Our Optimization Process

Step 1: Developing Your Web Strategy by Identifying Your Goals

The first step to optimization is to identify the key activities, goals, and actions that you want your website to perform and to achieve. These objectives depend on the nature of your business. Generally, there are four categories under which businesses fall, but overlap does occur. The categories are as follows:

  • E-commerce websites – the objectives are to increase sales and to decrease marketing expenses
  • Content websites – the objectives are to increase both readership and the amount of time spent on your website (stickiness)
  • Lead-generation websites – the objectives are to increase and to segment customer leads.
  • Self-service sites – the objectives are to increase customer satisfaction and to decrease customer support inquiries

Most business websites offer visitors a number of activities in which to engage that satisfy the visitor’s goals and contribute to the company's bottom line. These activities usually consist of a multi-step process by which visitors fulfill their intentions. It is important to make these processes as user-friendly as possible to for customer satisfaction and for business success.

Step 2: Define Key Performance Indicators and Success Metrics

After identifying your goals, the next step is to derive your key performance indicators. Given that we measure and analyze an array of website data, it is important to identify what to measure to improve results. Once identified, KPIs are manipulated to achieve higher profits. Below are some examples of metrics to consider, based upon your website category.

  • E-commerce websites – sales, returns, allowances, sales per visitor, cost per visitor, and conversion rate
  • Content websites – visit length, page views, number of subscriptions, and number of cancelled subscriptions
  • Lead-generation websites – white paper downloads, time spent on the site, newsletter opt-ins, reject rates on contact pages, and the leads-to-close ratio
  • Self-service websites – decrease in visitor length and fewer calls to a help center

Step 3: Collect Baseline Measurements

Once key performance indicators and success metrics are defined, baseline measurements are established through data collection. Initial data serves as a baseline from which to measure all future marketing initiatives and website changes, and KPI information is translated into a scorecard so that everyone is informed and monitors the effects.

Step 4: Brainstorm

Once a solid set of baseline data is obtained, there is a basis from which to brainstorm and to gather ideas to increase your website's ROI.

Step 5: A/B Test the Concepts

A program of A/B testing to identify the ideas that work is initiated.

Step 6: Measure Results and Implement Successful Ideas

After gathering the results from the A/B Test, the next step is to conduct a thorough analysis to uncover what tactics succeeded. Only those that generated positive results are implemented, and baseline data collection begins again. The new data is used to determine what works in future A/B Tests.

Step 7: Start Again!

Once the process is complete, the only thing left to do is to repeat it. Continuously monitoring KPIs and adjusting goals and metrics allows you to stay ahead of your competition. Knowing is half of the battle, and this methodology is designed to inform. By studying your data and implementing different strategies, JoeCBrown identifys the areas that need improvement and maximizes your ROI. Like any other area related to Internet marketing, the best way to be successful is with continuous refinement. Once you've reached your goals, go back and make new ones. Your reached goals are your new baselines, and there is always more to achieve, so continue to set the bar higher.

 

Optimization Process