One of the most famous quotes is credited to bank robber Willie Sutton who, when asked why he robbed banks, answered, "Because that's where the money is." Arguably, you're in business because that's where the money is. Yes, you've got that passion for your product or service and you like dealing with the public and the game of the hunt is also something that's exciting - "finding" new customers is a thrill, after all. But where do you find 'em? Of course you know I'm going to say "On the Internet." That was obvious. But what may not be obvious is where they are, unless you do something I did just this morning.
Google and others provide tremendous information about what people are searching for. Arguably, they do this so that dorks like me can see what people are asking for and deliver that. The more accurate Google's searches are, after all, the more you're going to like their service and use it. The more you use Google's service, the more eyeballs see their ads and the more money they make. That's how Google works, which is essentially exactly how your site works. The more eyeballs see your site, the more money you could make because your terrific web site lets prospects know about your fantastic operation. Not the medical operation, your business. We don't wanna see that scar, thank you. This morning I was looking through some new features of Google Analytics, a free service from Google, and I noticed that term "bass fishing" was huge source of prospective leads for the Featherbed Railroad site. What happens is people search for the term "bass fishing" and one of the results they see is the Featherbed Railroad web site. But they don't click on it. Why? The content isn't relevant. Or wasn't. Seeing how popular a search term "bass fishing" is I immediately took action and added several pages about bass fishing on the site. Now all of this is honest content because a lot of people visit this area to fish for bass and our boat dock is a popular place to fish from. By putting truthful, relevant information on our site about how wonderful we are as a bass fishing destination I am anticipating that some people will now click on our page when they do a search for bass fishing. Knowing what people are looking for and how they interact with your web site is critical to the success of your business. The fact is, people are on the Internet and are looking for things all the time. Just because you offer those things doesn't mean they know about them. Having an understanding about how Internet search works and how you can benefit from it, or at least not be hurt by it is a modern day business survival tool. Just because you like your site and people tell you it's wonderful doesn't mean that it's a good business partner. Google's Analytics are a good place to start for anyone who wants to examine the traffic coming to their site. It's a free service from the Internet search giant and is very effective. Analytics can tell you what words people used to find your site, how long they were there, how many pages they visited and much, much more. There is a web site to help decipher Google Analytics with video and more. Knowledge is power and Analytics are like the turbocharger on the engine of your marketing. But only if you take action on the information you see are Google Analytics or any other data worthwhile. Comments are closed.
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Tony BarthelTony Barthel is passionate about great marketing for small businesses Get Free Weekly Marketing TipsCategories
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