The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire Edition 26: Aug/ Sept 2016 | Page 26

TECHNOLOGY

MAKE YOUR WEBSITE WORK HARDER

Al Keck , founder of award winning digital agency toinfinity , gives us his top tips for making your website perform better and achieve results .
Where would you start ? I ’ d begin by getting a good understanding of your site ’ s analytics . Google Analytics is the best platform to use , it ’ s free and easy to use .
There ’ s the ability to set up a dashboard and tools to set up KPIs , allowing you to monitor , measure and understand everything that ’ s happening on your website .
It ’ s a fundamental thing . After all , you wouldn ’ t employ a sales person and not set them targets , would you ?
Think of your website like perusing a store . Analytics show what has driven people to the ‘ front door ’, you can see what people are ‘ picking up ’ through their user journey . You can see where they ’ re turned off and where they ’ re inspired and driven to purchase or contact you .
Proper analysis allows you to make informed business decisions , paving the way towards faster growth .
What would be your top Google Analytic tips ?
1 . Ensure you ’ ve set the right Timezone for where you are in the world . If the timezone is set incorrectly , you will be analysing the wrong data . Knowing the optimum time for users visiting your website is a powerful tool .
2 . Exclude your own IP address from the results . If you don ’ t do this , and you ’ re visiting your own website all the time the results will be skewed !
3 . Make sure e-commerce is setup and then track marketing activity .
4 Set ‘ Goal Values ’ for contact points and A / B Test . See what customers are completing and do more of this !
5 . Know how many visitors are converted from the user journey . Then work out your ROI through average sales . You can then formulate an investment strategy to get you the best return .
6 . Core Stats reporting . Get to know how long people are staying on your site .
7 . Improve your Bounce Rate . Ideally , it should be lower than 50 %.

THE AWARDS KEEP COMING FOR SWINDON ’ S EXCALIBUR COMMUNICATIONS

June was a month of celebration for Excalibur , picking up not one , but two high profile awards .
At the beginning of the month they captured the coveted Mobile Industry Award for Best Unified Communications Dealer . The company was judged to be a UK innovator in the way that it integrates communications for customers . James Phipps , CEO said : “ This is a tremendous landmark in our company history . It recognises the extremely high levels of service that we strive to provide for our customers .”
The Mobile Industry Award judges said : “ The attention to detail and level of commitment to ensuring every customer had a positive experience was what made Excalibur the winner . They also showed a very impressive investment their staff .”
On June 14 , Excalibur was celebrated at the Prince ’ s Trust Business in the Community South West Annual Dinner at St Georges , Bristol .
They scooped South West Responsible Small Business of the Year , recognising the firm ’ s commitment to corporate social responsibility . Business in the Community works to build a fairer society and a more sustainable future , recognising companies that help create vibrant communities where people can flourish .
James added : “ At Excalibur we support a large number of causes in Wiltshire and beyond , as well as helping organisations hold events in our Cloud space at Arclite House . We enjoy bringing people together , so it is heartening to be recognised by Business in the Community as a good neighbour .”
Throughout September , October and November Excalibur is demonstrating its commitment to being an industry leader by hosting Discovery Days , enabling local businesses get the most out of their technology . They will demo products to help your company become more profitable and efficient . There will also be an opportunity to play with cutting edge gadgets including the Oculus Rift , virtual reality headsets and 3D printer technology . To find out more and to book your free space email : sara . witham @ ex-c . co . uk
8 . Device type . Know how users are : – browsing your site . – How many customers are using a mobile rather than a laptop ? Through our research we have identified that 65 % of searches start on a mobile . So having a website optimised for mobile is crucial .
9 . Know that Desktop , Tablet and Mobile analytics can be split out by device .
10 . If there is a core time / day ( ie 6pm ) when customers are viewing your site , ensure your customer service is prepared to handle the traffic . We work with Chippenham based Expolink to ensure out of office call handling is in place for any customers that might have queries that can ’ t be dealt with online .
By understanding your weaknesses you can create a conversion funnel identifying the ‘ leaky pipe ’ in the system . If this article throws up lots of questions about the way you are trading online , get in touch for a chat to see how we can help .
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