Ad watchdog raps website over unique visitor claims

UK-- The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has rapped the publishers of a website for IT contractors for promoting unique visitor numbers that had not been independently audited.

Contractor UK said in an email newsletter and follow-up leaflet that its network received almost 250,000 unique visitors in March 2008, making it the “best month ever” for the site.

However rival site ContractCalculator complained to the ASA that its competitor could not substantiate the claim.

Contractor UK said it used cookie-based tracking via Google Analytics to measure its traffic – software which can, according to the ASA, deliver unique user figures to industry agreed standards if “correctly implemented”.

But the authority decided that without an independent audit by the likes of ABCe, “it was not possible to know” if the technology had been used appropriately, and as a result the complaint was upheld.

Contractor UK has disputed the decision, calling it “deeply flawed”. It said the Google Analytics reports provided to the ASA demonstrated accurate implementation of the technology, and that the numbers advertised where the same as those reported via the software.

“The ruling on substantiation is incredibly frustrating and frankly doesn't make any sense,” Contractor UK said in a statement on its website.

But while the website believed it had the necessary documentary proof to back up a claim, as required by the Committee of Advertising Practice Code, an ASA spokesman confirmed that third party auditing of the figures was needed.

“This ruling will strike fear into the many other businesses who also depend on being able to advertise their traffic,” Contractor UK said. “Few online businesses currently audit and with the cost of just one month's auditing (including a registration fee) being a minimum of just over £4,000, this is extremely prohibitive for the world outside of national newspaper sites, especially in today's tough climate.”

Author: Brian Tarran