why your website is costing you money: 10 ways to stem the flow

Your Website is Costing Your Website is Costing You MoneyYou Money10 Ways to Stem the Flow10 Ways to Stem the Flow

Gravit-e, who are we?Gravit-e, who are we?

Vancouver-based Vancouver-based

Web site and web application developerWeb site and web application developer

Help companies of all sizes work more Help companies of all sizes work more efficiently and do more onlineefficiently and do more online

Analyze business objectives and help realize Analyze business objectives and help realize themthem

NOT “designers”NOT “designers”

15 second webinar 15 second webinar overviewoverview

Making your site more than a marketing toolMaking your site more than a marketing tool

How to quantify your website's effectivenessHow to quantify your website's effectiveness

Using your site to generate revenueUsing your site to generate revenue

Some tools you can use on your ownSome tools you can use on your own

What does this usually mean?What does this usually mean?

Design?Design?

Well written content?Well written content?

It does something really wellIt does something really well

All critical, but ignores the most important All critical, but ignores the most important question:question:

Is it effective?Is it effective?

That’s a That’s a GREATGREAT website website

For too many website = online brochure.For too many website = online brochure.

What should a website be? What should a website be?

An effective website. An effective website.

a marketing toola marketing tool

a sales toola sales tool

a communications toola communications tool

an operations toolan operations toolMost importantly: Most importantly:

It makes you moneyIt makes you money

1.1. Company creates websiteCompany creates website

2.2. Company ignores websiteCompany ignores website

3.3. Company looks at website, decides it’s Company looks at website, decides it’s outdatedoutdated

4.4. Company redesigns site from the ground upCompany redesigns site from the ground up

5.5. Repeat endlesslyRepeat endlessly

The redesign cycleThe redesign cycle

Three questions to askThree questions to ask

What does it do? What does it do?

What could it do better?What could it do better?

What should it do?What should it do?

Looking at your own siteLooking at your own site

Clear, honest copywritingClear, honest copywriting

Make it easy for users to find Make it easy for users to find REALREAL information information

Search engine optimizationSearch engine optimization

Use landing pages where appropriateUse landing pages where appropriate

Support mobile usersSupport mobile users

Most importantly: Most importantly:

Measure Measure EVERYTHINGEVERYTHING

MarketingMarketingKey Key aspectsaspects of an effective site of an effective site

MarketingMarketingFake FAQsFake FAQs

MarketingMarketingLanding PagesLanding Pages

SalesSalesKey Key aspectsaspects of an effective site of an effective site

Call to actionsCall to actions

Lead generation formsLead generation forms

E-Commerce (can be more than a shopping E-Commerce (can be more than a shopping cart!) cart!)

Once again: Once again:


SalesSalesCall to actions and lead generation Call to actions and lead generation formsforms

SalesSalesKey Key aspectsaspects of an effective site of an effective site

Call to actionsCall to actions

Lead generation formsLead generation forms

E-Commerce (can be more than a shopping E-Commerce (can be more than a shopping cart!) cart!)

Once again: Once again:


CommunicationsCommunicationsKey Key aspectsaspects of an effective site of an effective site

News and updatesNews and updates

BlogBlog

Social mediaSocial media

Online chatOnline chat

An overall theme in ensuring an effective site:An overall theme in ensuring an effective site:


OperationsOperationsKey Key aspectsaspects of an effective site of an effective site

Wiki/Knowledge BaseWiki/Knowledge Base

Project managementProject management

Field staff reportingField staff reporting

Product informationProduct information

Client log-in areaClient log-in area

Manager reportsManager reports

Customer self-serviceCustomer self-service

Executive dashboardExecutive dashboard

FAQsFAQs

Store/location finderStore/location finder

Website CMSWebsite CMS

E-commerceE-commerce

OperationsOperationsFAQs and product information?!FAQs and product information?!

Some stats courtesy of Harvard Business Some stats courtesy of Harvard Business Review:Review:

57% of calls to customer service came after 57% of calls to customer service came after trying to find an answer on the websitetrying to find an answer on the website

Customers who call after being unable to solve Customers who call after being unable to solve an issue themselves are 10% more likely to be an issue themselves are 10% more likely to be disloyaldisloyal

Your customers don’t want to talk to you!Your customers don’t want to talk to you!

OperationsOperationsCustomer self-serviceCustomer self-service

Means different things to different companiesMeans different things to different companies

Some common self-service functions:Some common self-service functions:

Traditional shopping cartTraditional shopping cart

Account historyAccount history

Invoice paymentInvoice payment

Support and TroubleshootingSupport and Troubleshooting

OperationsOperationsCustomer self-service exampleCustomer self-service example

OperationsOperationsCustomer self-service exampleCustomer self-service example

Self-service area eliminated outbound sales Self-service area eliminated outbound sales calls and reduced inbound callscalls and reduced inbound calls

Key numbers:Key numbers:

330 visits/day, average of 8:35 spent on the 330 visits/day, average of 8:35 spent on the sitesite

1400 hours a month of time spent in self-1400 hours a month of time spent in self-service areaservice area

Equivalent of 9 full time staff working the Equivalent of 9 full time staff working the phonesphones










FAQsFAQs




OperationsOperationsE-commerce: more than a shopping E-commerce: more than a shopping cartcart

Traditional shopping cart not a fit for your Traditional shopping cart not a fit for your business?business?

