Focus on web analytics: boosting sales

Web analytics is an invaluable tool for highlighting areas that need improvement from a usability point of view; however used effectively it can boost sales considerably too.

By Martina Mercer

Web Analytics give you an unprecedented trip into the minds of your target market allowing you to alter your marketing strategy to reap the best rewards. Marketing, online and off, must increase brand awareness, retain current customers, generate new customers and enhance consumer loyalty all of which come together to provide one single result – an increase in sales.

Once you’ve got to grips with analytics you can then act upon the results to bring in new custom and to boost conversions, here are five tips on how to do this today:

1.    Keywords and SEO

SEO is integral to a websites success on the search engines and until analytics efforts would be invisible until the desired results were seen. Now you can view what keywords are bringing your customers to your site, you can see what YOUR target market is looking for and as a result you can expand your SEO strategy.

Keyword research is essential at the beginning of a business and plays a part throughout the growth however nothing replaces knowing which keywords bring you (and not everyone else fighting for the same traffic) the customers.

Armed with this information you can target specific keywords and invest in those that are already performing. Not only will this enhance your search ranking and improve your footfall it will also please Google as you streamline your efforts and use copy that isn’t unnaturally stuffed with phrases that don’t make sense.

2.    Lower bounce rates

The analytics surrounding landing pages and exit pages provide invaluable insights that can enable you to increase conversions and enhance customer loyalty. Depending on your marketing strategy your visitors may not simply land on your homepage, they may enter the site through your blog, a picture of a product or even your contact page if that’s what shows up on the search engines.

When you identify where a visitor lands, you can ensure that the images, copy and offers are optimised so they are engaged within seconds and encouraged to delve deeper.

Ideally your copy and images should be able to lead a visitor to the checkout seamlessly no matter how they arrive on your site.

Your exit pages also tell a story, for example they may show that many customers simply abandon baskets before processing their payment. If this is the case ask yourself why. It could be due to a number of reasons such as:

•    Chunky checkout process
•    Subscription Prompt
•    Membership Signup
•    Payment Method
•    Confusing Data
•    Delivery charges and Add ons

In these cases you can simplify each process, for example add PayPal one click checkout to remove a chunky checkout process, allow checkout without membership or allow people to sign up without entering fields of data (such as with Facebook or by creating a password), remove the request to sign up to a newsletter to another part of the site so it doesn’t interrupt the checkout process.

3.    Thank loyal customers

Analytics shows you the number of unique visitors alongside the number of repeat visitors. Your website is probably optimised for new customers as you want to create the best impression as soon as they land. Paying attention to repeat customers can boost sales significantly, especially if they feel valued and appreciated for shopping on your site.

Give returning shoppers a discount on their next purchase, you can add it at the checkout. Ask visitors what they would like to see more of. Send an email to let loyal customers know you appreciate their business. You can even offer a voucher if they refer a friend.

I interviewed John Curnow, the MD of Omnico, he explained why analytics was so important for customer retention, “Retailers need to embrace the changes and move with them rather than fight against them as the power is no longer in their hands.

Consumers have unlimited choice and their behaviour needs to be analysed in order to give them what they want. It is this analysing and delivery that will enable retailers to use customer loyalty schemes and to engage the consumer so they don’t simply go somewhere else to source the cheapest.”

4.    Give customer what they want

Analytics will show how your content has been received. New social media analysis allows you to see if it has been shared across social networks too. Social network sharing is the gem of marketing right now as it gives you the potential viral reach of millions. It also pleases google as sharing cannot be faked, whereas likes and followers can.

You can see what content your visitors like and if you combine this with Facebook analytics you have a powerful tool that shows what content you need more of to spread the word.

5.    Publish at the right time

Analytics doesn’t only show where, how and why visitors come to your site but when. You can see if your target market like to visit after dinner on a weekday, on a Sunday morning or even during a lunch hour at work.

Once you’ve identified your busiest times you can share your most engaging material to ensure it greets your potential customers in real time. This will ensure you reach your maximum audience at a time when they are more willing to buy.