Demystifying Web analytics For
more on this topic, go to www.dentaleconomics.com and
search using the following key words: Web site, Web
analytics, marketing, cost-effective, Stewart Gandolf,
Lonnie Hirsch.
There's no such thing as a “set-and-forget”
Web site. We have yet to find a successful practice
Web site that performs well on neglect. We've written
several articles that challenge the “If-I-build-it-they-will-come”
fantasy of early practice Web sites — and provided
practical direction about what to do instead. But if
your practice Web site is still underachieving (or worse,
you don't know), here are the basics about traffic,
data, and analytics? plus an information dashboard that
tirelessly reports on performance.
Web Analytics and why you need to
know. The simple definition of Web Analytics is the
measurement and analysis of Web site visitor activity
in order to understand how well the site fulfills its
objectives. Many businesses of all types and sizes use
analytics to guide marketing decisions and make site
improvements. You probably don't need daily adjustments,
but knowing how well your site performs is a valuable
tool for several reasons. You can easily tell if visitors:
- Easily FIND your site through keywords, phrases,
and search marketing
- Naturally NAVIGATE your site, flowing easily to
important messages
- Confidently CONVERT to an appointment or other action
you want them to take
Web Analytics is not the same as “traffic,”
which is a catch-all term meaning how many people came
to the site and how many pages they viewed. Nor is it
the same as “Web reporting,” which simply
compiles historic data.
Web Analytics look deeper at data
to learn what you didn't know — revealing how
to create more visits, more page views, and more conversions
into the practice. Here's a simplified example:
Let's say your Web site includes an
individual page about each of three key services you
offer. Analysis reveals that one of these three has
far more page views than the other two; that visitors
are likely to enter the site on this page (not the home
page); and that most visitors originate from Yahoo using
specific keyword searches. Visitor conversions (appointments)
from this page are low because contact information is
not easily available on this frequently visited page.
Site changes might include more prominent
contact information, additional pages about this topic
reinforcing the keywords, and fine-tuning the Yahoo
Search marketing tool. Result: Increased traffic to
the site, more page views, and — most importantly
— more conversions into the practice.
Because the Internet has grown into
a principal means for the public to find dental and
health-care services and providers — not to mention
your investment in creating a practice Web site —
it's important that you know about and use the available
tools to maximize your return on investment (ROI). But
if you can't measure, you can't manage.
You may already have an analytics
tool on your site.The good news is that your site might
already have a reporting or analysis tool installed.
Some Internet Service Providers (ISP), such as Network
Solutions, include analytics with hosting service packages.
Ask your webmaster or call your ISP customer service
representative. Important data about your site could
be at your fingertips through WebTrends or AWStats currently
connected to your site or hosting service.
Alternatively, you should know about
Google Analytics — a full-featured tool that's
free from the company that captures more than 60% of
the online search activity (Google). Although it's a
robust system, it's not complicated to install and use.
There is a brief registration for the free version that
includes an ultra-generous five million page views per
month. There are dozens of reports available, likely
more than you'll need, but the information is presented
in a convenient “dashboard” that is easy
to read.
When you discover how people found
your site, what pages they explored and other data,
you can learn how to improve your site's ROI effectiveness.
A bigger and better marketing role
for your practice Web site. If you've been neglecting
your practice Web site, it's likely that opportunity
has clicked past you and into the office of a competitive
practice. Maybe you've outgrown your first-generation
Web site and you need it to be a serious partner in
achieving your practice's growth goals.
If you don't know how well your Web
site is working for you, get acquainted with Web Analytics.
And if you're determined to improve your online results,
consider site design changes, better page content, and
cost-effective keyword marketing.
Stewart Gandolf, MBA, and Lonnie
Hirsch are cofounders of Healthcare Success Strategies,
and two of America's most experienced practice marketers.
They have worked with dentists for a combined 30 years,
have written numerous articles on practice marketing,
and have consulted with more than 3,000 private health–care
practices. They may be reached by calling (888) 679–0050,
through their Web site at www.healthcaresuccess.com,
or via e–mail at info@healthcaresuccess.com.
Source:Dental Economics
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