Tuesday, January 22, 2008

UNDERSTANDING YOUR USER'S WEB SITE EXPERIENCE
According to WikiPedia.org, Web Analytics is defined as,
"the monitoring and reporting of Web site usage so
businesses can better understand the complex interactions
between Web visitor actions and Web site offers, as well
as leverage that insight for increased customer loyalty
and sales." By tracking movement and monitoring the path
and activity of site users, Web analytic tools provide
valuable information about individual user behavior. pineoil, hertzrival. This
data provides you with important insights based on
watching user movements within your website. micamakeup, businessstartup, victorianwomen. You will
be able to track how users navigate through your site,
which pages are most frequented, where users exit your
site and any number of other behavioral traits. flyladymentor.
Visitor traffic statistics can tell you much more than
how many customers visited your site on a given day. pistolsforsale, countergranite, whiteswimsuit.
A good Web analytics service will provide you with the
ability to slice-and-dice your visitor reports so that
you can readily identify peak traffic periods by hour,
day, week, month and year. printerpaper, youngandhorny, hybridelectriccar. The benefit to this granular
breakdown is that you can identify trends that can be
used to provide an enhanced user experience. poultryfeed, swimwearfabric, oldtrunk. For example,
if your Web site is used to promote a restaurant, you might
tailor your menu pages to display a lunch menu during peak
morning Web traffic and a dinner menu during peak afternoon
hours. animalxing, gayteen, drillrig. Using Web analytics, you can identify the best hours
to present dynamic content. cosicolumbus. Your Web developer can provide
this functionality on your Web site, increasing your users'
interest, providing them viable benefits over competitive
sites, and bettering the chances that your visitors will
find what they are looking for and not abandon their search
in frustration.

DO WEB TRAFFIC REPORTS TELL THE WHOLE STORY?
If you are only crunching numbers, it is impossible to
accurately judge whether a user has had a satisfactory
experience at your Web site. dbxfiles, winnebagosales. They may have found the
information they were seeking, they may even have purchased
your products, but visitor number tallies alone cannot tell
you if your visitors were confused or frustrated and whether
or not they will return to your site in the future. aimhigherconsulting. Nor can
they tell you what changes you need to make to reduce a
user's pain threshold at your site or what changes should
be made to increase the overall level of satisfaction with
their site experience.
By analyzing the "click path" (also known as "clickstream")
of your visitors, you can begin to understand their
behavioral patterns. escortsenmadrid, freshwateraquariums, volleyballsayings. Then, suddenly, behavior analytics
becomes a powerful tool for optimizing your Web site content
and overall performance. fallriverherald, freightlinertruckparts, paralleluniversetheory.
Click path reports can also be very useful in identifying a
navigational issue commonly known as, "click distance."
Click distance refers to the distance in which a user has to
move their mouse in order to navigate your Web site. circulationfromwithdrawn, waspwaist, ingridnordh. If your
site navigation is cumbersome, you may be causing the end
user more click distance and as a result they may not see,
or find, links to pages that are important to your site's
success.
In addition to click path and click distance, it is also
important to understand the means in which your visitors
access your Web site. oxycontinoverdose, hockeypondus, mattward. Statistical information about their
computer operating system, browser type and screen resolution
can go a long way in helping you provide optimal content and
navigation. hugenaturaltit. For example, if your Web site provides a software
download, you can improve your visitor's experience by
dynamically directing them to a download page that is best
suited for their computer type. wavesgoodbye, prayrosaryguide. If, in your operating system
analytic reports, you find that you have a high volume of Mac
users, then it would be wise to ensure that the nature of your
content satisfactorily relates to them. bengaltiger, aluminumblind, wimphusband. Another great example
of technology analytics would be screen resolution. catchysafetyslogans, navyinstructions. If you have
a large percentage of visitors viewing at 800x600 it would
behoove you to ensure that your Web pages view well at that
resolution. blackbedroomfurniture, barnesandknoble. If not, you are forcing unneeded horizontal scroll,
which could in fact be a troublesome source of abandoned visits.

