Posts Tagged ‘roi’

“Measure your results!”  It’s the cry of any marketing person worth their salt…and a frustrating refrain for the people who are still figuring out the Internet, social media, and the vast slanguage of the field.  (Did I just say “slanguage?”) As a  brand strategist and marketer, I’m all about the low-hanging fruit, i.e. do what you can with what you have…but for many solopreneurs and small business owners, the “what do you have” category is often all too bare.

Enter Google Analytics, the perfect tool for actual results without any economic output.  Introduced in 2005, this free tool has become a sort of gold standard for free Web resources.  It’s not one of those sites that’s an inch deep and a mile wide…it’s about a mile deep and a mile wide in terms of usefulness and potential, if you know how to use it.

Here’s the scoop:  after reading this series, you WILL know how…whether you’re a stalker who wants to see if your nemesis has been accessing you online, a technophobe who’s scared of wrangling a mouse, or a small business owner.

Let’s start with the basics (come back tomorrow if you already have your account set up)

Your to-do list for Day 1:

• If you don’t already have one, get a Google Account.  You can do that here.  Suggestion:  create a username/password that isn’t the one you use for every account.  Hopefully you’ll be growing and adding help to your stable of resources soon, right?
• Set the dang thing up.  You’ll need access to your website structure for this, so make sure you have a talented Web person or some knowledge of your own.  Go to the Analytics start page and hit “sign up.”  Add the Web address of the site you’d like to track, give it an easy-to-use name, and select the proper time zone.  Once you agree to the terms of service, you’ll see a page for Tracking Code.  Follow the instructions to install this code to every page of your site before the </body> tag.  (Migrating from legacy to the new code?  Here’s a resource for you [.pdf])
• Be patient.  It can take up to 24 hours for your tracking code to start working.

In our next edition, we’ll learn about how to use the dashboard before getting into the many fun goodies GA has to offer.

Photo courtesy of laverrue

There’s a lot in this economy that prompts fear, inaction, stagnation, and a bunch of tire-kicking.  People are grappling with this fear at the same time they’re searching high and low for marketing tips that won’t further deplete the nonexistent contents of their wallets.

It’s time for today’s best free marketing tip:  ask questions, already!

Forgive me if this is a no duh, but I am always shocked at the number of times I ask clients or potential client when the last time they asked a new lead how they heard of them…and get a blank stare, complete with crickets.

Chirp…chirp…

Here are my five favorite questions to help you expand and grow your business:

• How did you hear about us? Simple to ask, this question can deliver HUGE marketing results.  If you suddenly find that 10 out of 20 potential leads have heard from you from a friend, it may be time to kick that person a referral bonus or develop an ongoing referral relationship.  If none of them came from the Web, maybe it’s time to retool that site or look into SEO.  With a bit of tracking and a ton of consistency, this question can be the #1 tool in your marketing arsenal.  See today’s SmartBlog on Social Media for more info on measuring your word of mouth.
• So…Do you want to buy? So many people make a great pitch…and never get around to actually asking for the sale.
• What do you need? This could seem like a no-brainer, but all too often I see companies that offer a product or service that nobody needs.  Let this question guide your marketing and you’ll be directed to results.
• How will I measure return on investment? This one can save you some major marketing moolah.  If you don’t know how you’ll measure the results, how will you know if your marketing dollars have been spent wisely?  If you don’t have tracking systems in place now, get them.  In this economy, you should know the direction of every marketing dollar you spend.
• How can I help? Have you ever had that friend who hijacks every conversation with their latest saga?  Don’t be that friend.  Make yourself helpful to others and you can’t help but increase the reputation and stature of your business. You might even make a few friends along the way.

Photo courtsey of Orin Optoglot.