Here we go again...5 points down, 4 to go. To view points 1-3 on evaluating your online traffic, go here. For points 4-5, go here.
9 Ways to Evaluate Your Online Traffic (cont)
6. Be aware of navigation paths
Nearly all of us have an ideal way that we'd like visitors to navigate through our business blogs or website. The question is: do your visitors follow that path, or do they create your own? Go ahead and take a hard look at "where" you're driving your traffic to -- where do you want them to go after they show up? Are you hoping that a click or two will lead them to take the next step? Will a download that you want to put them over the edge actually take them away from the path you've mapped out? Ideally you are getting your visitor to take the next step with as few of clicks as possible. That comes down to usability, which is an entire issue in itself!
7. Tie in conversion
This comes back to point 3, which encourages you to pay close attention to traffic quality versus traffic quantity. Tying in conversion numbers should not be an after-thought. Anytime you're evaluating your online traffic, you should be pulling conversion into the equation. Traffic numbers alone can be misleading...there's an end goal you're driving to, and traffic alone won't get you there.
When I first sat down to put these thoughts together, I didn't think that 9 key points would be a stretch. Here I am at point 7, wondering what I've left off the list so far. I could really use a little help.
Is everyone else applying these things to their evaluation of their blogging program or website? What else comes to mind? 2 points to go!
