IN SUMMARY: Web analytics really has nothing to do with numbers. They have everything to do with what the numbers are telling you about your audience and messaging. DTC marketers need to get out of the mindset of using raw numbers and ask their web analytics people for insights instead.
One of the services we often provide for clients is a deep-dive web analytics report. It’s not numbers but rather a story as to what their website is telling us and how we can improve the online experience. Here are some examples..
WEBSITE VISITORS
While the total amount of website visitors remains pretty constant at an average of 35,000 per month, the bounce rate of 91% indicates that many are being turned off by the brand homepage and or its messaging. Right now, the primary eye-movement on the homepage, according to research, is to the lengthy fair balance statement, which takes up over 60% of the page.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1ne: Simply the home page for new visitors to relevant message and reduce the are of fair balance to the bottom.
2wo: Different homepage for returning visitors as they may be interested in different information.
3hree: A/B testing on different home page concepts.
PAGES VIEWED
The top ten pages on the website equal over 95% of total traffic. However, in a deeper analysis, we have found that each page’s time is too short to read its entire content. This could mean that website visitors find the content too long or that the content is not written to garner their attention.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1ne: Develop a content publishing strategy.
2wo: Shorten page content with callous of important points. Users should not have to scroll more than once to real a page’s content.
3hree: Eliminate content that is not being used.
4our: Write content in the first person. It should sound like a conversation, not a medical journal.
WHAT’S DRIVING TRAFFIC:
My analysis of traffic indicates that the vast majority of traffic is coming from Google. However, in a deeper dive, the traffic is coming from organic search, not paid search. Interestingly enough, paid search has higher bounce rates than organic search.
The online advertising program is having minimal effect on traffic that goes deeper into the website. The low click-through rates couples with a higher bounce rate indicate that there is a serious disconnect between the ad messages and what online health seekers were hoping to find.
It’s my understanding that the ads were repurposed from current print ads. This, in my opinion, is a mistake. Online ad creative should be customized by where the ads are running and by message. I recommend a test of ad placement using insights on current patients vs. programmatic.
Now, this is oversimplified for this BLOG, but it gives you an idea of the story your website analytics can provide. More importantly, these are all opportunities as well.
The ability to look at web analytics and “tell a story” is a huge opportunity. Remember, these are people who have voluntarily raised their hand and said, “I want to know more.” You can’t ignore the messages that your analytics are communicating.
The report I delivered was over 12 pages long and has led to at least five team meetings with their agency, but as one Director asked me, “why hasn’t our agency been more proactive in this area?”.