5 steps web analysis method for an actionable insights & proven results

September 29th, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

In this post, I’m going to share web analysis methodology that I think will be useful for a web analysts. This web analytics methodology is good for optimizing website performance & increase customers satisfaction through the websites.

  1. Define Issue/Question

    2. I think this is the first step for successful analysis process. Define the issue, question or the problem that you want to find answer for. For ex. check the top content report at Google analytics, order pages by the highest Bounce rate, then detect 5 pages that have bounce rate greater than 80%.

    egypt-web-analytics-method

  2. Set Hypothesis

    3. Second step is to set hypothesis for the causes of the problem/issue. For ex, In the above example, the causes of high bounce rate is may be non relevant traffic, none convinced content, no clear call to action or boring design layout.

  3. Investigation:

    4. Third step is to investigate to make sure which of these hypotheses the real cause of the problem. In our example, after investigation to the traffic for these pages, I found that traffic is relevant. So the problem cause may be the in the content or design layout. So, you may compare between successful pages & these pages to figure out what difference between them in design & content.

  4. Optimization Actions

    5. In this stage, you have to apply updates/changes that most properly will fix the issue. These updates you can get from successful parts at your site or your competitors. In this example, you may   update content to be more convinced content, update layout design to be more attractive.

  5. Apply Testing & monitor results

After make some updates, you have to apply testing such as A/B testing or multivariate testing to make sure if the new updates working better than the old version.

Let me what do you think, do you apply that before? Let me know your feedback about this post.

Discover if customers face 404 error message using Google analytics and Kissinsights

August 19th, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

  • One of the important tasks for the web analysts is to discover technical and related business problems  that customers face at their websites and fix it.
  • From the famous problems is the 404 error message. This error occurs when customer try to reach page that it’s not exist on the server.
  • To discover if your customers face 404 error messages at your website, there are a lot for methods using log files, Google webmaster tools, Google analytics & etc.
  • In this post I’m going to discuss how to do that using Google analytic.
  1. Create custom segment for the URLs that contains 404.

  2. Apply this segment to see just this data

  3. View the top content report at content section at GA.

Finally, After discovering that there are customers who face 404 error message. you have to know the name of the pages that customers face 404 error page when they try to reach it. To know that you can check Google analytics top content report. You can notice that there are From parameter that contatins the name of the page that customers was trying to reach when they face 404 error message. Also, from the suggested actions for this issue to install voice of customers analytics tools such as KissInsights to ask customers who reach 404 page about what are they search for?

The effect of adding targeted countries languages to the campaign targeting strategy

August 18th, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

1- Most users on the world use Google in their Country code top-level domains. For example, users in EGYPT use http://Google.com.eg not Google.com.
2- The default language of Google country code top level domain is the native language of the country. For ex. Users in Brazil use http://www.google.com.br and the search results is in Portuguese.
3- If you Business use AdWords to target customers in Brazil, you have to add Portuguese language to your campaigns targeted language.
4- It seems that this is simple and direct info, but I have written this post after seeing AdWords professionals who neglect this issue.
5- To make sure about the effect of adding targeted countries language about the success of the campaign. I have created experiment to check the effect of adding languages of the targeted countries about business conversions.
6- In the following screen shot, you can see the peak of conversions after adding languages of the targeted countries to the campaign targeting strategy:


Do you have experiment in this area? What was the results? Do you agreE about my point of view? If no, Let me know Why?

Google SEO Future | Google + project, +1 Google button, Gmail contacts and Chrome

July 2nd, 2011 § 2 comments § permalink

SEO or Search engine optimization is defined by Wikipedia as “the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines via the “natural” or un-paid (“organic” or “algorithmic”) search results”. Currently SEO is depending on two tactics: on page optimization and the off page optimization. In this post I’m going to imagine how the SEO will be:

I think SEO at Google will be affected by the following factors:

  1. The Google + project | Google social network
  2. Gmail
  3. +1 Google recommend button
  4. Google chrome

Let’s see how the above factors can affect Google search optimization (SEO)?!

Google says: “+1 button help improve the content you see in Google Search” . Do you know how?

When you click +1 button on a web page that means you recommend this page for your contacts and friends. I think you asking how could Google know my contacts and friends?!

Google already know your contacts from your Gmail contacts & will know also your friends, family, co-workers and so forth from Google + social network.

  • After 2-3 years (may be less !) a lot of people in the world will have an account at Google + project (Google social network)
  • Most web pages will have the +1 Google recommend button.
  • Currently the best free email system in the world is Gmail & most people in the world have an account on it.
  • Chrome progressing in the market share of web browsers. More and more people every year use Chrome instead of IE or Firefox. The importance of chrome for SEO that Google can identify chrome users and track their web browsing behaviours.

So, Once you click +1recommend, all of your friends, family that connected to you at Google + will see that you recommend this page for them. Also, All your friends, family, contacts, co-workers and so forth when they use Google search they will see the results based on +1 factor. For example: if you student and searching for specific topic, Google search results will be affected by your friends +1 recommendations.

As a website, how make paradigm shift to new search engine optimization strategy?

