2010.01.25 19:03:45

Rob Willox

Eye tracking now available for all web sites

Testing web site useability has always been a valuable exercise to undertake but in the past has always been prohibitively expensive.

As such eye tracking analysis was only really available to the larger online business owner as it involved sophisticated tracking devices and the availability of test subjects similar to those being targeted as potential customers to get a actionable set of data to implement.

Analytics | Web Optimisation | Conversion | Google Analytics | Ecommerce

2009.11.02 00:52:30

Rob Willox

Is Google Pagerank dead?

Now that the dust has settled on the debate, the concensus appears to be that dead or alive it doesn't make a lot of difference and as a metric didn't provide the average site owner a great deal of relevant information as to the performance of their site.

It certainly would be nice to see a big solid green block in the Google Toolbar, indicating a high pagerank (PR), but what does it actually mean. Unfortunately, Google, as it does with almost all its search algoriths, doesn't make it explicit, leaving it up to the imagination.

Analytics | Conversion | Search Engine Optimisation | Google Analytics

2009.08.23 10:50:24

Rob Willox

Can tweeting be good for your SEO?

The jury may still be out for many potential tweeters on its use or benefit for business development and promotion but there may be other benefits not yet realised. Many companies both large and small are experiencing benefits when using Twitter in terms of brand and customer relationship building.

However, I've noticed another which could prove beneficial from an SEO (search engine optimisation) perspective.

Conversion | Twitter | Search Engine Optimisation | SEO

2009.07.21 08:55:34

Rob Willox

If you can't measure it, don't do it!

... as Peter Drucker, regarded as the father of modern business management practice is noted for saying, "if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it".

And if you can't manage it you can't control its effects or impact on what you are trying to achieve.

I would go one step further and say that "if you can't measure it, don't do it!". Unless, of course, you are prepared to make, at least, some small effort in the attempt.

And, I would add, that it should apply to every form of marketing activity regardless of the medium.

Analytics | Conversion | Google Analytics | Advertising | Internet Marketing

2009.06.22 09:01:04

Rob Willox

Track email campaigns with Google Analytics

If you are not tracking the success of your email campaigns then you are missing a huge opportunity.

Assuming that you do have Google Analytics installed (if you don't then do it now!) you can measure the interest different offers have on your email recipients.

By tagging links in your email campaigns Google Analytics can segment the clicks each link gets and you are able to monitor the conversion rate and success of each.

Analytics | Conversion | SEO

2009.06.17 16:46:32

Rob Willox

How many web sites, once built, are almost abandoned?

What do I mean?

How many web site owners ignore the potential to communicate effectively with their visitors and Potential Customers.

Every visitor, well, almost every visitor, is a potential customer. Why would they have taken the trouble to search you out or click on your search result in Google or any of the search engines?

• Do you know what they were looking for?
• Do you know if they found it?
• Do you know what search engine they used?
• Do you know what they did on your web site to try and find it?
• Do you know what actual keyword or phrase they used to find your site?
• Do you know what pages/content they read?
• Do you know what pages or content they find of most interest?
• Do you know how long they stayed or how many pages they looked at?
• Do you know if they ever come back?

If you answer no to any of the above then you've abandoned your site, albeit unintentionally.

Analytics | Web Optimisation | Conversion | Google Website Optimizer

2009.06.17 16:41:46

Rob Willox

The importance of optimising landing pages

I had the pleasure, recently, together with Ann-Maree Morrison of Labels4Kids, of being involved in a Making Money on the Internet workshop entitled Labels, Links & Lolly run by FEAT (Falkirk Enterprise Action Trust).

Ann-Maree gave an outline of her company's history and experience of setting up a sucessful online ecommerce business. Over the last 4 years she has built the business up from nothing to turnover in excess of £180,000.

She gave an outline of the many areas to be considered in relation to finding, getting and converting visitors into customers convering both SEO and WSO (web site optimisation).

Conversion | Web Optimisation

2009.06.17 15:15:43

Rob Willox

Amazon - Progessive and incremental changes for higher conversion

If you've been on Amazon.co.uk recently you will have noticed they are celebrating their 10th anniversary. How many can remember what Amazon's site looked like 10 years ago?

I can't remember either but I know it looked nothing like it does today!

Amazon UK's big brother is three years older being launched in 1995 and this is what it looked like when it first arrived on the scene (on the right):-

Amazon re-design or Evolution?

Today is looks a lot different (below) and looks like it's gone through some major re-design since first being launched when it just sold books.

Analytics | Web Optimisation | Conversion