Technology 4 key web marketing metrics you need to know


with your marketing campaigns. When you understand how the actions you're taking


O


online: organic social media engagement, sharing blog content, hosting events and webinars, and running targeted paid advertising campaigns all connect to actions visitors take (or should be taking) on your website, you can begin to understand how and why (or why not) your efforts are yielding the results you need to grow your business. Tis article will cover some of the key mar-


keting metrics for planning and increasing the Return on Investment (ROI) of your digital marketing efforts of through your website. Let's get started, shall we? Website Visitors


Understanding who is arriving at your


website is almost as important as what they do when they get there. Take a glance at the following areas for a deeper understanding of who's visiting your website: Audience Analysis


Social Media Alyson Shane


Analyzing the age, gender, language, and location and


comparing your findings to your Buyer Profiles or Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) will let you know right away if your efforts are sending the right kinds of people to your website. For example, if your ICP for your monthly men's shaving


kits are men age 20 - 45 with who live in the Baltimore, MA area and make more than $45,000/yr, and your web traffic is comprised primarily of men age 18 - 24 who live in the Baltimore, MA area and make less than $30,000/yr, then you need to rethink your messaging and paid ad targeting. Additionally, if the majority of your web traffic is com-


ing from a different target location then you may need to re-think your targeting parameters and re-evaluate your hashtag strategy.


Devices, Tech + Interests Understanding the tech your visitors are using to view


ne of the critical components involved in under- standing how your marketing efforts are translating into real-world actions is connecting your website


your site plays an important role in how long they stay on your page. According to HubSpot, Google drives 95% of all paid search ad clicks on mobile, so make sure that if the majority of your visitors are looking at your website on their mobile devices that your site ie mobile-friendly and loads quickly.


If not, your Bounce Rate (people who leave


your website after viewing only one page) may suffer as a result. Interests can also be instrumental in under-


standing if you're targeting the right people with your marketing material. For example, if your web traffic is the right age group but isn't converting, check to see if the "Interests" of the users visiting your website align with your products and services; if not, it's time to revisit your ICP and hone your messaging and targeting.


Site Content Real talk: if the content on your website is


lackluster then your visitors aren't going to stick around to see what else you have to say. Page Metrics show you the Most Viewed


Pages, Average Time Spent on each page, and the Least Viewed Pages. By paying attention to


these data points over time you can see how deep visitors go (or don't go) into your website once they've arrived, and track to see what they do along the way. Other metrics to track include: Session Duration, bounce


rate, exit rate and exit pages Review the pages with the highest Bounce Rate and lowest


Session Duration, as well as the Exit Rate and Exit Pages to understand why those pages are leading visitors to bounce away. Are they loading too slowly? Is the page layout con- fusing or broken? Is the copy lacking in valuable content? By regularly assessing how these pages are performing


and strengthening the weak spots on your website you can test and fix them on an ongoing basis to keep your visitors engaged and active on your site. Acquisition


How are people finding your website? Once you under-


stand where your web traffic is coming from you can develop campaigns and strategies to capitalize on those traffic sources. Some key areas to monitor include: Channels. Show you the sessions brought by social me-


dia, search, email, and more. Source/Medium. Similar to the above, but is specific to


the service or website. Referrals. Where your website was referred from some-


where else online. If you're running several paid campaigns across multiple


digital channels, compare these findings against your cam- paigns in order to determine where to focus the majority of your digital marketing advertising budget. Conversions


With all these metrics to track it may seem like we're


getting away from matters: website conversions, but that's not the case. In fact, by developing a comprehensive digital marketing


strategy your business is more likely to convert website visi- tors into customers, and the best way to track your efforts is to set up Conversion Goals. Conversion Goals are exactly what they sound like:


they're the final action you want to visitor to take after ar- riving on a specific page on your website. Conversion goals can include: Subscribing to your newsletter; Registering for an event or webinar; Filling out a contact form; and Making a purchase/completing checkout. By attributing a value to each of these conversions (trans-


action, future lead, etc.) you can determine the "end goal" of your website and track how visitors are responding to your efforts. As you continue to track, test, hone, and continually work on optimizing your website to convert you'll begin to see increases in your goal conversions. By continually honing your website and tracking key


metrics you'll soon have a well-developed understanding of how, where, and why your website visitors are finding your business, and the steps you can take to convert them once they arrive on your site. Do you have any social media or content marketing related


questions for me? Tweet at me at @alysonshane on Twitter or drop me a line at our website, www.starling.social.


