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Archives for December 2013

The Importance of Maintenance

December 18, 2013 by Dabrian Marketing Group Leave a Comment

I am going to take a break this week from writing about the Google Analytics API and focus on something very important that is often overlooked. Website and webserver maintenance is one of the most important jobs related to a website, and yet, many people do not perform it. In some instances this may be because their trade is totally unrelated to the field of web development and web maintenance, and they are unsure of what to do or who to ask. In many cases, the issue of maintenance is financial.  However, the long range financial burden of a broken site can be much higher than a maintenance plan.

The Problem

A client pays for a shiny new website coded in the latest language with the latest software updates. The site is designed and developed with best practices in mind. After the development process is complete, the client declines any more maintenance with the site, citing their own ability to maintain.

What is maintenance and monitoring?

The process of monitoring and maintenance is the act of having someone consistently watch for signs of issues with a website. Monitoring by webmasters may be done by the use of Google Analytics to watch for traffic changes, Webmaster tools to ensure that the user experience is at its best, or many other tools such as visual inspections. In addition, many of these tools offer alerts which allow webmasters to monitor errors and provide the best possible user experience.

Webmaster Tools

What happens next?

For the foreseeable future, if the client properly updates the site, there should be little to no issues. However, changes in employment or a lack of properly trained individuals at a client’s workplace may result in the eventual downturn of the site. If at any point there is a lapse in monitoring that is more than a month or two, the site may be partially or wholly unable to be salvaged.

This may seem a bit extreme, but it is entirely possible that a month or two of neglect can be the downfall of a website. This is particularly true when a site uses a piece of software to run such as a content management system (CMS), and when that solution is open source. Despite all efforts to correct any issues along the way, developers or webmasters may need to spend a significant amount of time working to ensure that the site is functioning at its best and continues to align with the ever changing best practices. Additionally, the only support is a community of developers, who may or may not be available in a time of crisis. While the site may be always be considered “salvageable” by a technology professional, a cost-benefit analysis may deem it unsalvageable, just like when a car is totaled. Sometimes, the cost of repair is simply not worth it. Technology, particularly lines of code, can be extraordinarily complex and involve a lot of time, trial, and error.

If the neglect goes on for too long, the site may be impossible to repair. In some instances, the entire website will need to be overhauled. In this case, the “damage” or the risks of causing said damage seriously outweigh the benefits of updating. Making massive updates, such as updating across many versions, or making significant changes can seriously affect the workings of the site. Sites in this situation are in working condition, theoretically, but they often do not live up to their owners’ expectations.

Damage? Seriously… this is a website

Absolutely websites can be ‘damaged’! But, not in the same way that you might break a window with a baseball. This sort of damage could be errors in lines of code or simply outdated code. Each update edits the code, making important changes. If you compile those lack of changes over time, it can definitely become a serious issue.

I can’t afford maintenance from my provider. What can I do to ensure my site is alive and well?

If you are unable to get maintenance your provider may at least be able to answer questions. Never be afraid to ask for help! In addition, ensure that the website is checked once a week. If updates are available, they may be something as simple as clicking a button. This way, if there are issues, they can be addressed immediately. Also, if you are not equipped to fix the problem, it can be directed towards someone who can.

What are the long term effects?

Though the upfront costs of maintenance may seem like something that can be set aside, the reality is that the potential loss of business growth as well as the potential costs of issue resolution may have a major impact on business finances. A little upfront maintenance can prevent a lot of issues in the long run.

Have you ever had a website go down because of lack of maintenance? Tell us in the comments!

Filed Under: Google Analytics, Web Design Tagged With: maintenance, web design

The Most Important PPC Metrics You Are Not Using

December 11, 2013 by Justin Miller Leave a Comment

Everyone knows Impressions, Clicks, Cost and Conversions. Then comes the various calculated metrics using those – Click thru Rate (CTR), Cost per Click (CPC), Conversions Rate (CR), Cost per Conversions (CPA – A is for Acquisition.) After the calculated metrics, Quality Score and Avg. Position have been shown to be very important in generating Clicks and Conversions. But since you already are familiar with those metrics, let’s look at the lesser talked about ones, which can aid you in achieve your PPC goals and objectives.

Impressions Share (IS) Metrics

  • Search Impression Share

This metric reveals your competitiveness. The percentage is how often your ad is shown in comparison to how often they could have been shown. Fortunately, Google tells us exactly where and how you are losing the Impression Share battle.

  • Lost Impressions Share (Rank)

While Average Position tells what ad spot your Ads are showing, this metrics tells you how often your Ads are not being shown due to low ranking. If this metric is high and you are missing several impressions, you will need to either raise your Quality Score and/or CPC bid to begin outranking your competitors.

  • Lost Impressions Share (Budget)

If you are losing Impressions because your budget, then the easiest fix is to increase your budget. A high lost Impression Share (Budget) means that you are being outspent by your competitors and need to be willing to spend more to stay competitive.

Screenshot shows the above mentioned metrics inside AdWords along with actions to resolve the apparent issues.
Screenshot shows the above mentioned metrics inside AdWords along with actions to resolve the apparent issues.

Analytic Metrics

  • Bounce Rate

Bounce Rate is the percentage of searchers who clicked on one of your Ads, but only viewed the Landing Page before leaving your website. This is an indicator that your Landing Pages are not guiding visitors further into your Conversion Funnel.

  • Pages/Visit

This metric reveals the depth of the average visit. If your Conversion Funnel is multiple pages long, then a small Pages/Visit reveals a leak in your funnel. Shortening your Conversion funnel could be very profitable for you.

  • Duration of Visit (Seconds)

While this metric does not tell you exactly what users are doing on your site, it does reveal if they are staying long enough to do anything at all. If you web page if very text heavy, but duration of visits is only a few seconds, then it is safe to say that your text is not being read. Try revising your text into bullet points and adding images. A visitors that comes through PPC cost, so you want them to stay and bring value too.

While these metrics might not tell the bottom line like the more talked about Impressions, Clicks, Conversions and Cost, they do fill in the gaps and reveal a bigger more complete picture of the success or failures of PPC Campaigns. Remember to look beyond the main metrics into the ones listed above and others that are Key Performing Indicators. These indicators will help guide you to PPC success, but you have to monitor them closely and act accordingly. Let us know if they are any other metrics that help you monitor your PPC success, or if you have any questions concerning any PPC metrics.

Filed Under: Paid Search (PPC) Tagged With: AdWords, PPC, SEM

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