web_analysis

Why Testing and Tracking on the internet can save you thousands

web_analysis — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 05:46:53 GMT

By testing and tracking on the Internet first you ensure you get the highest return on investment for the lowest possible cost.

The key to increasing profits and lowering costs over time is continually testing one advertisement against the other one offer against another one headline against another and so on until you find the best performing piece.

One of the advantages that search engine marketing has over other advertising mediums is the speed of tracking response from marketing tests.

With online marketing you can track the response of your marketing efforts in real-time. This means that you can quickly gauge the success of the marketing test, implement the next changes immediately, and take it live instantly.

So, not only can you quickly implement new changes, but you can do so cost-effectively because you don't need to spend thousands of dollars to see the results of a test.

Then, when you've found the highest performing offer, sales piece or headline, you can roll it out offline, in magazines, newspapers and any other mediums.

You can dramatically increase your sales simply by taking the time to testing and tracking your results. Not only will it help you to determine what's working and what's not, but it will also enable you to focus your efforts on the strategies that produce results.

Web Marketing and Website Traffic Analysis

web_analysis — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 06:16:41 GMT

Website traffic and log files

Every time someone visits your website information like their IP address, time and date of access and error messages are recorded into log files that are saved on your server's (i.e. your web host's) computer. These files can be used to analyze your website traffic. If your web host doesn't offer these log files, it is well worth it to switch to one that does.

The statistics generated by these log files are important tools for monitoring what your visitors do when they enter your website. Using the information gleaned from them you can track your website traffic and tailor your pages for maximum effect. Below is a checklist of what to look for when analyzing your website traffic.

In order to analyze your website traffic, you can choose one or many of the following four techniques:

1. A webpage counter

2. A statistical package from your ISP

3. Web traffic analysis software

4. Hire a professional to audit your website traffic

Web Traffic Analysis Tracking Software

Traffic analysis is one of the imperative aspects of a website. You can not promote your site effectively if you do not know the amount of traffic in your site plus the popular entry and exit points in it.

Professional and commercial web traffic analysis companies use tracking software. It is one of the programs that they are using to analyze web traffic. It informs them more than just the number of visitors in your site, but it can classify visitors according to date, time, browser, pages viewed, and other relative details.

It can tell you the exact path a visitor takes in your site. So it is more than just counting the amount of traffic. There are three types of tracking software that is used by these companies. These are discussed in the preceding sections.

Remote Tracking System

It is the most popular tracking system. It records all the traffic reporting in a remote server, which you can log on to check your site's statistics. It is recorded through JavaScript that can be found in your webpage. Tracking your visitors means you can focus on the systems that are working to increase your web site traffic.

Despite of its popularity, this type of tracking system is hardly used by professional traffic analysis companies for some reason. First, it is often inaccurate because the recording is only relying on the connection to a remote server, where requests simply times out. It leads to unrecorded visitors.

Another is that if your system does not support JavaScript, the tracking software is no use at all. Most of the search engine spiders do not use JavaScript and the benefits of analyzing the web traffic on your site are non-existent.

Logging Programs

These are scripts that are installed on your server that generate log files. It enables you to control what is logged and what is not, thus you can track the pages that you want to track.

Another advanced feature of this type of system is that you can use it to track links from your site as well. It will give you an idea how much traffic you are sending in a link exchange.

Log Analysis Programs

It analyzes your server logs that will serve as basis in reporting intercepted traffic in the site. It includes advance filters that allow you to determine exactly what you want to be reported, although most of the time it reports everything that is saved in the log files.

Benefits of Web Traffic Analysis Companies

As stressed in the previous sections, the reason why we hire such companies is to help us improve our sites. Forced shutdowns of sites are caused by improper handling of web traffic, especially of huge one. It is important to have such aforementioned tracking software to have a daily estimate of the visitors in your site. It will also save you from damages that can be caused by virus-carrying files.

Web traffic is not just your visitors and the transfer of millions of data or files. Your business is at stake here; so do not ever neglect all the aspects of your site. Either you profit or lose money will depend on how you manage your site. Your goal should be to try and increase web site traffic daily.

Funnel Development achieve internet marketing success

web_analysis — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 05:05:13 GMT

One of the best methods for achieving internet marketing success is product funnel development. In fact, a properly developed product funnel can skyrocket an average online marketer to levels of success they never thought possible. One of the challenges faced by everyone in internet marketing is how to continually grow their business. The reality is that one of the best ways to do this is by doing repeat business with existing clients.

