Web Analytics: Converting the Masses

Monitoring website visitor and customer activity in detail, you can make rational business decisions that increase success. Some crucial things you should know before spending another dollar in marketing are where visitors are coming from, what keywords your visitors use to find your site, how they navigate through the site, which visitors are good customers, and what actions those customers took along the way.

The ways you allow customers to interact with various online products and features directly provokes customer conversions. So how do you know what is working and what is not?

In terms of web analysis, there are generally two types of information: 1) measures of e-commerce, 2) measures of customer interaction with content. For example, if you find out that the average customer from Google views 6 pages with more conversions, while the average viewer from Yahoo stays only two (less likely to buy), you can alter your advertising focus due to these customer interaction trends. Or if you find out that customers are leaving the checkout very late in the process, even after they’ve entered their information, you can extrapolate the duration of your checkout process is probably too long, or the final steps include a prohibitive policy or cost.

Three fundamental categories for customer interaction are: 1) Qualified Traffic – the visitors intend to be on your site (some don't); 2) Qualified Intent – they find and leave with information, or they want information for future purchase, or they want to purchase now; 3) Qualified Confidence in Purchase – they are repeat customers, or they have brand confidence prior to checking out, or you must instill a sense of security in them via your site and brand.

A variety of fundamental lessons can be learned from the visitor interaction with your site. For example, if you acknowledge your best customers, who bring you the most value, your referral base could increase. If you narrow your keyword analysis for customers who only seek purchase, you could lower your cost per acquisition.

There are more and more resources becoming available to the e-marketer for the purpose of analyzing user data. For example, the book “Marketer's Guide to E-Metrics” by Bryan Eisenberg & Jim Novo can provide some insight into the metrics you use to better your business. Meanwhile for a competitive analysis or benchmarking data, refer to comScore, Nielsen//NetRatings, and Hitwise. These companies do not measure your website server statistics, but use panel and ISP based analysis to compare many sites.


Resources for Analyzing Ads and Web Metrics:

Wordtracker - $265/yr membership, keyword analysis
Hitwise.com – comprehensive video explaining measurement techniques
Nielsen/Net Ratings – panel based, top-level industry analysis
Urchin Analytics – web server
Clicktracks – web server
LiveStats – Deepmetrix – web server
WebTrends Analysis – web server
Coremetrics Online Analytics – complex web server
Omniture SiteCatalyst – complex web server