Web Analytic Software - Only Useful if Actionable

John Vachalek - 8.5.2009 8:14 AM

The key to successfully using Web analytics is ensuring that whatever you are tracking is actionable. It is easy to get bogged down in a huge amount of information provided by these tools.  As well, all this information can be manipulated dozens of different ways.  Without a plan, it is not uncommon to sit down in a meeting to review your Website analytics information and have everyone heading off in different directions, based on the numbers they relate to in the report.  This is complete waste of time. The only information that should be reviewed is the information that you have determined as actionable.  What do we mean by this?  “Actionable” indicates the results upon which you are willing to take action.  The actions taken may include:

•    Changing the ads which generated the traffic
•    Changing the entire structure of the Website to increase results
•    Changing the graphics of the Website to increase results
•    Changing the content of the Website to increase results
•    Changing or adding instructions to the Website to increase results
•    Adding more automated processes to the Website to increase results

Before implementing a tracking strategy, you must determine your willingness to take action based on the results. In all cases this is resource decision. This will mean paying your Website development company or allocating more time to your internal team to make these ongoing adjustments. If you are not willing to consider making drastic changes to your site, then you should only track the information upon which you are willing to act. 

Some of the key indicators Webolutions tracks monthly for our clients includes:

•    Number of Site Visitors by Specific Marketing Activity
•    Number of Sales by Specific Marketing Activity
•    Number of Pages Ranked on Page 1 of Google for Primary Search Terms
•    Bounce Rate of the Site’s Top 5 Entry Pages
•    % of Visitors Who Add an Item to their Shopping Cart
•    % of Visitors Who Complete the Shopping Process
•    Number of Incoming Links to the Website
•    Site Saturation of the Website

By tracking this basic information, we are able to determine and prioritize the actionable items which should take place on a monthly basis to increase our client’s overall Website performance.

Action Items

•    Schedule monthly (minimum) analytic reviews on your calendar and make this a priority.
•    Determine the specific information you need to track and make sure it is truly actionable.
•    Only track three or four actionable items at a time. This allows you to tell the specific impact of each adjustment.
•    Make sure you have an analytics solution which can provide the information you need to be successful.

To schedule a Free evaluation of how you can better use analytics to increase the effectiveness of your Website, contact Webolutions at 1-800-657-6055.

Please feel free to submit your comments, experiences or input to this blog post below.

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