Are Your Web Stats Blinding Your Vision?

I recently spoke at an event where hundreds of professional marketers were scratching their heads and asking how to increase traffic and conversion on their sites. They were eager for that magic nugget of wisdom that would help them move the needle when they got back to the office. Aren’t we all!

The most common questions were along the lines of:

• “How can we get more people to convert through our sign up page? Do we make the web form easier to use?”
• “We saw the bounce rate on our home page increase by 5% last quarter, so we’re considering a redesign next year. Is this the right approach?”
• “We’ve included keywords on the right pages, but we’re still not seeing the results we want. What are we doing wrong?”

The list goes on, but you get the picture.

Many marketers and analysts pore over data and stats to determine their next move—then race like mad to make changes to see what happens. While I feel it’s absolutely essential to “listen” to your visitors by reading traffic patterns and understanding your web stats, I also see over and over again how marketers allow themselves to be held hostage by the numbers. Over time, they lose sight of their customers and their brand gets wilted and diluted.

Admittedly, yours truly is one of the many who gets caught in the stats trap.

So how can you break out of the numbers game and get your eye back on the ball?

Take a fresh look at your site content. Does it inform? Inspire? Influence?

Think about what pages on your site draw visitors’ attention most (do NOT reach for those stats—you know which pages perform!). The pages where you see the most activity are likely those that customers find most helpful, informative or entertaining. Can you draw a direct link to conversion from those pages? Not necessarily. But, you’re building a brand by adding value. Plus, consider the ever-rising number of info-maniacs out there. The more decision-making tools you can give your customers, the more likely you are to see a response or referral. So, step away from the numbers. Get back in touch with customers. Begin empowering and educating your visitors with meaningful features, content and tools.

Deana G.

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