While web traffic increases exponentially the business of meaningfully tracking visitors to web sites appears to continue to be hard one to make money from. The latest company to hit problems is Los Angeles-based NetCount LLC, which provides daily and weekly traffic numbers by using company’s log files. Reports suggest the company has laid off two-thirds of its 30 or so staff as it goes through what the company has called an extended financing period: it is currently talking with venture capitalists to secure additional funding. We understand the company has experienced problems with its billing procedures that were farmed out to a third party. The people let go were apparently software development workers, which may cause concern for customers as a new version of NetCount software is due next month, according to sources. But better let the software people go than the customer service and operations representatives go, we suppose. NetCount has continued to deliver a daily service throughout these problems, we understand. San Franciscan NetCount rival I/Pro hit problems last year before it pushed aside its chief executive and appointed former Tibco senior VP Bradley Rode as chief executive. I/Pro provides monthly reports with its NetLine product, which is now on version 2.0. The company claims to be making great strides now following last year’s reshuffle. There are other off-the-shelf products that leave the users to do all the analysis of where the hits come from, what browsers users are running and on what platform and so on. NetCount claims around 400 customers, including the likes of Toyota, Warner Bros., NBC and United Media. NetCount has what it calls an exclusive alliance with Price Waterhouse LLP, which gets joint billing on all its products.