THE KEYWORDS TO SUCCESS
It is a well known statistic that 85% or more of Web site
traffic is derived from search engines. securitybooths, centrobarcelonahotel, dermatologymarkettrends. Search Engines
provide a fuzzy roadmap to billions of Web pages -- hopefully
this includes yours. eyewitnesstravelguides, electricityrate, gemloosestone. If you are listed, you really are the
proverbial needle in a haystack, so maximizing your search engine
relevancy is one of the most important marketing strategies you
can employ. jobreadiness. An additional benefit of understanding keyword
relevancy is that this data will go a long way in helping you
streamline your visitor's experience. sebovacuum, pellawindowparts. Once you have the
information, you can take your visitors directly to specific
pages within your Web site, potentially bypassing irrelevant
levels of information that might otherwise cause them to lose
interest, thus prematurely exit your site.
Again, Web Analytics offers insightful information by providing
you with actual keywords and key phrases used by real customers
who found your Web site from a search engine listing. starclipper, msgseatingchart, toxiclove. Within
keyword reports, what you do not see is often more important
than what you do. ultrathin. For example, if you sell red sweaters and
the key phrase "red sweaters" does not appear in your search
engine keyword reports, or has limited use, then this provides
you with key information about your meta data and marketing
efforts for that page(s). alphanumericpager, creditratings, losthighway. If you combine search engine click- through analysis with visitor click path (which pages they are
starting on) you can instantly identify which pages are marketed
well and which need improvement.

THE BIG PICTURE
To truly understand all the factors contributing to your Web
site user's overall level of satisfaction, you must combine
your knowledge of visitor traffic, behavioral analytics and
keyword analysis. alligatorskin, praguehostel, weightliftingequipment. This melding of data provides a far richer,
extensive and complete picture of your user's Web site experience
and provides you with a vital road map of the actions necessary
to enhance your visitors' site experience; and this will keep
them coming back.
===========================================================
The author of this article, Stephen Oachs,
is senior project manager for VisiStat.com (http://www.visistat.com). legalform.
Oachs has been in the industry for over a decade, specializing in
online business and ecommerce development. regenttest. He is a published writer,
having written articles on a variety of Web development topics,
including collaboration on the book, "Web Design Index,"
published by The Pepin Press (2000).
Learn more at http://www.visistat.com or write Stephen at
at stephen@visistat.com


Web Content Strategy 101
Your web content makes or breaks the profitability of your site. bathensembles. Here's how you can develop a strategy to make the most of your site's content. justtires.

Your content is what gets you in search engines, speaks to visitors, and ultimately decides the success or failure of your site. correspondencecourses. Meanwhile, your content has to be updated at least once a month if you want to get return visitors and search engine traffic. katiejordin, movingcompanyatlanta. You need to have a web content strategy for your site to succeed. bestrapsongs, illinoismesotheliomaattorney.

Web Content Strategy Components

There are four basic ways you can get content for your site. motorcyclewindscreen.

Free-reprint content that you can publish on your site in exchange for putting a link to the authors' site under the article. puppetuk, woodcarvingpattern. The main benefit of this kind of content is that you can build up your site quickly. recipescucumber, hornycollegecoeds, catsuit.

Original content contributed freely by your visitors, such as message boards and guestbook-style comments. seanmaguire, physicianassistantsalaries. The main advantage of this content is that it costs nothing and gives you insight into your visitors. electricianoklahomacity, internationalbusinesstender. The disadvantages are low quality and the constant vigilance needed to police it for misbehavior. nikeairrift, horizonoffshore, bristolrestaurant.

Original written content that you allow other sites to republish in exchange for a link to your site. recipeforbaklava. This content is usually informational articles, whitepapers, and sometimes, press releases. softwaredeveloper, pedicurebaltimore. Exchanging content is an essential component of getting links to your site. flatscreenhdtv, sunflowercurtain, latherday.

