Think Ahead

But don't stop there. Be forward-thinking and consider what business problems you might need solved as your site grows. Will the same vendor be able to help you when your business gets to the next level?

For example, tracking online marketing campaigns might be your top priority today, but next year you may plan to integrate your offline marketing initiatives into a true multi-channel view. You may want to consider how the tool integrates with existing CRM systems, as well as other business intelligence tools or campaign management packages.

Switching systems can become a time drain, since your staff will need to learn the new program and each has its own unique dashboard. And since you could also lose important historical analytics data about your site's performance when you make the switch, it makes sense to think ahead in hopes of building a long-term relationship.

"You want a solution that is going to flex with your business, not one that requires your business to flex with the tool," Parkin says. "Some solutions have a very rigid architecture that makes the business conform to the system's way of tracking or collecting information." In any case, he concludes, when it comes to finding the best match for your business, "you should be in the driver's seat."

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