Today's business owners are aware of the importance of having a Website, and realize that small businesses and their sites function in tandem as part of a whole business entity. Understanding this, they are also becoming increasingly aware of the value of their site statistics and visitor data, gathered through Web analytics and applied through analysis.

There are a variety of reports that all brick-and-mortar business managers utilize regularly to help them know their customers, improve operations, eliminate waste, target sales, increase efficiency, etc. With small businesses adding online activities by the thousands daily, these same types of reports are just as vital to the Web-side of their businesses. And that is where Web analytics becomes essential to small business.

Web analytics has evolved into much more than visitor and traffic "hit counts" or run-on pages of technical server log data. The new generation of Web analytics is a "must have" resource for assisting customer relationship management, optimizing marketing, increasing sales and measuring site activities that directly affect customer behavior. Analytics reports provide information that allows managers to improve Web activities, eliminate wasted marketing efforts, target new sales customers geographically, support existing customers for repeat business and lifetime loyalty, enhance the site for more efficiency, etc. Web analytics is moving away from IT and into management, sales and marketing.

Today's Web analytics is a direct channel to the pulse of the Website visitor...a real-time look at visitor habits, preferences, impulses, and what it takes to make them customers and keep them as customers. In other words, Web analytics is "visitor intelligence."

Analytical data provides an incredible amount of rich information, ready to be analyzed and applied to any Website and business. It is well known that customer satisfaction is critical for business, and for modern businesses, this starts on the Web page. By taking Web analytics reports, analyzing the data and applying the conclusions on a consistent basis, it is easy to pinpoint problem areas, reveal oversights or errors, and correct them quickly - in this way, Website improvements and customer satisfaction can be dramatically improved.

Everyone knows that logical and simple site navigation, easy to understand content and compelling action links are vital for a successful Website. With Web analytics data, these factors can be monitored and optimized to suit any specific business and the needs and preferences of its clientele. For example, by monitoring visitor clickpath (the pages viewed as visitors move through a site), page duration (how long a visitor stays on any given Web page) and exit pages (the page a visitor is on when he/she leaves a site), a comprehensive report can be formed that will indicate visitor habits directly related to the site pages, from arrival to ratio of use-to-action. With such reports, the site owner or manager has information needed to make changes or improvements that will impact revenue.

Current thinking on Web analytics is leaning toward "analytics + analysis." This makes good sense. Once the Web analytics data is available in a format that is easy to digest, analysis can be fast and accurate. By taking the time to do a regular, in-depth analysis of all analytics data, the findings can be used to improve Website functionality, visitor satisfaction, traffic volumes, marketing efforts, advertising campaign effectiveness, return on investment and consequently, the entire bottom line.

This entire article boils down to one simple, powerful point: Keep the visitor intelligence working around the clock. All businesses need to know their site visitors intimately. Keep current on their wants, patterns, habits, likes and dislikes. With good, real-time analytics data available, the information is always ready for analysis and application.

The old adages, "the customer is always right" and "the customer comes first," are still as true in the digital age. By utilizing visitor intelligence, the tools are in place to build and maintain a loyal and happy customer base...and a successful, thriving business.

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Copyright 2006 All rights reserved; Written by Stephen Oachs

For permission to reprint this article, please send a request to Editor at VisiStat.com

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