While each implementation has unique goals and intricacies, here are some common themes we see on a regular basis.

Expectation #1: A CMS should solve the most urgent business problem at hand without regard to specific department, person or function.

(more…)

We recently participated on a panel at an excellent MITX event focused on getting relevant website content to your audiences.  I think we could have spent the entire day on the topic and the speakers were very knowledgeable and passionate which always makes for a good seminar.

I hoped the audience would be able to take away a tangible list of action items and at least a starting point for thinking about content personalization.  So I thought I would jot those down here for everyone.  While some folks may be well beyond the basics, I still believe these principals work for everyone.

1) Define your audience segments (understand what their intent is and what message/interaction works best).

2) Create content, imagery, messaging, branding (i.e., overall user experience) per segment.  Don’t get too granular to begin with as your website is a marathon not a sprint.  If you start too granular, you have significant risk of missing the target completely.

(more…)

We recently hosted a webinar on the topic of The Top Ten Benefits of Integrated Analytics and I was amazed and excited to see the number of questions coming in that showed people’s enthusiasm and embracing of this method.  We didn’t get a chance to answer all of the questions, so I thought I would provide some more details here.

Everyone wants better conversion and an improved ROI.  If I had a nickel every time someone promised that I would be off to a tropical island somewhere.   The promise is out there, but the problem is how do you get it in the most economical way (features, time and cost). Those three concepts are VERY important so keep them in mind.

Think about the barriers you may have experienced to successfully driving persuasive content or conversions to your call to actions (e.g., make a purchase or submit contact info).  I have heard everything from “we employ two full-time people to manage our analytics and I still don’t know what to do with it” to “can’t the system just do this for me” to “I don’t want to do this because it takes my IT department forever and costs an arm and a leg”.  Sound familiar?

(more…)

Do terms like user scenarios, path analysis and funnel conversions scare you from using web analytics?  Are you not sure whether you’re looking at website statistical data or a screen your two year old smashed on the keyboard to make?

Don’t underestimate the power (or simplicity) of basic web analytics!  You don’t need to be an expert to make good use of some of the basic reporting in any web analytics package.  And it can lead to some dramatic results without much effort at all.  It’s the old adage “crawl before you walk and walk before you run.”  The same applies to web analytics.  So start crawling with some of the basics of web analytics.

I typically discuss three key areas with customers.  I won’t go too deep into the first and second, but the third is the crux of this posting.

First, you need to understand your goals. Some people call them Key Performance Metrics (KPM) or Key Performance Indicators (KPI). Let’s keep it simple and call it your “goals”. What behavior are you trying to drive with your visitors? e.g., make a purchase, fill out a contact form, pick up the phone and call, etc. Make sure to create goals that push the envelope but are still attainable.

(more…)