Stop Focusing On Your Page Rank, Start Focusing On Conversions
Whether you’ve just launched a brand new website, or have maintained an online presence for years, it’s important to continuously track the results your efforts are generating for your business. However, with so many metrics to track, and a variety of robust measurement tools available, it’s easy to get lost in the numbers and lose sight of the results that truly matter.
Luckily, tracking the true success of your marketing efforts is more straightforward than it may seem. And once you’ve identified what specific results you are looking for, it becomes much easier to refine your digital marketing strategy to generate even better results.
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Many businesses focus a lot of time, energy, and budget on improving their keyword ranking. While it’s important for your business to be visible in customer search results, showing up at the top of the search page is only beneficial if your customers take action once they click through to your site.
A solid search engine optimization (SEO) strategy provides your website with a solid foundation but is merely means to an end. Outranking your competition for certain keywords is only a victory if that ranking is leading to more sales, more customers, and more business. Through the process of conversion tracking, you can easily measure exactly how many of your website visitors are taking action once they land on your site. Follow these steps to set up your own tracking:
- To track conversions on your website, you’ll first need a Google Analytics account. Then, you’ll need to install your Google Analytics tracking ID code on every page of your site. The steps for adding your code may vary depending on the type of website you have, so you may want to have your developer complete this step for you.
- With your tracking code installed, you can now start setting up Goals in your Analytics account. Any action on your website that is of value to you can be tracked as a Goal.
- To set up Goals, click on “Admin” and select the View you want to use. Select “Goals” in the View column, and then click “New Goal” or “Import from Gallery.”
- From there, you’ll have the option to setup your Goals using a template, create a custom Goal, or create Smart Goals. You can learn more about these options and the setup steps from Google’s Analytics Help.
- Once your Goals have been setup, you can start seeing how many conversions have taken place on your website. Under “Goals” and “Overview,” you can see the total number of conversions that have occurred during the date range you have selected.
Deciding What Actions To Track
Goals typically vary quite a bit from one business to the next. You should keep your business goals in mind when determining what website conversions to track. Depending on your goals, you may want to track actions such as:
- Online Purchases
- Contact Form Completion
- Quote Request Form Completions
- Downloads
- Calls to Your Business
It’s easy to setup conversion tracking that perfectly aligns with your goals, making it an incredibly effective tool for measuring results.
Think “Inbound Marketing” Not Just “SEO”
Beyond choosing specific actions to track on your website, you should take a closer look at your site from your customer’s point of view. Your site needs to provide customers with the information they are looking for, as well as make it simple for them to perform key actions, such as completing a contact form or calling your business. Generally speaking, high-converting sites typically feature elements such as:
- Relevant and Informative Content. Your customers come to your site because you have what they are looking for. The content on your site should showcase what sets you apart from your competition and provide customers with the information they need to make a purchase decision.
- Strong Calls-To-Action. Once your customers have learned more about your business, it’s important to guide them toward the next step. Include calls-to-action that catch their attention and inspire them to take action.
- Keep Forms Short and Sweet. If you want customers to fill out a contact form, try to make sure you are only collecting essential details. People who are in a hurry or on a mobile device are likely to avoid long, complicated forms.
Ideally, customers should have the opportunity to convert no matter which page of your site they are visiting. Whether they were ready to purchase, or if they simply wanted to learn more, they came to your website for a reason. Creating a website that is designed for conversions provides a better customer experience and generates tangible results for your business, which means everybody wins!
When it comes to measuring the success of your website, there’s no shortage of methods and metrics available to you. By focusing on the specific results that actually matter to your business, it’s easier to stay on track and make decisions that help you reach your long-term business goals. If you’re too busy managing your business to manage your digital presence and the success of your website, we can help! From web design to advertising, we provide digital marketing solutions that are effective, measurable, and tailored to your business. To learn more about how we can create you a website that focuses on conversions, contact our team at Triton Commerce today. You'll first receive a complimentary Digital Marketing Plan that assesses your current online presence, then we’ll offer advice and practical solutions designed to take it to the next level.