• June 1, 2003

Crossbow Group, a direct response and marketing communications agency, has launched a new service named WEBVantage developed specifically for companies in the business-to-business sector. WEBVantage utilizes a measurement tool that compares the effectiveness of a company's web-based communications relative to those of its competitors. According to Jay Bower, president of the firm, "WEBVantage was developed in recognition of the fact that company websites are the first place prospects go to for information about business products and services they are thinking about purchasing. Since most people visit multiple websites during their searches, they tend to form impressions about the various companies based on their web experience. Websites can either help a company win sales or drive prospects away. And the sad truth is, up to now, companies have never had a way to objectively measure this dynamic." WEBVantage focuses on comparative analyses of critical measures such as strategic messaging, value propositions, content architecture, and clarity of messaging. A team of Crossbow consultants then conducts detailed analyses of competitive sites and assigns ratings of the effectiveness of each site on each measure. The resulting analysis generates creative insights about what specific actions can be taken to improve web communications to differentiate a company's offerings and give it a competitive advantage.