How do you measure your Internet marketing success? A recent study shows that few businesses (other than large, national companies) actually know for sure whether their digital marketing strategies actually work.
Business owners say they have no real idea how to measure or track their marketing analytics. Others admitted to being confused by shifting, jargon-heavy advice they found online for measuring and tracking online marketing. And many marketing managers and business owners balk at the high cost of commercial analysis.
Although online promotional strategies are far more cost-effective than traditional methods, you’re probably still spending money on your campaigns. By analyzing your results, you can better identify the return on investment (ROI) it provides.
More important, this analysis will show you clearly what’s working for you and what is less effective. Armed with this knowledge, you can reallocate your funds to those initiatives that produce a high ROI, and try something else with those that aren’t so beneficial.
The best news is that you don’t have to buy any expensive software packages to find your answers.
Given that you have limited time and financial resources to devote to this important challenge, we have assembled a quick toolkit to help you check on the effectiveness of your precious marketing dollars.
Yet another of the powerful Google suite of tools, Analytics tracks and reports on traffic to your website. With a very comprehensive free version available, this tool provides key insights into where your site visitors come from, how they find their way to you and how long they spend on your site’s pages.
Analytics allows you to track performance of both your desktop and mobile site versions as well as any apps you may use in your business.
It provides you with a unique identifier tag code, which you embed within your site’s HTML code, where it tracks a wealth of relevant information about your site’s traffic. You can log in to view reports at any time, or use the convenient mobile app on your smartphone or tablet.
How you rank in search engines might be the biggest success factor, so watching these rankings is very important. If you use Google Chrome, open an incognito window and search what you think your customers might search to find you. See how you stack up against the competition in both organic rankings and maps.
Try your search several times, using different cities where your customers are located. This will help you know if the people who are most likely to purchase are finding you easily.
Over time, your SEO efforts should help you creep toward the top of the results pages. Using a rank tracking tool, or just keep an eye on results yourself, to see what progress you are making.
Honestly, all of the complex data analytics in the world can’t provide the same value as talking to your customers. New customers represent a prospective conversion. Take the time to find out how they found you, and how they came to their decision to purchase from you rather than your competitors.
People appreciate the opportunity to be helpful, so don’t hesitate to ask your customers questions. If they say they found you through your website, ask how they found their way to your site. Was it a basic Google search? If so, ask them what search terms they used and whether they searched from a desktop, laptop or other mobile device.
Direct customer input is one of the most valuable forms of feedback, and sadly, it’s often underestimated and underutilized.
Determining the value and success of your digital marketing strategies can seem like an unsolvable puzzle. Be Locally SEO, the premier provider of online marketing and content management services, understands the importance of identifying those tools that benefit your business most.
We can assist you in leveraging the tools that work for your unique brand and business model. Contact us today to learn more about how we can assist you with your online strategies and help you measure your Internet marketing effectiveness.