The
ClickTracks ClickTracker
Hi, and welcome to the premier issue of the ClickTracker,
a monthly communication designed to help you get more
out of your version of ClickTracks, as well as keep
you updated as to our latest offerings, success stories
and newsworthy tidbits. If you prefer not to receive
this monthly mailing, simply scroll to the 'unsubscribe'
link at the bottom of this e-mail and we'll remove
you from our list. Still here? Alrighty then…let's
get started!
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In
this issue, we'll cover:
*
Opt-in or Opt-out? Google's Content-Targeted Advertising
program
*
Become
a ClickTracks Consultant
* Success Story-Alldorm
" We need your help
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OPT-IN
OR OPT-OUT?
Like many of you, we at ClickTracks use Google's AdWords
program and Overture to increase awareness of our
web site analysis tools. Naturally, we were interested
in seeing how Google's new Content-Targeted or syndication
mechanism was affecting our own site's traffic. Using
our own program, we did an analysis of syndication-driven
visitor's behavior. And the results are in: We can
say that on our own site, the Content-Targeted advertising
repeatedly leads to one specific action…the user
clicking the 'back' button and leaving.
This
result--users leaving out site without exploring or
downloading a demo--isn't one we're used to seeing.
Thus far, our Google AdWords and Overture campaigns
have been faring quite well. This led us to think
more about the Content-Targeted advertising program.
Why wouldn't our traffic and our conversions be similar
to other campaigns? After discussions and research,
we've come up with what we believe are the three main
reasons why Google's syndication program just isn't
working:
--Not
all the syndication partner sites are high quality,
high traffic sites, consistently updated with fresh
information. Certainly, hits from some of Google's
syndication partners (Earthlink, for example) are
bringing in a bit of qualified traffic. But our reports
show us unqualified traffic from too many sites that
we've never heard of…some, for good reason. Of
the 23 people who clicked through to our site from
www.fxweb.com, only 2 have actually gone through and
downloaded the demo version of our software. This
doesn't even take into account the fact that the fxweb.com
site doesn't appear to have been updated in this millennium,
or that technically, we're they're competition, which
leads us to our next point.
--Your
competition sends you leads. Which is certainly nice
for you, but imagine being the one to agree to host
Google Syndicated ads? fxweb.com might've paid a search
engine consultant to position their site, or another
PPC service to get visitors on their site, only to
have a well-crafted ad siphon a bit of their traffic.
--It
truly is all or nothing. What are the options to fine-tune
your Google Content-Targeted advertising? Well, you
have two…off and on, with the default set to
'on' though some advertisers don't realize it. (In
your AdWords campaign management screen, select 'Edit
Campaign Settings' to find the Content-Targeted checkbox.)
You cannot select appropriate potential partners (like
Earthlink or a highly targeted blog) or create a list
of web sites you don't want your ad served on.
As
with many marketing and advertising initiatives, Your
Mileage May Vary (YMMV) and our opinion of Google's
Syndication program may change over time, depending
on the changes Google makes. Our recommendation for
the meantime, however, is to invest your hard-earned
advertising dollars in what you know, and leave the
content-targeted stuff alone until Google's brought
it up to speed a bit.
Have
you had a different experience with Google's Content-Targeted
advertising? We want to hear about it! Let us know
by sending an e-mail to info@clicktracks.com.
BECOME
A CLICKTRACKS CONSULTANT (and get up to a 50% discount!)
We
realize how lucky we are to have a customer base that's
as enthusiastic about the product as we are. Many
of our monthly sales come as a direct result of YOU
telling someone else about our product. We'd like
to offer the opportunity to make those referrals 'official.'
Unlike
our reseller program, where you're responsible for
pre-sale demos and post-sale support (but admittedly,
earn a larger commission), the ClickTracks Consultant
program is more of a 'finder's fee' type of arrangement.
If you sign up to become a ClickTracks Consultant,
you're signing up to receive 20% commission on any
lead that turns into a purchase. Let's say you recommend
ClickTracks Enterprise to one of your colleagues,
and that colleague heeds your recommendation and purchases
the product. Bam! Not only have you turned him onto
a cool piece of software-you've also just earned yourself
$400 bucks. Pay for your kid's college tuition (well,
maybe not their tuition, but certainly books and supplies
and maybe even a bit of spending money) simply by
recommending ClickTracks to your colleagues!
Need
more bribing? We've got it! Click here for information
on product discounts and then call Jane and tell her
to go ahead and buy a new--not used--copy of that
Psychology textbook!
SUCCESS
STORY
"Your college everything superstore!" touts
AllDorm on their web site. And they're not kidding.
From those extra-long twin-sized sheets (designed
to fit the standard dorm room bed) to magnetic organizers
to blowup sofas to dorm room 'survival packs,' AllDorm
is the that satisfies a college student's every need.
AllDorm is a company that's intimately familiar with
the college market and the typical dorm room-the company
was founded by four college students in 2000, from
the relative discomfort of their own dorm rooms…they
saw that the college market needed a one-stop-shop
to get everything they needed.
Before
ClickTracks: "Suffice it to say that we had an
idea that some areas of our web site were underperforming,
but we couldn't put our finger on exactly where. Our
gut feeling was that we were confusing our visitors
with too many choices, and that our navigation wasn't
exactly clear," said Chad Arimura, CTO of AllDorm.
Analyzing
the site in ClickTracks confirmed their suspicions,
and highlighted other areas of the site that needed
some help. The paths that visitors were taking didn't
lead them past other products that might be of interest…in
other words, there was very little upsell. "Visitors
weren't being drawn into other product categories
or areas that were complimentary to the initial product
they were considering purchasing," noted Chad.
What happened after ClickTracks? Click here to find
out.
WE
NEED YOUR HELP (you might just get something out of
it, too!)
We're always looking for a good story to tell others,
whether they're visitors to our web site, prospective
clients or the media (can you say 'free publicity?').
Has ClickTracks made a difference in your business?
Have the changes you've made after ClickTracks analysis
had an impact on your bottom line? We'd love to hear
about it! Simply e-mail a note to our PR maven Amy
Hooker at amy@mavencom.com
and let her know you have a story to tell. She'll
take care of everything from there. And who knows?
The next time ClickTracks ends up on ClickZ.com, in
Business 2.0 or Revolution Magazine, you might just
be there with us!