  1. Focus on adding real value for your visitors.
  2. Make a competitive advantage for your web presence | why prospect select you and not your competitors?
  3. Usability and smart design, your website must have clear goals, easy to use layout.
  4. Web analytics, you have to understand your customer’s behaviours through your website in order to ongoing optimize it, discover problems face them.
  5. Customer service – Don’t forget if your customers don’t satisfied he will not recommend you for his friends and don’t forget that negative action will affect your Google search presence badly.

Future Search engine optimization is based more on customer NOT just link building and content.

What do you think? Agree or not? Let me know your feedback, notes & ideas. It’s your turn now :)

 

SEO or Search engine optimization is defined by Wikipedia as “the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines via the “natural” or un-paid (“organic” or “algorithmic”) search results”. Currently SEO is depending on two tactics: on page optimization and the off page optimization. In this post I’m going to imagine how the SEO will be after the next 2-3 years.

I think SEO at Google in the coming 2-3 year will be affected by the following factors:

  1. The Google + project | Google social network
  2. Gmail
  3. +1 Google recommend button
  4. Google chrome

http://www.creativeinternetmarketing.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Future-SEO-Factors-300x195.jpg

Let’s see how the above factors can affect Google search optimization (SEO)?!

Google says: “+1 button help improve the content you see in Google Search” . Do you know how?

When you click +1 button on a web page that means you recommend this page for your contacts and friends. I think you asking how could Google know my contacts and friends?!

Google already know your contacts from your Gmail contacts & will know also your friends, family, co-workers and so forth from Google + social network.

  • After 2-3 years (may be less !) a lot of people in the world will have an account at Google + project (Google social network)
  • Most web pages will have the +1 Google recommend button.
  • Currently the best free email system in the world is Gmail & most people in the world have an account on it.
  • Chrome progressing in the market share of web browsers. more and more people every year use Chrome instead of IE or Firefox. The importance of chrome for SEO that Google can identify chrome users and track their web browsing behaviours.

http://www.creativeinternetmarketing.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/350px-Usage_share_of_web_browsers_Source_Stat_Counter.svg_-300x300.png

So, Once you click +1recommend, all of your friends, family that connected to you at Google + will see that you recommend this page for them. Also, All your friends, family, contacts, co-workers and so forth when they use Google search they will see the results based on +1 factor. For example: if you student and searching for specific topic, Google search results will be affected by your friends +1 recommendations.

As a website, how make paradigm shift to new search engine optimization strategy?

  1. Focus on adding real value for your visitors.
  2. Make a competitive advantage for your web presence | why prospect select you and not your competitors?
  3. Usability and smart design, your website must have clear goals, easy to use layout.
  4. Web analytics, you have to understand your customer’s behaviours through your website in order to ongoing optimize it, discover problems face them.
  5. Customer service – Don’t forget if your customers don’t satisfied he will not recommend you for his friends and don’t forget that negative action will affect your Google search presence badly.

Future Search engine optimization is based more on customer NOT just link building and content.

What do you think? Agree or not? Let me know your feedback, notes & ideas. It’s your turn now :)

 

Analytics & testing role at Obama Presidential campaign success !

May 30th, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

In this presentation at Stanford universitry, Dane Siroker analytics & testing responsible at Obama campaign sets 5 points related to analytics & testing that he has learned from Obama’s presidency online marketing campaign.

1. Define Quantifiable Success Metrics: What are the metrics and KPI’s that should be used to measure success on the website?
2. Focus on the weakest links: The importance of testing & runing experiments.
3. Never over-generalize: the importance of segmentation and develop website that don’t show the same message/content for all audience.
4. Take advantage of circumstances
5. Question assumptions: the importance of testing and analyzing assumptions before jumping to conclusions.

 

Pie Charts | When are pie charts useful?

May 23rd, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

Definition:

  • Pie charts work by spliting data into distincit groups or categories.
  • The size of each group is proportional to how many are in each group compared with the others.
  • Most times if you add slices frequency will equal= 100%.

When are pie charts useful?

  • To tell at a glance which groups have a high frequency compared with the others.
  • Pie charts are less useful if all the slices have similar sizes.

Re targeting abandoned customers | Real story !

May 18th, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

Over last weeks, I have tried a lot of times to buy credit for Skype but no way. I didn’t find any shop who sell cashU cards. Skype was providing just CashU & PayPal as a payment methods.  PayPal doesn’t support EGYPT yet. So, i couldn’t use this method. CashU not distributed well in EGYPT. Not covered well at most shops in EGYPT. Its hard to find it. So, i converted to Low Rate rather than Skype to make my international calls. Low Rate enables provide Master card or visa as an online payment methods. They lose customer :(

I’m not sure this story repeated with how many people in EGYPT or ME who can’t use Paypal or even find CashU cards.  Really i’m so surprised how solid online business like Skype don’t provide master card or visa as a payment methods.

Today, while i’m writing this article, i browsed Skype payment method page to get screen shot from their payment methods and found new surprise. They currently provide visa & master card as a payment methods.

Shortly, I have just two Notes for this story:

  • If you have online business, please add visa or master card as payment method. Most people prefer them as a online payment methods.
  • Why Skype don’t tell me & customers (who browsed payment page before & didn’t buy) that they added  new payment methods? You ask how? mmm .. They can target me by re marketing AdWords or ads that appear at Skype itself. What i mean is that they have to find method to re target people that abandon from their funnel. Isn’t it?

 

Hello!

April 26th, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

Welcome to blog. I wish you find useful data :)