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by Lee Gilbert
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Checking Website Stats Can Help You Boost Your Sales
Can stats help me to boost my sales? The answer is yes if you know how to use them correctly. Website stats are actually a very useful tool to help you to see a number of things related to your website. You can either use Google analytics for this purpose or your stats from your web host.
 
Firstly what do we mean by web site stats? This is the data that tells you how many visitors have come to your website, when they came, where they came from, and what pages they visited. In short they tell you everything you want to know about the traffic that comes to your website and the behavior of your visitors.
 
How do they affect my online business? Knowing your stats will let you know a number of things about your web promotions, visitors and sales conversions. With this knowledge you will be able to tweak promotions and Ad copy so that you can get more sales.
 
How to improve your sales conversions and visitor behavior using your website stats and Google Analytics:
 
  1. Check on unique visitors: it is important to know how many new visitors are coming to your website. This is an indication that your website promotions are working. Through your stats you can check on the behavior of new visitors and see how affective your sales copy is. You can tweak your copy to improve sales conversions.
     
  2. Check on repeat visitors: when people return to your website in sufficient numbers it means that you have the right web content to attract them and persuade website visitors to return. Returning visitors are more likely to look at your offers and often buy from your site. When you like a store you feel more inclined to purchase something than if you were visiting for the first time.
     
  3. Where your visitors are going: it is good to know which pages are interesting your visitors more. You can make more pages like this and attract more visitors. You can also get your visitors to stay at your website longer. The longer they stay the more inclined they will be to check everything out and be interested in your offers.
     
  4. What keywords they are using to find you: this is useful information because keywords that are used often are the ones you should be using for your ad campaigns, web content and articles. When you use these popular keywords you will attract more targeted visitors and make more sales.
     
  5. Amount of traffic going to your website over a month’s time: this particular stat will let you know how your promotions are running from month to month. When you see these stats increase it means that your promotions are becoming more affective and you can expect an increase in your sales.
     
  6. Testing your landing pages: one of the best ways to improve your sales conversions is to use landing pages. Website stats will help you to see how many visitors are coming to your landing pages. You will be able to see how long they are there for and whether they have signed up for your list or made a purchase. You can tweak your sales copy at the landing page and then use your stats to see if there are any improvements in sign ups and sales conversions.
     
  7. Bounce rate: these are visitors that come to your site but do not spend any time there. They just take a quick peek and leave. Even the most interesting websites will have a fair number of these surfers, so a certain percentage is not uncommon and really is nothing to worry about. However if you have a high ratio of say 80% and above you need to assess your website and take steps to make it more “sticky.” You can do this in a number of ways. Perhaps a little more interesting content will encourage your visitors to stay. Sometimes it is just a small matter of making your website more presentable. Think of your website like a store front, I am sure that you would be more inclined to browse around a store that looks attractive.
 
In view of these points try to check on your website stats. If your host does not have a cpanel you can sign up for Google Analytics. This free service at Google will help you to analyze your visitors and their behavior at your website. It will also give you valuable insight into how your promotions are affecting your business.
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posted by: Lee Gilbert
17th Aug 2010
Which Colours are Best to Market Your Business?
You know that in order to have a successful online business you need to build a website. However what you may not be aware of is the fact that different colours can affect the marketing of your business. it does not matter if it is your website, or how you package your products offline colour does make a difference.
 
Examples of this can be seen on the logos and websites of 3 giant businesses namely
  • Google: when you bring up the Google page you will see a multi coloured logo of the word Google. The multi colours can be interpreted to incorporate Google’s wide appeal to many people.
  • Yahoo: when you see the logo for Yahoo it is a plain purple. In the old days it used to be a plain red colour. Both colours are simple and appealing to their customers and potential customers.
     
  • Microsoft: their predominant colour for their website is blue. This is known to be a “business colour.” This allows Microsoft to project themselves as a company that deals with businesses.
 
The surprising thing about colours is the psychological effect of different hues. Selling is all about understanding the mind set and psychology of your potential customers. This factor makes it very important to choose the right colours to market your business.
 
Examples of different colours can be:
 
Green: a natural colour that brings up images of nature and outdoors activities. Of course the colours you choose can also depend on your product. For example gardening products are often associated with the colour green. When you put people in this nature mood they will be more inclined to buy more at your gardening site.
 
Blue: this is a very calm relaxing colour and is often used for business sites. Visualize the Microsoft example above.
 
Red: this colour is a very vibrant one and can create an excited feeling in your potential customers. However if it is overused it might over stimulate your visitor and cause them to leave your website.
 
Vivid colours for example red and yellow or red and orange etc: Many fast food restaurants are decorated this way. Their choices of colour have a dual purpose. They encourage the customer to come by attracting them with bright vivid colours. They also create a sense of alertness in the customer so that they feel like eating quickly and leaving. That is what the fast food industry is all about.
 
Pink: pink and pastel shades are traditionally associated with women and for this reason you will often see them on sites selling products for women. These are also “pretty” colours that encourage customers to buy.
 
In view of the examples above it is clear that different colours convey different feelings and messages to your potential and established customers. Therefore it is important to consider the colour scheme of your website and any sales pages you present to your visitors. The question remains. How do you choose the right colours for your business?
 
Firstly consider a few aspects of your business.
 
  • Your product or service: As with the gardening products mentioned above certain products are associated with different colours. When you build your website try to think about your products and services and choose your theme colour for your website with your products and services in mind. You want your product to match the mood of the colour you choose.
     
  • Your market: there are certain colours that different types of people like. For instance a teen market would have very different ideas about colour than people who are 65 and older. Different colours will create a variety of feelings with different sectors of people. Be careful to analyze your visitor’s choice in colours before you decide on the colour of your website. Remember that colours can influence the mood of the buyer.
     
  • Your brand: when you are branding your business colour matters. The colour you use for your website and logo are important, as people will associate this colour with your business. They will form impressions about your business based on the colour.
Given these points consider the colour of your website and selling materials carefully. Do not choose them because they look pretty. Think about their psychological effect on your visitors and chose wisely. When you see the increase in your sales you will be glad that you took a little time to do this. Besides the right colours will help your website look professional which will also boost your sales.

I discuss the colour and style of squeeze pages, including website landing pages, in depth in my Internet Marketing Success System


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posted by: Lee Gilbert
27th Jul 2010
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