Actions you can take to better understand and utilize your Web analytics data

Identify what’s important

Identify what’s important to you (and your organization) as it relates to your Web presence. Sure, revenue growth is typically what matters, but try to dig deeper and find some important goals that go beyond increasing revenue.

Ask yourself what goals need to be reached in order to make your Web site(s) more profitable. In other words, “If we do x,y and z’ then our Web presence will be more successful,” is a great place to start. Once you identify the x, y and z components of this sentence, it becomes much easier for you to determine how to measure success. Try to come up with as many of these goals as you can.

Choose only six goals that represent success for your Web site

These goals may include things like:

• Increased traffic of a specific type (visits longer than 30 seconds, for example)
• Increased traffic of a specific type (more visits to the “XYZ” section of the site)
• Increased traffic of a specific type (more revenue per visitor)
• Increased traffic of a specific type (specific types of revenue growth)
• Increased traffic of a specific type (more visitors following a certain path)
• Increased traffic of a specific type (more visitors requesting further information or to be contacted)

Often, goals for Web measurement are too general, and therefore, are never accomplished.

Try to make goals that:

• are very specific
• can be achieved within six months
• have specific measurement points
• don’t use generic ideas such as, “increased revenue” as a goal

Map out six months

Map out a six-month trend that would mean success for each of your goals. Make sure you look at the trends and not just straight numbers. Again, be realistic in your trend projections; focus on just the next six months-anything past that will most likely change anyway.