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Underlying web site usage growth has stalled?

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Subject:  Underlying web site usage growth has stalled?
Author:   Colin Cooper:   view profile | all posts by this author | add to favourites
Date:   10:12:08 9 September 2004
 
Does it matter if traffic is up or down? Provocative perhaps but where is the value in traffic for traffic’s sake?

There are several good reasons why traffic being down can be seen as a positive sign – fewer single page visits means you are increasing your relevance in search engines – improvements in site usability mean that visitors achieve their objective faster and more efficiently getting lost less etc.

Plus, as you indicate, as web users become more experienced they tend to know what they are looking for and focus on their prime information needs. They’ve got past the stage of clicking around just to see what’s there.

What is more important is whether sites are achieving the objectives set for them. Sure if what you are offering is an environment for branding then overall traffic levels are an important part of the KPI, but so is time on page, frequency of return etc. Quality not just quantity.

Of more concern is if conversion rates are reducing or sales volumes are declining, as these will directly impact your objectives.

The overall level of economic activity will eventually have an impact on web traffic in the same way that traditional retail sales fluctuate. I would argue that it’s still too early for this impact to affect web sales volumes as consumers are still expanding their use of the web in preference to offline purchases. But eventually it will get there.

So it’s back to the discussions at the Emetrics Summit about the importance of understanding and communicating your objectives so you then know what you need to measure and monitor to determine how well you are performing.

Colin Cooper
ISSEL colin@issel.co.uk
Aligning Execution with Strategy
 
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  • Underlying web site usage growth has stalled?, Ashley , 7 Sep 14:22
    My understanding is that internet usage at work in the UK is on the up, broadband pentration is quite dramatically on the up (4 out of 10 internet users according to NOP), the inte ...
    • re: Underlying web site usage growth has stalled?, Alex Chudnovsky, 8 Sep 10:50
      Usage and penetration will raise as soon as people start streaming video and music on demand, start using email and instant messaging on the go using 3G phones. It might not rea ...
    • Underlying web site usage growth has stalled?, Colin Cooper, 9 Sep 10:12
      Does it matter if traffic is up or down? Provocative perhaps but where is the value in traffic for traffic’s sake? There are several good reasons why traffic being down can be ...
      • RE: Underlying web site usage growth has stalled?, Ashley , 9 Sep 11:00
        Hi Colin Yes, you are right that ultimately it is absolute values (sales values, number of registrations, uplift in brand metrics etc.) that are most important. Conversion rates ...
        • RE: Underlying web site usage growth has stalled?, Colin Cooper, 9 Sep 12:07
          Hi Ashley, It has been said that managing your boss is as important as managing the people who report to you! Communicating your objectives is an important part of this to get t ...
          • RE: Underlying web site usage growth has stalled?, Ashley , 9 Sep 13:46
            Yes / agree with all of above. What I find interesting is that when all of this shakes down, and all companies are online marketing savvy, and all customers are web savvy, your abi ...
          • RE: Underlying web site usage growth has stalled?, Alex Chudnovsky, 9 Sep 15:02
            >Maybe Google’s shares aren’t overpriced! At 140 P/E not overpriced? Maybe if you compare that to Yahoo or similar companies, but certainly not to companies that produce "real" ...
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