| Bill Huang sits down at his computer. As he | | | | in several spots along the transatlantic |
| connects to the Internet, he glances out at | | | | connections - bottlenecks that could slow |
| the sun poking its nose above the Hong Kong | | | | down or even block a web site completely. If |
| skyline. It will be another busy day, and he | | | | a webmaster is not monitoring the performance |
| has to order those slippers for his wife | | | | of his web site overseas as well as at home, |
| before rushing off to a meeting.He types in | | | | he will not be aware of the bottleneck and |
| his search terms and Google faithfully | | | | unable to contact his provider about it.The |
| reports: "Results 1 - 100 of about 1,760,000. | | | | fact is that a web site will load slower on |
| Search took 0.34 seconds."Bill clicks on a | | | | the opposite side of the world, regardless of |
| the Big Soft Slipper web site and waits for | | | | the type of connection the surfer has. But |
| the page to load. "Site unavailable," Bill | | | | that is compounded when the transatlantic |
| reads. He hits the "back" button. Then he | | | | connections, or other local connections, |
| clicks on another of the 1,760,000 pages | | | | block up.Is connection speed a problem worth |
| Google offered him.High above Cleveland, USA, | | | | monitoring?In May 2001, Zona Research |
| the executives at Big Soft Slipper are | | | | reported that slow loading web sites |
| clinking their glasses and patting themselves | | | | accounted for $25 billion in lost sales each |
| on the back. "We sure did it," the CEO crows. | | | | year ( ) As Internet usage continues to |
| "Look at that beautiful home page. Look at | | | | climb around the world, that figure might be |
| the easy navigation. Look at how fast it | | | | closer to $40 billion by now.Another study, |
| loads."Somebody please tell them about Bill | | | | by ( ) in 2000, revealed that most people |
| Huang."Very few people realize how the web | | | | abandon purchases on the Internet while |
| site that loads so zippy in their office, | | | | already in the shopping cart section - 21 |
| flows like molasses on their customers' | | | | percent due to slow-loading pages. In other |
| computers - and may not even be accessible at | | | | words, even when the home page and the sales |
| all," says Vadim Mazo, CEO of Dotcom-Monitor | | | | pages operate at a satisfactory speed, |
| ( ), a web site monitoring company. "While | | | | customers get frustrated by slow loading or |
| they celebrate, they could be losing | | | | failed shopping carts."It's one thing to know |
| customers."Even in the United States, the | | | | that your web site is accessible. It is |
| most developed Internet market in the world, | | | | another to know that all your forms and your |
| one out of five Internet users still operate | | | | shopping carts are performing to your |
| on 56K connections. Smart companies have | | | | customers' satisfaction," Mr. Mazo says. He |
| gotten wise, and test their web sites on slow | | | | adds that web site monitoring avoids the |
| connections - usually 56K. That leaves 13 | | | | embarrassing moment when the customer lets a |
| million Americans with even slower | | | | company know its site is not accessible. "The |
| connections - along with hordes of customers | | | | only thing worse is if nobody lets you know |
| in India, China, Australia, Russia, South | | | | and you just keep losing sales."This suggests |
| Africa and elsewhere around the world.Who is | | | | there is value in monitoring your web site |
| monitoring your web site from Europe and | | | | from overseas -- and in monitoring the forms |
| Asia?"We just opened up a new web site | | | | and shopping carts and anything other server |
| monitoring station in Hong Kong, because | | | | requests and user transactionsStella Huang |
| there is a growing demand for monitoring web | | | | loves her new slippers. They are just |
| site performance from Asia," Mr. Mazo adds. | | | | perfect. She really does not care where they |
| "While nobody can monitor individual | | | | come from. The executives at Big Soft Slipper |
| connections, we can monitor sever side | | | | were not monitoring their web site |
| connection speeds and web site accessibility | | | | performance, so they have no idea that they |
| - both of which are affected by transatlantic | | | | just lost a customer. And another customer. |
| transfers."In fact, bottlenecks can develop | | | | And another... |