A survey of more than 600 marketers released by Omniture this week found 80% indicated return on investment in online marketing is important to track, but only 31% can effectively measure it. Why do marketers still struggle with effectively measuring ROI? Read my interview with WebsiteBiz's newest team member and lead Web Analyst, Katie Frye.

Q: What is the biggest missed opportunity you see among marketers you work with?

Katie: "I am still surprised to read surveys that indicate "lack of measurement" as a leading frustration and challenge among marketing executives when referring to their online strategies. Analytics should be the foundation of a marketing strategy that is integrated across online and offline channels. By not having a clear plan for measurement, companies risk losing valuable insight into customer behavior, industry trends, and competitive forces..." "...One of the emerging problems I see is the lack of standardization in metrics definitions and measurement processes across different channels. Inconsistent tracking standards across mobile devices, operating systems, and cookies are all factors that keep marketers and agencies from pushing more aggressive tactics and spending online."

Q: How has social media changed the way you analyze and report online metrics for clients?

Katie: "Followers, retweets, check-ins and Likes! These new forms of social engagement, or "Earned Media," have inspired new ideas for demonstrating ROI. They also force marketers to consider the influence of social media on other "Paid Media" tactics like Search Marketing and Display advertising. The continued growth and interest in these metrics has allowed our team to invest the time to evaluate new monitoring tools and create new processes for analyzing the impact of social media." For more on the value of social media metrics, I recommend this report from Nielsen/Facebook!

Q: Tell us about your role as lead Web Analyst at WebsiteBiz?

Katie: "As a Web analyst, it is my job to not only measure and report metrics, but to translate the metrics into actionable insight that can be used to uncover new opportunities and demonstrate real ROI from marketing strategies."

More questions for Katie? Start the conversation here!