't just about immediacy.

That's one of the findings of a new study released Tuesday by Advertising.com. It's based on an analysis of 370 million impressions served for three separate advertisers via the interactive advertising network's Optigence platform.

Looking at the number and timing of conversions, one third of the conversions occurred the same day of the impression. Eighty five percent of the conversions were tallied in the days after an impression was served, Advertising.com said.

Only nine percent to 11 percent of total conversions occurred within three hours of the impressions. For subsequent days tracked, as many as 30 percent of the conversions occurred during the same hours the impression was served, even though it was a different day. Advertising.com said that it supported the theory that Internet consumption is repeated on a daily basis.

"These findings show what a significant portion of conversion activity takes place well beyond the impression," said Scott Ferber, chief executive officer of Advertising.com. "It suggests that traditional measurement approaches, such as per-action or per-click evaluation, may not tell the whole story."

Ferber said it helps reveal the lasting impact of an impression.

"Which is food for thought when it comes to the potential of online brand advertising, garnering mindshare, not just clickshare," Ferber said.

--Paul J. Gough