Evaulating Web Site Performance
Setting up a website is the very first step of an Internet
marketing campaign, and the success or failure of your
site
depends greatly on how specifically you have defined
your
website goals. If you don't know what you want your
site to
accomplish, it will most likely fail to accomplish
anything. Without goals to guide you in developing and
monitoring your website, all your site will be is an
online
announcement that you are in business.
If you expect your site to stimulate some form of action,
whether it is visitors filling out a form so a
representative can contact them, or purchasing a product,
there are steps you can take to insure that your website
is
functioning at peak efficiency. One of the first indicators
of how well your site is working for you is finding
out the
number of visitors in a given period of time. A good
baseline measurement is a month in which you haven't
been
doing any unusual offline promotional activities.
However, just because hoards of people have passed through
your gates does not mean your site is successful. Usually,
you want those visitors to actually do something there.
It
is equally important to monitor the number of visitors
to
your site who made a purchase. This figure is called
the
site conversion rate, and it is an essential element
of the
efficacy of your website.
To find the site conversion rate, take the number of
visitors per month and figure out the percentage of
them
that actually performed the action your site is set
up for.
For example, if you had 2,000 hits to your site, but
only
25 of them purchased your product, your site conversion
rate equals 1.25%. To get this figure, take your number
of
visitors and divide that figure by the number of visitors
who made a purchase. Then divide that result by 100
(25 ?00 X 100).
If your website is set-up to get visitors to fill out
a
form, make sure to then figure out what the difference
is
between your site conversion rate and your sales conversion
rate. This is because not everyone who fills out your
form
will actually become your customer. However, whether
your
site is set-up to sell a service or product, or to get
the
visitor to fill out a form, the site conversion rate
will
measure the success or failure of your website whenever
you
make changes to the site.
You may find that you need to implement some additional
marketing strategies if you find that traffic to your
site
is extremely low. There are several effective methods
to
improve the flow of traffic to your website, particularly
launching a search engine optimization campaign. This
campaign is targeted at increasing your position in
search
engine results so that consumers can find your pages
faster
and easier. You can either research the steps you need
to
take to improve your search engine rankings, or employ
a
search engine optimization company to do the work for
you.
In either case, after your have improved your search
engine
positions, make sure you keep on top of them by regular
monitoring and adjusting of your efforts to maintain
high
positions.
Another factor to examine is how easy it is for a visitor
to your website to accomplish the action the site is
set-up
for. For example, if your goal is for the visitor to
fill
out a form, is this form easily accessible, or does
the
visitor have to go through four levels to get to it?
If
it's too difficult to get to, the customer may just
throw
in the towel and move on to another site. Make sure
your
buttons are highly visible, and the path to your form
or
ordering page quickly accessible.
Finally, have a professional evaluate the copy on your
website. The goal is, of course, to get your visitor
to
make a purchase or fill out your form. Website copy
must be
specifically geared to your online campaign and not
just a
cut and paste job from your company brochure. The right
copy can make the difference between profit and loss
in
your online campaign.
Search Engine Articles
Media Products and Information
I've been involved with media projects for the past 20 years and have run a web site since 1996, so I decided to compile some of the information that has been of great help and interest to me. The following links are to articles that have everything you will want to know about digital photography, HDTV, broadband, MP3, GPS, making money on-line, home-based business, investing on-line, and other internet tips.
DVDs, Videos, Books!
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The Beast of Revelation: IDENTIFIED Who is the dreaded beast of Revelation? Now at last, a plausible candidate for this personification of evil incarnate has been identified (or re-identified). Ken Gentry's insightful analysis of scripture and history is likely to revolutionize your understanding of the book of Revelation -- and even more importantly -- amplify and energize your entire Christian worldview! Ideal for group meetings, personal Bible study -- for anyone who wants to understand the historical context of John's letter "... to the seven churches which are in Asia" (Rev. 1:4). 135 minutes $17.95 |
The Videos
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God's Law and Society This video powerfully presents a comprehensive worldview based upon the ethical system found in the Law of God. Sixteen Christian leaders and scholars answer some of the most common questions and misperceptions related to this volatile issue: Are we under Law or under Grace? How does the Old Testament Law apply today? Can we legislate morality? What about the separation of Church and State? Was America founded as a Christian nation? What would a Christian America look like? Perfect for group instruction as well as personal Bible study. Speakers include: George Grant, Howard Phillips, R.C. Sproul Jr., Ken Gentry, Gary DeMar, Jay Grimstead, R.J. Rushdoony, Steven Schlissel, Andrew Sandlin, and more! Two tapes, Ten parts, over four hours of instruction! $19.95 |
| Massacre of Innocence - The Occult Roots of Abortion This video looks at the spiritual roots of abortion and exposes the myths surrounding child killing. Little known historical facts about abortion and how they relate to modern feminism are presented logically and accurately. Has been effective in converting many to a pro-life position. 85 minutes. $19.95 | |
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Revival Account - Asbury 1970 What is true Revival and Spiritual Awakening? Discover the answer in this eyewitness account by Dennis Kinlaw, President of Asbury College, Wilmore, Kentucky, during a visitation in 1970. Certain to challenge you to greater holiness and a deeper commitment to full-scale revival. Original news and private footage has been included. 40 minutes. $19.95 |
The Books
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Four Keys to the Millennium By Jay Rogers, Larry Waugh, Rodney Stortz, Joseph Meiring. All Christians believe that their great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will one day return. Although we cannot know the exact time of His return, what exactly did Jesus mean when he spoke of the signs of His coming (Mat. 24)? How are we to interpret the prophecies in Isaiah regarding the time when "the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea" (Isa. 11:19)? Should we expect a time of great tribulation or reformation and revival before the Lord returns? Did you know that there are four hermeneutical approaches to the book of Daniel and Revelation? Is the devil bound now, and are the saints reigning with Christ? These, and more questions, are dealt with by four authors as they present the four views on the millennium. And each view is critiqued by the other three authors. High quality paperback, 167 pages. $17.95 |
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