August 6, 2007

Learn to monitor online traffic
Web analytics can boost small business profits.
By RUTH COSSIO-MUNIZ and JOHN GIBSON
Special to the Register

The Internet is the great equalizer of all businesses. Small companies can generally compete with large corporations on a global basis using the right search engine optimization techniques and by improving the odds that their Web site appears on the first page of a World Wide Web search.

But to stay competitive and truly understand their customers and market, small business owners need to incorporate Web analytics into their strategic plan.

Web analytics involve the use of software programs to monitor who visits a Web site, where they come from, how they got to the site, what they do on the site and how long they stay on specific pages. This information is very valuable in planning Internet marketing campaigns, making decisions based on customer behavior and profiting from forecasted buying trends.

Many businesses are using Web site tracking software, such as the free Google Analytics, that assist with optimizing online business performance.

In most cases, the software company assigns codes to Web site owners, who then place them on the Web pages they want to track. When this is done, each visit to the company Web site is recorded by the software provider and the information goes into a database. This data is then displayed when the Web site owner logs into his or her account for analysis.

Through Web tracking efforts, business owners can attain the total number of visits to the Web site each day and know how the users were referred to the site. This could be generated from Google search, MSN search, online articles or other Internet sources.

The information can then be used to decide if the company needs to spend more or less with certain advertisers, invest in pay-per-click services, or change the key words to improve the company's ranking on Web search listings.

Additionally, Web analytics identifies key words used by the consumer in finding the Web site and the number of visitors using the same keywords. That data can help Webmasters make their sites more effective tools for displaying online ads, providing sales leads and generating online business transactions.

Business owners understand that driving traffic to the company Web site is essential to e-commerce, but what's most important is the understanding of what that traffic does there once it arrives. At the end of the day, utilizing the capabilities of Web site monitoring tools enables businesses to better understand customer behavior and, ultimately, creates the potential to increase company profits.

You can learn more about Web site marketing with no-fee consulting and low-cost training seminars offered by the Orange County SBDC. The SBDC is an affiliate of the U.S. Small Business Administration and Rancho Santiago Community College District and is partially funded by Cal State Fullerton and the California Community College chancellor's office.

Contact Ruth Cossio-Muniz, assistant director of the Orange County Small Business Development Center for an appointment with John Gibson, Web site marketing consultant. Call 714-564-5200 or visit www.ocsbdc.com.