BPA audit figures confirm nearly two million monthly visits for Middle East Internet portal

According to the BPA interactive audit, Albawaba.com saw 1,959,518 visits during the course of the November 2006 audit period which included 6,157,497 page requests. The audit report shows geographic data based on the sources of traffic and an analysis of country code top level domains based upon an IP resolution database developed by BPA since the last Albawaba.com audit in 2005. The report, which shows that the site is viewed across the globe where there is an Arabic speaking or Arabic culture audience, is the only web site in the region with audited geographic user data.

"This report offers a deep level of transparency to inform advertisers of the audience's geographic origin as well as their activity," explains Stuart Wilkinson, BPA Worldwide's Director of Europe, Middle East & Africa. "The report offers a similar level of data to print media circulation reports in that both the volume of media and the geographic location of the consumers of the media are identified. This will give the media planner the added insights they need to do their job more effectively for their client as they select advertising investments in an increasingly complex multi-media environment."

With site auditing still a relatively new development in the Middle East, Al Bawaba viewed the BPA audit process as one way of differentiating their site from others.

"The decision to have the site audited back in 2005 was made initially to create transparency and generate trust among the existing and new advertisers and media buying agencies we work with," explains Mark Gatty Saunt, Content Sales Director at Al Bawaba. "And it works, which is why we will continue to have regular traffic audits with BPA Worldwide."

Al Bawaba, which found the audit process provided valuable reassurance of the accuracy of the third party software it uses to track traffic to the site, has consciously used the BPA audit as a pro-active business development tool, with tangible, commercial success.

"We have been able to use the BPA audit to develop some non-advertising related business," continues Gatty Saunt. "It has given us the transparency and independent stamp of credibility that people are looking for in this region."

That's a view that seems to be shared by one of the leading media buying agencies in the region.

"Audited media is critical for us attaining that much needed market transparency and building advertiser confidence in Internet," explains Dimitri Metaxas, Group Director, OMD Digital. "Ultimately we know that consumers are coming online but an audit helps to cement this in the eyes of advertisers whilst assisting the buyer to make better planning decisions on their behalf."

Metaxas argues that media audits are particularly important to the online space in the Middle East as the sector is at a critical phase in its development there. Media transparency, he says, is central to ensuring longevity for the industry industry. He argues for better education in the market about the value of an audit, the onus for which, he says, rests with both the media and the agencies who, as direct benefactors of media audits, should be major supporters.

"The BPA audit should benefit Al Bawaba in terms of attracting the bigger players or more sophisticated advertisers who demand the transparency that an audit provides. This may not be immediate but it should hold Al Bawaba well in the long term," continues Metaxas. "We still only see a few websites who have embraced traffic audits and actually committed to better transparency, but hope other sites will follow Al Bawaba and embrace audits in line with a long term acceptance for much needed industry transparency."

"We are at the start of a process in the Middle East," adds Stuart Wilkinson. "At present, advertisers are still risking their spend on non-audited media in the region. We are helping to educate advertisers and media buyers to appreciate the value of the audit, to understand what the numbers on the audit report mean and to advise media owners that a BPA audit, such as Albwaba.com's, adds trust and professionalism in the relationship between media seller and their client."