WhyWebsitesFail [#3]: Web Analytics are Not Utilized and/or Incremental Improvements are Not Being Made

When I began designing websites in 1994, I was thrilled when I first discovered how many people were visiting my website, and in some cases, which companies they worked for. I could see exactly which pages they visited and how much time they spent on each one. I could also determine which keywords they used to find my website, and if that direct mail campaign I recently mailed out, was really working.

And yes, I still do this today— on a daily basis. I want to know what’s working on my website, and what’s not. And hopefully, you do too.

For example, if your online sales are weak, maybe you’re not getting as much traffic as you had anticipated. Or, maybe you’re getting a lot of traffic, but a very small percentage of your visitors are getting past your home (or landing) page. Maybe the call-to-action is too subtle, or, the offer isn’t very appealing. Or, maybe your visitors aren’t getting past the checkout process.

To gain access to this knowledge, you simply need to use a web analytics tool, such as Clicky (my preference), or Google Analytics. And then, you need to act on this knowledge. Review your webstats with your web designer or team, and plan a course of action. Once the changes have been made, be sure to measure the results!

“WhyWebsitesFail” by Oddo Design, is a series of helpful tips intended to help entrepreneurs and marketing professionals improve the effectiveness or their marketing efforts.

Tommy Oddo is a web designer and digital artist who lives in Austin, Texas. Entrepreneurs, marketers, and in-house teams hire him to make their websites and digital products more engaging and easier to use. Follow him on: Linkedin, Quora, Twitter, and Facebook. Subscribe to future articles via RSS and/or Email.