Lost in Translation?

Immersion technique #4: With social media, a long-term approach will guarantee success. “Companies should stay away from these sites unless they’re ready to invest six to 12 months adding real value to the community,” said Lurie.

Analyze This

There are a lot of pieces to the puzzle that is an engaging, user-friendly, good-looking, effective Web site. “Don’t expect all site changes to pay off immediately,” Lurie said.
Knowing how to find what works and what doesn’t is an invaluable tool in achieving quantifiable results. Site traffic-reporting tools such as Google Analytics can help you determine what turned people off (“top exit pages”), said Berkley, as well as how many people visited and how long they stayed.

Nevertheless, reports must be put into context, noted Lurie. “Did a radio station have a feature about you last week? Maybe that’s why online sales jumped, which means radio is a good medium for you.” By using the analytics to track your key performance indicators (KPIs)—i.e., the amount of leads generated or time spent on the site—you gain a practical knowledge of how the site is helping you in your sales strategy, he affirmed.

Immersion technique #5: In the end, save your time and your sanity when it comes to Internet marketing. Setting firm, reachable goals; prioritizing problems; and being realistic about time frames and cost concerns can make this not only a lucrative project, but an interesting one as well. “If users visit the Web site, achieve what they were hoping to get done, and leave happily after engaging with your business—then that is a success,” Finck concluded.