Web analytics may seem overwhelming at first, but it’s not too difficult once you learn a few of the concepts.
Tracking who reads your digital content, for how long, and when gives you (and your client) a deeper understanding of how well your content is being received, and where content can be tailored specifically for different audiences.
Sessions (formerly Visitors) – represent the number of times a user was active on your website. It matters because these numbers represent the size of the audience you are reaching. Marketers can see if content is growing or reducing audience numbers.
Page Views – represent the total number of pages viewed on your website. It matters because it’s important to know if a high number of page views is due to the quality and value of the content on your site, OR whether visitors are unable to find what they’re looking for, OR to know which pages on your website don’t perform well.
Traffic Sources - analytics software helps you break down your traffic sources into the following four categories:
It matters because each of these sources will provide you with information about where your traffic is coming from so marketers can target those sources more specifically with digital marketing.
Bounce Rate – is when a visitor reaches your website and immediately leaves. This usually means they didn’t find what they were looking for; they reached your site on accident, OR they found exactly what they needed and left to go there (in the case of a directory listing). It matters because lost visitors equal lost opportunities. Understanding why is important so that existing issues that may be turning visitors away can be quickly identified and fixed. Acceptable bounce rates vary depending on a site’s purpose. A directory listing, for example, would declare success with a very high bounce rate because it means people are finding what they want immediately.
Conversion Rate – is the percentage rate of visitors who achieved a goal on your website. Some examples of goals can include: completing a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, filling out a contact form, registering for an event or viewing a certain page on your website. It matters because a low conversion rate might mean it’s possible that you’re either attracting the wrong kind of visitors, OR the content on your site is ineffective. Monitoring conversion rates can also tell you if something is wrong with your website, eg., if your conversion rate suddenly drops, this may be caused by an issue with a shopping cart or sign-up form.
The aim should be to efficiently gather data that provides a potent overview of the efficacy of PR and marketing efforts, measured over time.
By using an evidence-based methodology clients can save money, time and effort by arming themselves with powerful data in order to make informed decisions.
We don’t waste time. We monitor and measure traditional media clips and then track their online reach. We look at who is reading them, when, which ones perform the best (liked, shared and commented on in the social realm), and, the ultimate measure, how many visitors are going on to the client website. This gives our clients an advantage over their competitors who are not approaching social in a strategic manner.
We offer effective solutions to help clients measure and track digital efforts in order to make evidence-based decisions. Get in touch.