4 KPIs You Should Be Tracking
July 10, 2019
Measuring the success of a marketing campaign happens in a variety of ways. Watching traffic and conversion progress are the most telling, but not the only elements to follow. There are several ways to tell if consumers are interested in your site, whether they’re buying, and what should be changed or eliminated for better results in your next campaign.
Seeing negative data is always disappointing, but don’t let it get you down. Being able to take constructive feedback and redirect it into new ideas is what makes a strong leader in business. KPIs, both good and bad, are necessary to give you the best chance of creating content your audience wants to see, and sharing it in a way that makes them want to re-share it with others.
Throughout this article, we’ll examine 4 types of metrics you should be following in every marketing campaign. By keeping track of key performance indicators, you can tailor your ads to meet and exceed market standards.
1. Number of Shares: Social media is one of the most popular forms of digital advertising available. Being that these platforms are designed to be social, the most telling sign of a successful campaign is that consumers are sharing your posts. Social shares show you how many have seen your update and are responding to it by showing others they know. This modern form of “word of mouth” marketing is proven successful and increases chances of new customers.
You can easily track the number of shares you receive. For example, on Twitter, it’s as simple as checking to see how many retweets a post has had. The number is displayed directly below the post, making it easily manageable. If your posts aren’t being shared, this is a sign it’s time to revamp those posts or create incentive for sharing.
Online contests and promotions are an excellent way to make sharing more enticing to your followers. You can also reach out to followers in the form of a CTA, asking them to share your post and like or comment on it. Creating content which is considered original and relevant to your service or product makes it more likeable and in return more shareable.
2. Number of Backlinks: A business isn’t truly successful online unless it’s recognized on the first page of a Google search result. Studies indicate that consumers don’t scroll past the first page following a search. In fact, many don’t scroll past the first 3 results. This means if you want to make it to the top of your industry, first, you must make it to the top of a Google search.
One of the main features Google looks for when ranking a website is the number of backlinks it possesses. A backlink is a link back to your website from another place online. The most influential backlink is a link from an authority in your field. These links not only encourage more consumers to visit your site and possibly buy your product or service, they also tell Google that your site is popular among your peers and therefore is trusted and should be featured as a leader in its niche.
Backlinks can also be generated by partnering with other websites. When you share the link for a business and they share your link in return, both parties win.
3. Unfulfilled Site Visitors: If you’ve ever shopped online, left a cart with potential buys in it, and received an email asking you to come back, you know that unfulfilled site visitors are no joke. This metric is an important one because it dictates the success level of your website in a different way. Rather than determining the value of a site by what it’s doing correctly, sometimes it’s eye opening to look into what it’s doing wrong.
Site users who skip off without buying do so for a reason, and as a business owner, it’s your job to find out why. This will help you minimize this number and make sure your site is more appealing for future visitors.
4. How Much Time Users Spend on Your Site: Your website will bring consumers of all shapes and sizes and each of these visitors has their own reason for dropping by. If your website isn’t fulfilling that reason, the visitor will find a new website. The amount of time each user spends on your page is an important metric to track. Not only can it help you see how much people like your layout and promotions, but it also tells you what aspects are least likeable.
If a user visits your website and doesn’t stick around, he or she could have had a poor experience. Timing metrics will help you discover at what point in their visit the experience turned sour. This offers the option of improving that portion of the site. Watching for patterns is important for this reason. If only one person leaves the site after the first page, it’s a coincidence, but when it appears to be the reason everyone leaves, it could be time to reevaluate your homepage.
Measuring the data your campaigns provide you with will keep you at the top of your field. Or, at the very least, help you climb the search engine ladder of success. The more positive data you collect, the more you reinforce the choices you’ve made to past campaigns. The more negative data you collect, the more you begin to recognize problems with your current campaign so it can be modified and become successful.