Online invoicing and receivingOnline invoicing and receiving

““Quote cart” or quote request formsQuote cart” or quote request forms

Leverage affiliate programsLeverage affiliate programs

Consider selling through AmazonConsider selling through Amazon

Holding an event? Online registrationHolding an event? Online registration

Think outside the boxThink outside the box










FAQsFAQs




Measuring it allMeasuring it allDon’t obsess over the wrong metricsDon’t obsess over the wrong metrics

Common metrics:Common metrics:

““Hits”Hits”

Page ViewsPage Views

VisitorsVisitors

Followers and FansFollowers and Fans

None of these show effectiveness!None of these show effectiveness!

Measuring it allMeasuring it allWhich metrics are the right ones?Which metrics are the right ones?

Metrics which should be used:Metrics which should be used:

Goals and eventsGoals and events

Leads generatedLeads generated

ConversionsConversions

Social media engagementSocial media engagement

Any other KPIs which apply to your businessAny other KPIs which apply to your business

These metrics allow you to measure These metrics allow you to measure effectivenesseffectiveness

Measuring it allMeasuring it allWhy effectiveness-based metrics are Why effectiveness-based metrics are importantimportant

For exampleFor example

Website A - 10,000 visitors per month, 100 Website A - 10,000 visitors per month, 100 leadsleads

Website B - 5,000 visitors per month, 125 leadsWebsite B - 5,000 visitors per month, 125 leads

Website A may think they’re ahead of the Website A may think they’re ahead of the game, but they’re squandering their trafficgame, but they’re squandering their traffic

Website B is actually far more effectiveWebsite B is actually far more effective

Measuring it allMeasuring it allMetrics aren’t always good/badMetrics aren’t always good/bad

Some metrics can be ambiguous:Some metrics can be ambiguous:

Pages per visitPages per visit

Bounce rateBounce rate

You may think you want high pages per visit You may think you want high pages per visit and a low bounce rate, but sometimes users and a low bounce rate, but sometimes users want to get in and out quickly - eg. looking up want to get in and out quickly - eg. looking up contact information. contact information.

Important to segment your visitors so you can Important to segment your visitors so you can really understand what’s going on.really understand what’s going on.

Measuring it allMeasuring it allA typical small company’s web trafficA typical small company’s web traffic

Measuring it allMeasuring it allHow to define your goalsHow to define your goals

EVERYEVERY website should have goals defined website should have goals defined

If you don’t want your users to do anything on If you don’t want your users to do anything on your site, why have it?your site, why have it?

Obvious types of goals to defineObvious types of goals to define

An order has been placedAn order has been placed

A call to action has been clickedA call to action has been clicked

An inquiry form has been submittedAn inquiry form has been submitted

Measuring it allMeasuring it allGetting creative with your goalsGetting creative with your goals

Restaurant websites are brochure-like by Restaurant websites are brochure-like by definitiondefinition

Even they should have goals defined!Even they should have goals defined!

Goal 1: User views menu, then views contact Goal 1: User views menu, then views contact infoinfo

Goal 2: User clicks “make reservation” buttonGoal 2: User clicks “make reservation” button

Measuring it allMeasuring it allDoes your site make you money?Does your site make you money?

E-commerce is easy to quantify preciselyE-commerce is easy to quantify precisely

Even if it’s impossible to get a precise dollar Even if it’s impossible to get a precise dollar value, use average sale amountsvalue, use average sale amounts

If you’re a b2b company tools such as HubSpot If you’re a b2b company tools such as HubSpot can tell you exactly where customers came can tell you exactly where customers came fromfrom

Potentially the biggest one of all: savings from Potentially the biggest one of all: savings from adding self-service capabilities to your siteadding self-service capabilities to your site

Tools to do it yourself Tools to do it yourself

Tracking and reportingTracking and reporting

Google AnalyticsGoogle Analytics

HubSpotHubSpot


FreshBooksFreshBooks

VersaPayVersaPay

Amazon Webstores Amazon Webstores

Social mediaSocial media

Facebook InsightsFacebook Insights

followerwonkfollowerwonk

bit.lybit.ly

OtherOther

UnBounceUnBounce

why your website is costing you money: 10 ways to stem the flow

Documents

effective siteof

effective website

effective site clear

effective site news

lead generation formscall

marketingkey aspects

operationskey aspects

company redesigns site