JackThreads: An Online Retailer Using Web Analytics for Success

Over the past couple of years, my shopping habits have moved almost entirely online. I can usually find better prices and a bigger selection by browsing different brand websites. My favorite finds, however, are discount websites where brands send their clothes out on clearance. These websites host many different brands, but there is limited time to purchase. Once a size or color is sold out, there is no restocking.

Actionable Information From Goals, Funnels, and Filters

The fundamental challenge with Google Analytics (GA) is that in order to successfully utilize information produced from its advanced tracking, a website needs to define the wins it wants produced. These wins are going to significantly vary based on industry, but could include media plays, social connections, newsletter sign-ups, a minimum purchase value, or the amount of time spent on a specific screen or entire website. Digital marketers must determine what they want visitors to do and why that action item is a win for their company/organization.

Valuable Measurements

Google Analytics (GA) provides the opportunity for website owners to analyze exactly what aspects of their online presence are working well, and where improvement is needed (sometimes desperately so). In and of themselves, the numbers provided by GA do not provide clear solutions to potential problems. GA is, in fact, a tool that allows developers to recognize potential areas needing addressed. They must look at provided information and identify potential areas of concern that will require creative solutions to improve a user’s site experience. During my analysis of my GA reports, I identified some specific measurements that gave me a strong understanding of areas where my blog could be improved.

Google AdWords vs. Facebook Advertising

In the world of online advertising there are countless players. Banner ads, pop ups, social media, and search engines all feature different types of advertisement opportunities for businesses big and small. When it comes to alternatives that are cost-effective and easy to set up, the field of options gets narrowed down to two giants: Google AdWords and Facebook Advertising. These two companies serve as the main competitors for small and large businesses alike.

With Google Adwords, advertisers can determine when their ads will be displayed by selecting keywords relevant to their product or service. Geographic location targeting can be done as well. It is a pay-per-click service, meaning each time an advertisement is clicked, the advertiser is charged anywhere from a few cents to a couple dollars. Advertisements are displayed alongside search queries in text form only. This means the copy a company uses to populate their advertisement is extremely important.

Content vs. Conversation

“Power out? No problem.” Four words created one of the most talked about Superbowl moments in the championship’s history. Retweeted 16,000 times, the tweet included a picture of a lone Oreo cookie and copy that stated, “ You can still dunk in the dark." The sharp and timely wit displayed by Oreo earlier this year sparked an incredible buzz across social media outlets everywhere after the world famous game was delayed by a power surge in the lighting. Brilliant content sparked massive conversation. The debate between content and conversation’s importance in the social landscape continues to escalate with no satisfactory answer on the horizon. There are two different schools of thought.

Getting Started in Church Web Analytics

As previously discussed, a church’s web presence is no longer a luxury, but rather, a necessity. More people are looking to interact with a church online than ever before, and it is our responsibility to make sure that their needs can be met. The best way to make sure a website is meeting its goals is through web analytics. By studying a website’s various trends, areas needing improvement can be determined and adjusted to enhance a visitor’s experience. What are two important statistics for churches to track and evaluate at the beginning of their venture into web analytics?

Web Analytics & the Church

Churches have the unfortunate reputation of being outdated in many different facets: music, visual arts, technology, and web. Many churches, big and small, struggle to design dynamic websites that can not only catch a visitor’s attention, but also provide action steps that will encourage future interaction. This is a problem that transcends budget size. It requires setting strong goals and developing a strategy to help your organization pursue them. Web analytics allow churches to measure their ongoing performance and optimize strategy accordingly.