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5 Essential Steps to
Effective Web Measurement
Your roadmap for managing your website data and enhancing your success.
Best Practice Guide
Learn:
. Effectively identify, measure, and analyze key metrics.. Improve Website performance through innovation and optimization. View sample reports and key metrics analysis.There are five steps to structuring a Web analytics program. Plan each one carefully, and you'll be well on your way to a more suc-cessful and profitable Web site. The steps may seem intuitive, but discussion and agreement with your team now will avoid problems as the program unfolds.
Step 1: Measure
Capture Success Metrics and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)Recently, companies have moved away from measuring volumes of raw data that may provide little or no insight, and have instead focused on measuring the impact on key business objectives. By determining what metrics to measure, you greatly simplify your Web site analytics, and help ensure success. And, it's usually pretty 5 Fundamental Steps to Effective simple to figure out just what metrics you should be capturing.Web Measurement First of all, determine what type of site you have. A lead genera-Many marketers shy away from Web analytics because it sounds tion site will have very different measurements than a subscription more like a logarithmic equation than a marketing solution. But at content site, and a customer service site is a million miles away its core, Web analytics is simply measuring the behavior of visitors from an ecommerce site. to a Website, particularly those measurements that indicate what aspects of the Website are helping to drive the business objectives. Most sites can be defined by one of four categories (Ecommerce, Content & Advertising, Lead Generation, or Customer Support). After you strip away the multi-syllabic veneer, Web analytics is really Most sites in these categories share similar business objectives and nothing more than an incredibly effective tool to help you grow your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). business. It's a surefire way to determine the success of your new online advertising campaign. It is a definitive answer to perplexing A site often can have more than one purpose and may require questions such as: Is rich media more interesting to consumers than additional measurements. But the key is to define the site's pur-text content? It allows you to quit guessing about which promo- pose first, and then make sure that appropriate measurements tion works better: a free toaster or a new Porsche GT3. (Okay, you can be made for each aspect. already know the answer to that question, but you get the idea.) And it takes the focus of measurement away from just raw data Don't make the mistake of assuming that what works for one reporting, and more towards a model of total business reporting. In company will work for yours as well. Define your unique needs and short, it allows you to better optimize your ROI. objectives accurately, and you'll be off to a good start.
But with a nearly unlimited amount of data available about your Selecting your KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)Web site, Web analytics can seem complex and overwhelming. But The number of KPIs that can be tracked can be a little over-it doesn't have to be. It's really surprisingly simple, and the results whelming. Again, different industries and site types will have are nothing less than stunning. In fact, by following five simple different needs. The following chart shows some of the standard steps, you can ensure a successful Web analytics program for your KPIs by specific site type. Use this as a guide to ensure that you company's Web site. So rather than just paying lip service to a solid are measuring what's important, but remember that your site may program, arm yourself with some Web analytics basics and start to need additional or different KPIs to give you the full picture. Also reap the rewards of a more productive and profitable Web site. remember that more isn't necessarily better. Incorporate only those KPIs that can provide relevant and actionable learning for your Web site.Web Analytics: A process for collecting data, conducting analysis, and reporting Web site activity and results. KPIs are almost always dollar, cost, customer, lead or visitor ratios, averages, and totals instead of lists and tables of raw data. Also, it is helpful to simply use odometers and indicat... [download for more]
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