everything you think you know about pageviews is wrong
DESCRIPTION
Everything you think you know about pageviews is wrong. A page view means that someone visited your site. And that’s about all it means. But how many visitors you had really doesn’t tell you much of anything about how successful your online content is and, in turn, how successful your online business model will be. The key is turning visitors into readers and readers into audience members. And that means starting from the end and identifying at metrics that matter, then working backward to make sure you are strategically acting to drive those metrics.TRANSCRIPT
by Jerod MorrisCopyblogger Media
Everything You Think You Know About
Pageviews is Wrong
Image credit: Sea World
Flickr Creative Commons Image via: Martin Terber
Flickr Creative Commons Image via: istolethetv
3 Big Ideas
1. Start with the end in mind
2. Turn online visitors into readers
3. Turn readers into an engaged online audience
“Begin with the end in mind.”
~ Stephen Covey
from The 7 Habits of Successful People
Flickr Creative Commons Image via: Martin Terber
• A visitor is someone who ends up on your site.
• A reader is someone who consumes your content.
The problem?
Pageviews don’t understand the difference.
Visitor pageview ≠ Reader pageview
If not pageviews, then what?
• Time on page
• Time on site
• Pages per visit
• Successful events (clicking on CTA, watching video)
• Substantive comments
“An object imbued with intent — it has power, it’s treasure, we’re drawn to it. An object devoid of intent — it’s random, it’s imitative, it repels us. It’s like a piece of junk mail to be thrown away.
This is what we must demand of our lives, of our objects, of our things, or our circumstances: living with intent.”
~ John Hockenberry, TED2012
Design that turns visitors into readers
• Structure content for the web
• font type and size
• subheads
• white space
Design that turns visitors into readers
• Use internal linking
• Simplify your layout
• Provide an excellent experience across all devices
Flickr Creative Commons Image via: Bushery
Flickr Creative Commons Image via: Martin Terber
How to Turn Readers Into an Audience
• A reader is someone who consumes your content.
• An audience member is someone who commits to consume your content consistently (and then does so).
Inspire committed action.
An audience member …
• Subscribes to your RSS feed
• Subscribes to your email newsletter
• Subscribes to your podcast
• Bookmarks your site in their browser
• Follows you on a social media account (that they actually use and engage with)
Quick recap
• Visitors arrive at your site
• Readers consume your content
• Audience members come back, consume consistently, and share with others
• (Customers buy your products)
What metrics show audience
engagement?
• Subscribers (RSS, email, podcast, etc.)
• Social media (interaction — not followers)
• Participants in polls, surveys, etc.
How do you drive engagement
metrics?
• Respect the power of email
• Offer a forum or membership area
• Allow people to self-select
• Have a smart social media strategy
• An option not provided cannot be selected
• Your actions show your intent and your priorities
Remember …
The Power of an Audience
Flickr Creative Commons Image via: Martin Terber
Build an engaged audience with the power
of a digital media platform:
NewRainmaker.com
Connect with me on Twitter: @JerodMorris