Arbitron NewMedia's Northstar Interactive Unit Introduces 'SiteScore'; On-line Survey Measures Website Effectiveness.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 9, 1998--SiteScore(TM), an innovative on-line survey methodology for measuring the effectiveness and appeal of websites, is now available from Northstar Interactive, a leading Internet research firm and business unit of Arbitron NewMedia.

SiteScore uses a pop-up window to intercept randomly-selected website visitors and collect their opinion of a website's ease of use, visual appeal and overall content, as well as obtain basic demographic information. Organizations can use these results to refine their websites, broaden their appeal to target audiences and track online performance against their competitors. Because the survey requires little time and is easy to complete, response rates are dramatically high -- as much as 70 percent -- compared to the 30 percent or below average participation rate of telephone surveys.

"While many organizations can track the number of hits and clicks on their websites, most have trouble profiling visitors and especially tracking that information over time," said Cheryl Harris, Ph.D., president/CEO, Northstar Interactive. "SiteScore gives them a way to gather more qualitative information -- not just how many people visit a website, but who they are and how they perceived the experience."

At the start of the SiteScore process, Northstar Interactive works with organizations to study website traffic and select intercept points that will yield a proper random sample. When visitors reach the chosen point, a pop-up screen offers them the opportunity to take the survey. Visitors who agree to participate are transferred immediately -- and transparently -- to Northstar Interactive's site to complete the survey, and are then whisked back to the intercept point. The entire process takes just two to three minutes.

Once SiteScore achieves a minimum random sample of 200 visitors, Northstar Interactive compiles the results automatically. Northstar Interactive's team of researchers then prepares a custom report summarizing the key findings and delivers it to the customer often within 48 hours or less. The report includes demographic ranking of survey participants, scores for each survey question (on a scale of 1-10) and comparison with scores achieved by competitors' sites.

"The real power of SiteScore lies in its ability to amass information in a normative database that compares the survey results for different competing sites," Ms. Harris said. "The more clients that participate and the more data we collect, the more valuable the comparative study will be. In addition, for organizations whose websites carry advertising, SiteScore provides a fast, cost-effective way to perform accountability and effectiveness research to show advertisers website appeal and the demography of website visitors."

SiteScore includes built-in methodology to ensure that visitors are intercepted only once, whether they choose to participate or not. This protects both visitor satisfaction and survey integrity. The software is non-intrusive and does not affect loading times for the organization's server or the user's computer.

For more information, or to order a SiteScore survey, contact Andrea Ruggieri, vice president of strategic marketing, Northstar Interactive, telephone: [phone] x15; e-mail: [e-mail].

Northstar Interactive is an innovator in online research methodologies and conducts qualitative and quantitative research initiatives for new media companies, market research firms and the communications industry. Its clients include large companies in the publishing, film, television, radio research, telecommunications, advertising and marketing, website development and research fields including Proctor & Gamble, Netscape, Ziff-Davis, Time Warner, IBM, Sony, Motorola, AT&T, NBC and HBO.

Arbitron is an international media and marketing research firm serving broadcasters, advertisers and advertising agencies in the United States and Europe. Arbitron measures local U.S. radio audiences, and develops qualitative measures of local U.S. consumers through RetailDirect and through Scarborough Research, a joint venture of Arbitron and VNU Marketing Information Services. In the United Kingdom and Europe, Continental Research, a unit of Arbitron, provides media, advertising, financial and telecommunications research. Arbitron NewMedia provides survey research, consulting and methodological services to the cable, direct broadcast satellite, telecommunications, online and new media industries.

Arbitron is a Ceridian (NYSE:CEN) company. Ceridian Corporation is a leading information services company that serves the human resources, transportation, and electronic media markets. Its businesses include Ceridian Employer Services, a leading provider of human resources management systems and payroll and tax filing services; Comdata Corporation, a leader in transaction processing and information services for the transportation industry; and The Arbitron Company, a leading international media and marketing research company.

SiteScore is a trademark of Northstar Interactive. All other product names used are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Image available upon request.

This release is available on the KCSA Worldwide Public Relations Website at www.kcsa.com.