Don’t change the channel: how cable/internet companies are primed to become future solar players


C


urrently, in the global economy, things are rapidly evolving where the lines are blurring at an acceler- ating rate. Tis is especially true within the energy


and telecommunications sectors. Within the energy sector, we see an amazing


(albeit slow at times) transformation towards renewables, including solar. Te International Energy Association (IEA) last year said solar capacity in 2016 advanced by 50%, (74GW) with China, making up half of all new capacity. On the cable, and telecommunications side


continues to evolve, thanks to smartphones, tablets, and the Internet of Tings. According to Forbes, 34 billion devices connected to the Internet by 2020. With the digitization of energy emerging,


along with the rise of smart homes, thanks to IoT platforms. We may start to see the lines blur beyond traditional energy utilities and infor- mation communication technology compa- nies (ICT- otherwise known as your standard cable and telephone companies) within the energy space. With renewables riding on a digital platform, US solar and telecommunications company teamed up last year seeing this exciting trend. Last summer, Comcast, the largest US cable com- pany, signed a 40-month partnership agreement with


June 2018


Clean Tech Adam Johnston


Sunrun, one of the largest solar installers. According to Bloomberg, the partnership came out of a test run in which Comcast customer was keen on purchasing solar energy products. Comcast, during this partnership, will advertise Sunrun services to its Xfinity cus- tomers. Xfinity is Comcast division which specializes, in Internet, smart home, mobile phone services. Tis partnership is not something to sneeze


at if you are either a renewable energy analyst or within the telecommunications sector. Consider, there are 27 million Comcast sub- scribers in major US cities including Philadel- phia and Chicago. “Tere are a plethora of options for monitor-


ing your solar production and being able to do that from a connected home platform that does much more – smart thermostats, lights, alarms etc – is quite compelling,” said James Sprinz, a New York-based analyst at BNEF, said Bloomberg New Energy Finance Analyst James Sprinz to Bloomberg last August.


And if this deal takes off the ground, Comcast may end


up purchasing 10% of Sunrun, according to GreenTech Media. Meanwhile, GTM analyst Allison Mond added the deal between Comcast and Sunrun might well be a strategy in


www.manitobapost.com


competing with rival Vivant who is trying to meld two of its operations together to boost the possibilities of smart home services, Vivant Solar, and Vivant Smart Home. With cable companies struggling to maintain their bases


for cable subscriptions, the Comcast/Sunrun partnership offers a bold idea for cable companies who are looking not only to increase their smartphone services to customers but also find other revenue streams, thanks to declining cable customers. According to USA Today, Comcast alone lost 125,000


cable customers in the third quarter of 2017. Te situation is almost the same in Canada. According to the CBC, a record 202,000 cable customer ditched their cable pack- ages, thanks to streaming services like Netflix, and boxes, including Apple TV, and Android Kodi boxes. Customers have made it clear they are tired of over paying for cable services as shown by recent stats show. While it may not occur in the short term, given the infrastructure in place by ICT companies, to offer demand management services for renewable energy products on the IoT platform, it may not be uncommon in the future for the likes of Canadian companies like Shaw, Bell, and MTS to offer solar products in the future. Adam Johnston is a freelance writer and owns a part-time


social media and cleantech writing business. You can go to his website at www.salayconsulting.com or email him at salayconsulting@gmail.com.


Manitoba Post 11


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