Don't Fear the Analytics: What Your Website Can Tell You About Your Small Business

Most of the businesses I work with recognize that to increase their sales (and customer base) they need a consistent marketing/content management effort.

Generally speaking, they understand what needs to be done. And they don't have time to do it.

On the other hand, I've worked with a few business owners who I describe as "going on faith." They have a website and pay monthly management fees because they know they need a website, and they know they don't have time to manage it. They are likely to say, "yeah, we have a website, but it's not doing much for us."

And sometimes, they're right.

What I usually find, however, is that the website is working fine and it's not helping the business much because the site is managed only in accordance with the site provider's schedule.

If your business is at all seasonal or cyclical, that's not good enough. Everything about your business, including your website and content plan, must be managed to make the most of seasonal peaks and other factors that are specific to your business.

The image above illustrates an important point. It's Google Analytics' representation of a website I manage for a client. In this case, the website provider and hosting company handles AdWords, PPC campaigns and keyword management. Those activities are monitored and reported on monthly, and reviews and account changes are handled quarterly - with absolutely NO regard for the local, seasonal, and sales cycle intelligence available at the business location.

Remote website management can be great, folks. But remote management without any connection to the business isn't good enough.

Why an Increase in Returning Visitors is Important

When you have an increase in returning visitors, it can mean a lot of things - you can figure out what by looking at a variety of stats and visitor behavior - but in general, it means your visitors (prospects) are thinking about buying from you. By understanding your business cycle, local factors, and digging just a little deeper into your analytics, you can adjust your content marketing (including social media updates) to quickly close those sales and keep new prospects moving toward a purchase.

Don't Fear the Analytics: How to Adjust Your Marketing Efforts

When you notice a change in visitor traffic/behavior, don't freak out. Too many smart business owners sell themselves short when it comes to managing their websites and online marketing presence. I hear a lot of "I don't know anything about websites; I just know how to run my business!"

What I say to them - emphatically - is this: what you know about your business must inform the way your website is managed. Even if you picked your website provider because you didn't have time to spend on online marketing, don't ignore your website! Don't assume your web hosting company understands your business, and don't fear the analytics. Review those monthly reports and adjust accordingly - it's your business, and you'll get better results if you are involved in the way that site is managed.

You don't need Big Data to increase sales! Small businesses can use what they know about

 their customers to increase sales and improve customer service.

If you notice more people visit your money-back guarantee page, remind your sales team to mention that policy every time they talk to a customer. If you find an increase in visits to your service offerings page, highlight some customer testimonials on your social media channels. Or (if you haven't already) add a link to those testimonials and your customer service email or chat contact from the services page. If you're using email marketing (and if you can, you should!) changes in visitor behavior will give you excellent ideas about what you should be sending out to your new prospects and existing customers.

When You Need 38 Hours in a Day

It's a common complaint: many small business owners are frustrated with their websites and online marketing efforts, but not because they don't understand, or don't believe, that their marketing investment is working for them. They just don't have time to give those analytics reports the time they need. If that's your problem, I can help. I love working with small businesses to maximize their online marketing efforts.
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Got 15 minutes? I offer free consultations that won't keep you from your business very long.
Let's talk.

How much? It depends.

How much does a freelance writer charge?  

You know the saying, 'words are cheap?' Well, that may be true - but writing skills have tremendous value. And the wrong words can be extremely costly. But don't worry - my fees won't cost you an arm, or a leg. I promise. 

 My charges are reasonable, and I'll often work on a 'per project' basis. That way, clients know what to expect from the start.  In other words, the answer to "how much?" is, "it depends." Call me; we'll figure it out.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- 

Ok, that little ditty is still true - it's how I handled the question on my website before I revamped the pages. It seemed like a good idea to get a little more mileage out of those paragraphs here...

But if you're a freelance writer, you know "it depends" isn't quite the right answer. Too often, the answer to "how much do you charge" is "not enough." Scope creep is alive and well and you'll find it drags out almost every project. 

To be fair, when I feel that way about 9 of my last 10 projects, I know what I should do: it's time to raise my rates. 

The last time I felt this way, however, I tried a different tactic. Instead of taking a deep breath and preparing a "my rates have changed" speech, I created a list of questions to ask clients before beginning a project. My hope is that, if we answer those 5 little questions, neither one of us should be surprised by a project that morphs into something completely different. 

Well, a girl can hope.  

~Diane Stresing

Employee newsletters not just for employees

Done right, your company newsletter can deliver value to your employees.  But if your company newsletter is just a vehicle to post sales figures, next month's target accounts, and list employee birthdays and anniversaries, you're missing the point and wasting time on your newsletter.

To make your newsletter truly valuable to your employees and create a useful tool for your organization you need to spend a few minutes in deep-think mode.

• What's really important to your employees? 
• What makes them happy? 
• What makes for a bad day at the office? 
• What's your corporate culture?  (I know that word is terribly overused, but it's important!)

Whatever the answers to those questions, you get the idea, right? Your employee newsletter should have a personality. It must be unique because your employees are, and it better sparkle if you expect them to shine.

How can you go from ho-hum-here's-this-month's-newsletter to hey! lemme see that newsletter?!

Maybe you should design it to be read by your employees' family members, even include some content for kids. How 'bout including a tongue-in-cheek humor piece (or photo) by an employee with each issue? Perhaps holding a monthly contest, like offering a prize for the person who finds the most typos in your employee handbook, would keep things interesting. (OK, that last one won't go over big in most companies, but I'd sure give it a shot!)

The bottom line is, done right, newsletters are worth your time. In fact, they can pay off big time.

Related: 
26 Things to Know About Customer Newsletters
Five Reasons Client Newsletters Rock


The last word -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Did you bag your employee newsletter because no one was reading it? Or started one, but didn't have time to keep it up? Let me help! I offer a free consultation and brainstorming session for organizations that want to find the best way to say what they need to say, to employees and other important people. Call me ... we can get your message to those people!

Writer as Tour Guide

Would you get on a bus if you didn't know its destination? Or if you knew the driver was likely to deviate from the posted route?

Most people will answer "NO!" and maybe...

And my point is? Writing should take you somewhere. Whether you consider yourself a professional writer or you're just an exuberant Facebook "sharer," your words should direct readers to a point.

(If you're a writer/illustrator, you know the same goes for the visual stuff, too. Darren Rowse's article at Digital-Photography-School.com explains it well.)

Writing should take you somewhere.

Good bus drivers and good writers have a little tour guide inside. They shouldn't describe exactly what I'll see - that spoils everything! - but I need to be confident that they know where we're going. Or I'm not going along.

Whether you're writing creative fiction, performance reviews, recipes, or a letter to the editor, you probably have a point in mind. Once you start writing, hey, it happens - you can get lost. Words can be misleading, send you off in the wrong direction. When that happens, call it a draft. Read it before you send it, and ask yourself: did I take the reader to the intended destination? If the answer is oops, not quite - revise it, get back on track, and get your reader to the right place.

Losing your way? Here's a quick fix: Start with "I am writing to you to ______________" and state your purpose.

I am writing to you to quit my job.
I am writing to you to tell you the party is here next Saturday. 
I am writing to you to ask for money. 
I am writing to sell you a box of widgets. 
I am writing to you because your Facebook status updates bore me. 

Of course no polished piece of writing starts with a clunker like that. Remember, this is a draft. Once you've stated your point (to yourself) your destination is clear. Then, you're ready to roll.

No matter what you're writing, be part tour guide. Keep your intended destination in mind. Mentioning points of interest along the way is nice; just check the map occasionally to make sure you're still on track.

==== Are your corporate blogs going in the right direction? Free consultation.