Fill the entry level of your product funnel with qualified clients. It is really all about the numbers. In some cases it might require hundreds of prospects to make a single sale. Catch the attention of every possible client by establishing yourself as a true expert and by aggressively advertising your products and services.

Keep your qualified clients moving from one stage of the product funnel to the next stage? This supports the goal of having clients purchase all of the products and services you make available, and thus getting the most of each customer. Providing high-quality, content-rich products coupled with outstanding customer service raises the potential for repeat sales at every stage of the product funnel.

Never stop growing your product and service offerings. Developing and adding new products and services to the menu you offer is an important step in the product funnel development process. Each newly developed product or service should be a focused response to either a current or a budding customer and prospective customer need.

Routinely communicate with your customers and prospective customers. Maintaining ongoing contact and communication strengthens your rapport with your opt-in list.

Periodically that communication should include requests for their feedback regarding potential product needs, the performance of your existing products, as well as the performance of your marketing and customer support functions. Don't stop there! Use feedback to improve your performance, to enhance your products and services and to create products and services to meet emerging needs.

For those who sell their own products and services, product funnel development can be the critical step leading to true internet marketing success. The product funnel can help you draw prospective customers. It can be instrumental in motivating purchasing clients to return time and again. The bottom line is that it can be a means to develop a steady stream of income for you and your internet marketing business.

Website Usability Essential Role on Website

web_analysis — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:59:00 GMT

The number one factor that makes or breaks your website is whether or not people can use it. This is typically referred to as your website usability. It seems simple: if people can't do what you want them to do (buy things, subscribe to things, request a call, etc.), they won't do it. Yet, because websites are so easy to change, several companies just create websites, web applications, e-newsletters, etc., and hope that the changes will help their business.

Usability plays a very important role on the web. A website with poor usability will more often than not encounter a high bounce rate. A bounce rate is a common term for the amount of people who reach a site, but leave shortly after their arrival. A high bounce rate is just one of the many problems associated with poor usability.

Remember that a website doesn't include an instruction manual, thus the user interface must be instinctive and highly usable in order to be successful.There are several places were users typically encounter usability issues on the web. Some key areas to look out for in regards to usability issues are page headings, primary navigation, and page structure.

Avoid using too much graphical content for your site. This is one of the common mistakes of website makers. They use too much graphics in their websites that as a result, it loads very slowly.

Web usability is all about designing a website for your visitors instead of for yourself or your client. A site that conforms to user expectations makes visitors more comfortable and more apt to visit again and recommend the site to their friends.

Website Usability is more than just placing a navigation bar in the right spot and allowing users to search the site. It is a complex art that not everybody can easily implement.

Website Conversion Strategy

web_analysis — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 06:18:47 GMT

Website Conversion Rates is a term you should be very keen of and track regularly. It is simply the number of people that you need to get to your website to generate a sale.

Some of the tactics that websites use to increase the conversion rate are:

1. Image of the product

It has been proven that images play a part in making the customer judge if the product is in good condition or not. The larger the image, the better. Provide a thumbnail of our product next to your product description or advertisement. What you can do is to make sure that when your customers click on your thumbnail, they will have access to look at a larger image of the product.

2. Bestseller Lists

What you can do in your website is to create a column, especially on the right-hand side of the website to show customers the product. Customers are reassured when bestsellers are shown because it tells them that a lot of people have bought the product and it gives them the impression that the product is good and value for money.

3. Alphabetical Listing

When you give a category of products listed under alphabetical order, they can find the product that they are looking for much more easily. Also it gives customers more variety to choose from.

4. Product Reviews And Testimonials

For each product, you can have a list of product reviews and testimonials from other consumers who have bought the product so that your customer can decide on their purchase decision better. It is encouraged to have both negative and positive product reviews, because if you only have positive reviews for the product, customers can get skeptic when they feel that you, as a webmaster are not being truthful to them.

We will discuss how can we improve conversion rate relatively simple. Here are some techniques for doing that:

1. Make The User's Life Easy
2. Be Clear, Open and Honest
3. Don't Waste Time
4. Help The User Trust You
5. Have a Clear Returns Policy
6. Keep the User Informed
7. Offer Different Payment Options
8. Improve the Value of Visitors
9. Be Memorable
10. Know Your selling point

Here are some of the benefits of having a better website conversion rate:

1. More repeat sales
2. More leads/inquiries
3. More opt-in subscribers
4. More repeat visitors
5. More downloads
6. More registrations
7. Reduced web site and shopping cart abandonment
8. Reduced customer acquisition costs
9. Reduced customer service costs
10. Greater market share
11. Greater credibility with your target market