There are so many more things I'd rather be doing than tracking,
analyzing and planning based on my website statistics. What a snore!
However, the fun part is in the taking notice, taking action and then
seeing the results. Every business owner needs to pay attention to how
people are a.) getting to their sites; b.) how long they're staying; c.)
where they're coming from; and d.) what keywords they're entering in
the search engines.
You don't have to pay a lot to get a quality tracking program. Google offers its Analytics for free.
It's easy to open an account and put the code on your website for Google to track. If time or lack of interest keeps you from truly analyzing, here are just the basic elements you must review on a regular basis with a simplified explanation of each:
Visitors: How many visitors arrived at your site within a given time frame. These can be returning visitors or visitors who are arriving for the first time.
Bounce Rate: This tells you if people are coming to your site and leaving without navigating to other pages. A high bounce rate could mean that your pages aren't compelling enough for people to stay and browse.
Average Time on Site: This indicates the average amount time people spend on your site in relation to the number of visitors. A longer average time may reveal that your site has a lot of relevance, interaction, and interests for the visitor. Tracking the amount of time spent on your site isn't always accurate, as people will often leave a browser open and walk away or move on to something else.
Top Traffic Sources: These are the sites that link to your site, including search engines.
Keywords: A word or phrase that people enter in their search engine and arrive at your site.
Watching on a regular basis to gauge if visitors are increasing (or declining) will clue you in on whether you're doing something right (or wrong). Are you submitting articles on a regular basis to a particular site that doesn't generate any activity? You may want to rethink spending time and energy submitting there. Did a recent increase in visitors coincide with a recent ezine? You may want to note what was in that particular ezine. If your bounce rate is high, it's time to look at new content that will encourage people to stay.
Tracking your website statistics does not have to be difficult or time consuming. With the right tools, it's easy, and can make a huge difference in the effectiveness and profitability of your website.
You don't have to pay a lot to get a quality tracking program. Google offers its Analytics for free.
It's easy to open an account and put the code on your website for Google to track. If time or lack of interest keeps you from truly analyzing, here are just the basic elements you must review on a regular basis with a simplified explanation of each:
Visitors: How many visitors arrived at your site within a given time frame. These can be returning visitors or visitors who are arriving for the first time.
Bounce Rate: This tells you if people are coming to your site and leaving without navigating to other pages. A high bounce rate could mean that your pages aren't compelling enough for people to stay and browse.
Average Time on Site: This indicates the average amount time people spend on your site in relation to the number of visitors. A longer average time may reveal that your site has a lot of relevance, interaction, and interests for the visitor. Tracking the amount of time spent on your site isn't always accurate, as people will often leave a browser open and walk away or move on to something else.
Top Traffic Sources: These are the sites that link to your site, including search engines.
Keywords: A word or phrase that people enter in their search engine and arrive at your site.
Watching on a regular basis to gauge if visitors are increasing (or declining) will clue you in on whether you're doing something right (or wrong). Are you submitting articles on a regular basis to a particular site that doesn't generate any activity? You may want to rethink spending time and energy submitting there. Did a recent increase in visitors coincide with a recent ezine? You may want to note what was in that particular ezine. If your bounce rate is high, it's time to look at new content that will encourage people to stay.
Tracking your website statistics does not have to be difficult or time consuming. With the right tools, it's easy, and can make a huge difference in the effectiveness and profitability of your website.
Donna Toothaker is CEO and founder of 1st VA the highly
sought-after online marketing and consulting company. 1st VA specializes
in providing online marketing support and services to entrepreneurs and
solopreneurs who wish to effectively build or improve their online
presence.
Visit http://www.1stva.com to sign up for our valuable weekly ezine and receive a free special report, The Top 5 Essential Tasks for the Ultimate Online Promotion of Your Business.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Donna_Toothaker/5831
Visit http://www.1stva.com to sign up for our valuable weekly ezine and receive a free special report, The Top 5 Essential Tasks for the Ultimate Online Promotion of Your Business.
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