You have be careful when it comes to studying web Analytics. A lot of people want to learn more about Internet Marketing, so they try and immerse themselves in all the technical details of SEO and Conversion Optimization.
You definitely want to learn as much as possible– especially about SEO and Conversion Optimization. But if you try and learn everything overnight, you can get frustrated and give up, thinking you’ll never understand any of it.
Take Metrics. What do we mean by Metrics, anyway?
Well, it’s a fancy term for studying the stats on your site. It involves SEO, pageviews, Conversion Optimization, everything. And you want to know and measure your stats, because you want to know what the numbers say. Numbers don’t lie, as the old adage goes. And you need to measure your Metrics to know what to improve, and why and how your site is succeeding (or failing).
But you need to know what numbers to consider important. SEO and Conversion Optimization is important for growing your business, but you need to know what’s worth your time.
So here are the top 5 most important Metrics you need to consider.
1. Traffic Source
In order to cast a wide a net for potential customers, you want to have diverse sources for incoming traffic. There are three primary source categories.
1) Direct Visitors– people who come to your site by directly typing your URL in the address bar.
2) Search Visitors– people who come to your site from a search query. This is why your SEO ranking is crucially important. People who Google your keyword services need to find you rather than your competition.
3) Referral Visitors– people who visit your site because it was mentioned somewhere else on the web.
The conversion results vary for each traffic source, so you need to measure how much each traffic source is converting and contributing to your business. This will give you a better understanding of where your online business is coming from, and what you need to do for Conversion Optimization.
2. The New vs. Unique Visitor Conversion
The manner in which a first-time visitor interacts with your site is completely different from the way in which your returning visitors/customers do. Why does this matter? Because the people who return to your site on a regular basis are the lifeblood of your online business. You need to find a way to convert first-timers into customers while keeping the site convenient and approachable for returning visitors.
To improve Conversion Optimization you have to isolate first-time conversions from the conversion rates of loyal and returning customers. These Metrics will help you find ways to improve first-time conversions while also improving repeat business.
Figuring out the usability for first-timers and regulars plays a huge role in cutting down on the bounce rate for first timers. Speaking of bounce rate…
3. Bounce Rate
What’s a bounce rate? It’s the rate at which first-time visitors come to your site and immediately leave! You want to cut down on your bounce rate for the obvious reason: if people click away on their first visit to your site within just a few seconds of visiting, they aren’t likely to become customers. So you need to minimize the bounce rate. Now, let’s be clear. You’re not trying to stop people from leaving your site…EVER. But you are trying to make sure that someone who visits your site for the first time is there long enough to read over your content and consider your services/products seriously.
A high bounce rate can mean a few things, including weak/irrelevant traffic sources or landing pages which are poorly designed for Conversion Optimization. (Does the page have a poor design? Terribly low usability? Take forever to load?)
4. Getting Return Visitor Conversion
You need to find oh why visitors return to your site. Yes, the Metrics can show you what you’re doing wrong. But they can also show you what you’re doing well, and how to take what works and apply in other ways. So you need to find out why visitors return and what are their Conversion rates. As far as Conversion Optimization goes, you want to get people on their first visit. But it’s a good sign if people come back to your site and you get their business after a second or third look. Figure out the metrics and learn why.
5. Exit Pages
Yes, you want to cut down on bounce rates. But you also need to know on which page of your site is a visitor on when he/she leaves. That page is called an exit page. Maybe the metrics on exit pages will show that there’s no pattern. But you want to make sure there isn’t a pattern because there’s a page on your site that is driving away potential customers.
Converting traffic is a multi-layered process. And as dubious as you might find Metrics analysis, studying the numbers will teach you about Search Engine Optimization and Conversion Optimization. But you need to know what Metrics to trust so you can narrow your focus. That’s the best way to improve SEO and Conversion results.