Original written content that's exclusive to your site. freerussiandating, ciderpress. You should have some content that you hold back from republication, to avoid giving visitors or search engines the idea all your content can be had somewhere else. carshippingquote, fishpoacher. This can include FAQs, "about us" pages, case studies, testimonials, and other content that other sites would not want to reprint anyway. pluckyew.

What Kind of Content to Use

So, which of the four kinds of content should you use on your site? Ideally, all four. inshoweringwater, pensionprotectionact. That way you'll maximize the amount of quality content your site can have. healthstore, pearlexport, layingflagstone.

Just be careful not to rely too heavily on free-reprint content. butterfliesandhurricanes. If most of what's on your site isn't original to you, you'll suffer in credibility, both with your visitors and the search engines. symantecmanhunt, clerksii, ballygym.

Here's a good starter content strategy:

One-quarter free-reprint content. hypnoticwish.

One-quarter content contributed by visitors. backpackerponcho.

One-quarter originally written content you let other sites reprint in exchange for a link to your site. fremontcarpetcleaning.

One-quarter originally written content you do not redistribute.

Scheduling Content Updates

Search engines, especially Google, seem to give pride of place to sites that regularly update their content. chinacruise, shinecollectivesoul. Regular content updates also give visitors a reason to return. pasamelabotella, overandunder, pulaskiskyway.

In short, if you have thirty web pages worth of content this month, it's better to post one page each day rather than put them up all at once. boatbuildersail, securitychecklist. To make sure you do this, schedule an hour each day for updating your site's content. jollyrogers, samsdeli, conveyancinglawyer.

One way to get regular content updates for your site is to start a blog, a "web log" in which you write your thoughts and post news. ericaelaniak. The one disadvantage is that many web users are getting tired of blogs, which are often not well written and contain more opinion than information. meadtrapperkeeper, luckymonster. Search engines, too, seem to be featuring blogs in their results less often. killbill, lovetights.

Identifying a Content Provider

Ever wonder how Bill Gates keeps the MSN and Microsoft sites so content-rich? Doesn't he get RSI from writing a thousand or more pages a day?

You guessed it: Bill Gates does not write the content for any of the Microsoft websites. hairystud, societyoftoxicology, ctfireacademy. Nor should you write all your own content. crazygift. All successful website owners have someone else write a large part of their content. boulderhumanesociety. This person or company is called a "web content provider."

Your web content provider has to be a person or company with proven experience writing content for the web, rather than just print content. bedroundsheet, cognitivepsychologist. Ask to see writing samples. womanusingbidet, reststop, messageboards. You might even ask if you can commission just a single page to start with, for evaluation purposes. mustanggt, grohekitchenfaucets.

In short, your web content is too important to leave to chance. burnttortilla, fourbarlinkage, automatedindustrialsystems. Make sure you have a strategy for getting the best content. raintrivium, yachtrentals, cowgirlhat. Contact a content provider to develop a web content strategy today.

About The Author: Joel Walsh, a professional content writer and founder of UpMarket Content, recommends you check out their site to learn more about what you can get from a web site content provider: http://upmarketcontent.com


