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INTERNET STOCK NEWS: Sept. 16, 1999 "The Austin Internet Scene: Vignette Corporation", Fred C. Bush, ISN Writer Available on the web at
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A key Internet buzzword lately is personalization. Personalization gets people to a site, personalization sells products and personalization keeps customers coming back.
Every site wants personalization. Every site needs personalization. Who provides personalization? Another Austin based company, Vignette (Nasdaq: VIGN).
Vignette has created the term Internet Relationship Management to describe the company's e-commerce products and services. Relationship management implies managing the content seen by the end user. Vignette achieves this personalization of product and management of customer relationships through its core product, the Story Server. To date, the Story Server has been a real prize, winning over 20 industry awards, and a few big name customers along the way.
I love things that make my life easy. I'll admit I like to get things done as quickly as possible, often scanning an article rather than reading an article, or looking at pictures before I decide to read text.
Story Server is a product aimed at people like me, who look at the forest before we look at the trees. StoryServer ensures users of a Web site a convenient, easy to navigate experience targeted to the browser's individual needs. The StoryServer does this using the information provided by the site visitor, both implicitly and explicitly, as they tour the Web site. The user is profiled, then the software uses the profile to tailor the web site content to the visitor's interests.
This personalization serves several purposes. It keeps the customer at the site longer because what they are looking for is easier to find, keeping them from leaving quickly to search elsewhere. An extension of that logic is the customers, by staying on the site, are more likely to buy on that site rather than continue to browse other sites, plus visitors can be given recommendations of products based on their profile as they shop. With each satisfactory experience, the chances of the customer returning to the site increase.
In providing this value-added experience, Vignette's software is increasing the efficiency of the site by keeping the customers attached to the site, which increases the chance of customers buying. The experience is transparent to the user; they don't even know they have been profiled or that they are being specifically marketed to. An example of the strength of the Story Server product can be seen in a recent news release by Vignette highlighting the success of the implementation atLa Monde Interactive, the online version of France's largest newspaper. Within one month of going online with Story Server, La Monde reported a 15%
increase in page impressions.
Vignette started as a hot IPO in February and has just gotten hotter. Priced at $19, the company quickly hit triple digits before settling down around $70, where it currently trades. Vignette exited its dreaded lock-up period with no negative impact on the stock. As a matter of fact, the stock price has actually increased over 40% since the lock-out expiration, and while there have been some sellers, no management has sold stock since the expiration of the lock up signaling that the real insiders still see upside
to the stock price.
Their insight is likely correct as the demand for personalization of Web sites increases, as it will, then the demand for Vignette's Story Server increases. The proliferation on e-commerce sites guarantees the demand for personalization software will be increasing. Web-based business are learning that banner ads and neat Web sites aren't enough to gain customer loyalty, but providing customers with a meaningful, enjoyable experience is what keeps users coming back for more. Personalization, even though it is an over used buzzword, is a key to customer loyalty on the Internet and Vignette holds that key.
Fred C. Bush is an analyst with Tejas Securities Group. The material contained herein is based on data from sources considered reliable, but Tejas Securities Group Inc. does not guarantee its accuracy and do not purport it to be complete. This information is not intended to be used as the primary basis of investment decisions nor, because of individual client requirements, should it be construed as a representation by Tejas Securities Group Inc. as an offer or the solicitation of an offer to sell or buy this security. Any opinions expressed are subject to change. From time to time, Tejas Securities Group Inc. or individuals associated with it may have a position in the securities mentioned and may make purchased and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise.
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Internet Stock News is a free media publication providing FREE real time quotes, access to Internet Initial Public Offerings (IPO's), independent news, research, and commentary about the Internet investment revolution. Interested analysts, brokers, institutional & individual investors may subscribe to Internet Stock News for free at internetstocknews.com.
Members will be periodically informed of ground floor investment opportunities in Internet companies such as: GlobeSpan (Nasdaq: GSPN), Mediaconsult.com (Nasdaq: MCNS), Media Metrix (MMXI), Network Access Solutions (Nasdaq: NASC), Security First Technology (Nasdaq: SONE), TenFold (Nasdaq: TENF), Transaction Network Services (NYSE: TNI), Viant (Nasdaq: VIAN), WorldGate Communications (Nasdaq: WGAT), FVC.com (Nasdaq: FVCX), Global Media Corp Nasdaq: GLMC), onlinetradinginc.com (Nasdaq: LINE), NewsEDGE Corp. (Nasdaq: NEWZ ), NetObjects (Nasdaq: NETO), NetSpeak Corp. (Nasdaq: NSPK), quepasa.com (Nasdaq: PASA), Rocky Mountain Internet (Nasdaq: RMII), Streamline.com (Nasdaq: SLNE), barnesandnoble.com (Nasdaq: BNBN), USInterworkings (Nasdaq: USIX), Launch Media (Nasdaq: LAUN) and Persistance Software (Nasdaq: PRSW). |
