Gomez Inc - Development Of The Internet Scorecard

DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTERNET SCORECARD

In 1997, Gomez, Robb, and Stein created Gomez Advisors as part of The Ashton Technology Group. Operating as a subsidiary of the group, Gomez was first focused on evaluating the online services provided by brokers. With a goal of improving the online experience for consumers, the company established its Internet Scorecard in June 1997 and began rating various Web sites. Gomez ratings—rankings based on various criteria—soon became quite popular in the brokerage industry. Receiving top accolades from Gomez was considered a coup among industry players. A 1999 BusinessWeek Online article claimed that "for online brokers, getting a top rating from Gomez Advisors Inc. is like winning an Oscar."

The Internet Scorecard ranking consisted of roughly 150 different criteria points. Gomez collected data on those points by visiting Web sites, conducting business and using customer service on those Web sites, and monitoring performance. The online sites were then ranked by Scorecard categories, which included ease of use, customer confidence, on-site resources, relationship services, and overall cost. Ease of use, for example, used between 30 and 50 criteria points such as functionality, simplicity of opening an account or making a purchase, and ease of Web-site navigation. Customer confidence used criteria such as the availability and depth of customer service options, and the ability to resolve customer service issues. The On-site resources category was rated based on criteria such as product availability, and Relationship services were based on criteria such as online help, advice, frequent buyer incentives, and personalized data. The Overall Cost category was ranked using criteria such as average cost for typical services and additional fees related to shipping and handling.

The Scorecards were then listed on the Gomez Web site. For example, a consumer who wanted to find information on different full service broker Web sites could go to the Gomez site and peruse the broker Internet Scorecards that the firm had listed. The consumer could view the ranking listed by overall score, or view the ranking by individual category such as Ease of Use. A profile of each company was listed as well and offered information on the pros and cons of the site and how the company performed in each category.