Web Site Etiquette
Web Site Etiquette
By Judith Kallos

Contrary to what some may believe, the Web is not an anything goes environment. oopsslips, prostreet, bikiniclad. Considerations and courtesies need to be implemented by all users so that everyone can look forward to a more enjoyable or productive experience.
When it comes to Web sites, there seems to be a lack of common consideration and courtesy by many Web site owners and visitors alike. daggercanoes, gameroulette. If both sides were to understand the basics, and the following checklist covers just the basics, Web site owners will produce more ROI, while Web site visitors will find their inquiries are responded to more accurately and concisely.
Basic Etiquette for Web Site Owners:
=> Minimize the moving, flashing this or that or the latest whiz-bang script. charmnumber, raspberrymartini. This goes for having too many advertisements on your site that take forever to load as well. slurrypump. Take our word for it we'll be gone by then. tossbags. If you want us to buy your products or services, stay away from Flash. earingspearl. We don't care about all that fancy schmancy stuff—we just want to find what we are looking for and don't want to have to download software (and we won't) just to view your site.
=> Have consistent, intuitive navigation in the same place on every page throughout your site. draperiesplaid, groinpull. Make sure you also offer a "Home" option in your navigation so we can get to the start of your site if we so choose. ingersollrandcompressor, bjorkjoga. Don't use buzzwords or make us wonder what is where; we should be able to tell at a glance and be where we want in no more than 2 clicks.
=> Make a point of having all your company's contact information easily found on your site. halfmoonbay, boardshorts, irisministry. If not on every page, at the very least on your Contact page. buttercookierecipe. No address or phone number (What are you trying to hide?)—no business from us!
=> Please be clear and concise about your policies so that we know what to expect if we choose to do business with you. tomatobasilbisque, axletrailer. Have your policies posted on your site where we can easily find them for review.
=> At the very least make an effort to respond quickly to our specific inquiries in detail. graypartridge, scissorssharpening. Don't send us canned or generic responses that really do not address our questions. podiatrymedicalsupply, fingerprintkit. The more detailed and promptly you respond, the more likely we will do business with you.
Basic Etiquette for Web Site Visitors:
=> Take the time to review our site to ensure our focus will in fact cover what you are seeking. editingtapevideo, satcollegeboard, penguinshirt. Sites cannot be everything to everyone and most are not. westpacnz, coffeeroasting. Don't e-mail an orange site about where to find the best apples! Review our site's FAQ before you take the time to e-mail us about something we do not even cover.
=> Take the time to read the offered material on our site before e-mailing us asking questions that with little effort the answers could have been found. spiritualquote. With all information we provide literally at your fingertips, take the time to read it before you take our time asking us to repeat what is already on our site. calorierestrictionsociety, greasedlightnin, thortraveltrailer. This includes reading our privacy statements and/or order policies before you engage in doing business with us.
=> When e-mailing our site, make an effort to type clearly and concisely about what you would like to know. electricalengineer, boattransportcarrier. All caps or all small case, poor grammar and typos makes your inquiries appear less credible. narcoticprescription, rainwear. Understand we are extremely busy answering genuine customer e-mails to build our business. snappingscapula, myspacefriendsgenerator. E-mails that appear to be from a sixth grader are those less likely to receive our serious consideration for a response.
=> To use our site's functionality, please read our help files and tutorials that are provided to assist you before you e-mail for support simply because you don't want to make the effort to read and learn. marketingsoftwareresearch, mammothmountainrental, freightlinertrucks. Certainly if after making a sincere effort you still have questions, e-mailing us asking for help in a kind and courteous manner will ensure our response.
=> When utilizing our site's live online chat, be as courteous as you would if you were face-to-face with the support agent. currentdebatetopics, famousfrenchpainter. These folks are here to help you. gayhitch, leadershipgames. Here again, type using proper sentence structure, grammar and spelling so your request is understood. dryfarming, orientalaccent, whatischolesterol. Then, once your session is completed, be sure to thank the operator for their time and assistance before just clicking off and going on your way. exclusivedogfood, andersonford, notetaking. That always makes our day!
All too often both Web site owners and visitors think too much about themselves and what they want rather than to give thought to the other side. homehumidor, foammats, taxincrement. Wouldn't it be nice if that were reversed?


_________________________________________________________
About the Author:
Judith Kallos is an authoritative and good-humored Technology Muse who has played @ http://www.TheIStudio.com for over a decade. freecomputeroffer, medallionsaint. Check out her popular Technology Cheat Sheets @ http://www.LearnAndThrive.com. sweetsixteen, navajojewelry