Welcome
to my five tip series to help get the web on your side, a little bit at
a time. Each month I will provide a new tip to get you inspired!
My last Tip #2, "Harness The Power Of Stats" gave you a crash course in approaching stats for your various websites, social networks and shops. I hope you cracked open a few stats pages and got excited about the wealth of information there. Did you find my article helpful? If you missed it, please be sure to read it here!
If you missed the first tip, be sure to read it here!
Tip #2. Harness The Power Of Stats
Once
you have tried creating some new online places such as a Facebook or
Twitter account, a Pinterest page or maybe a YouTube Channel, it is time
to determine what is working, and try to figure out why! The power of
stats will make your online presence drive traffic and sales to your
shop!
This
article is not a detailed course in specific stat applications, but
rather a crash course in recognizing the importance of watching your
stats (even if only once a month!), and a resource guide to get you
started and keep you learning about what stats can do for you. So..let's get started!
WHAT ARE STATS? Stats
are collections of data that provide information about activity
on the web. You can find stats almost anywhere you create an account,
including Craft Cafe, Etsy, Big Cartel, Facebook, Twitter, and of
course, the great Google Analytics, which allows you to see your website
traffic in lots of great visual ways.
Start Simple: Ask these three questions, and look for the answers in your stats:
1. Where is my traffic coming from? (search engines? referrals? links from your facebook posts? outside links?)
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| Here is a sample of my website stats that shows where my traffic came from during a 7 day period last month. |
2. What do people click on? (most popular pages, posts, items in your shops)
3. Are those clicks turning into sales? (example: if you get 1000 clicks to your necklace and earring set, but no sales...you might reconsider your pricing, or see if you need to make a more alluring or informative description)
QUICK TIP: Look in your "admin", your "dashboard" or "shop tools" for stats. Click around and get familiar with what each account looks like!
From the simplest numbers (how
many clicked your link, visited your site) to complex and visual
information sliced and diced (so you can see exactly how people reacted
to your link, post, sale, campaign), stats enlighten what goes on after
you post a listing, a sale announcement and so on. Don’t ignore stats! Look around at all the different places where you have stats available. Do you see any trends? Do you see anything unexpected?
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| Facebook Shares, Likes, Comments |
TAKING A CLOSER LOOK: Stats
give you information about WHAT people react to, and as you observe
your stats, you might begin to see trends that tell you which things you
posted that brought customers, fans and sales to your shops, pages and
accounts.
The screen grab of my facebook post illustrates a very simple version of stats you can see right on your facebook page. Every time you post, facebook shows you how many people saw the post (lower left corner of the image), how many likes, comments and shares. Note the posts that get a great reaction and keep up the good work!
Something to think about: You might see that nobody clicks when you simply post a link
to your listing, but when you talked about a new technique you used to
create your product (and yes, add your link to it in your shop), you got
a lot of clicks and a couple of new fans. That example is actually one I
learned about in my stats. When I first created my Facebook fan page
for M Design Boutique, I used to post links to my items for sale in my
shop. I got very few clicks on those posts. When I began posting about
orders I was making or new ideas I was looking for feedback about...I
got a lot more clicks, more comments, questions and that lead to more
sales.
What makes you interesting? Think
about each post as a potential conversation, and when you get a
click...you’re being a good conversationalist. Handmade small business
owners are interesting. What makes you interesting? Think about that
every time you post. This works to attract bloggers and fans who might
decide to share what you posted! That is the definition of viral
activity! Be so interesting that everybody wants to share what you have
to say. It all links back to your page!
Think like a customer: As a customer, I am more likely to click and see
your link if you tell me something I didn’t know before. I am more
likely to find you interesting and want to know more. I am more likely
to become your customer because you’re not selling to me, you’re
inviting me to learn more about something I’m interested in. You are an
expert! Be interesting! It sounds a little touchy-feely, but it works.
Just watch your stats to see it working!
What to watch for: Spikes in traffic can indicate that somebody on the internet has linked into your shop or page! That is exciting!
READER CONTRIBUTION: Carrie Foster of Frawgz Dezignz submitted this example of her Craft Cafe Stats page, which shows the direct correlation between her facebook fan page posts and the traffic into her Craft Cafe shop.
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| Etsy Stats from M Design Boutique on Etsy |
Here is an example from my Etsy shop stats. Last June there was a major spike in traffic to one of my listings. I was in the midst of my busiest season for filling orders, so I didn't look till later to see why. I ended up figuring out that a VERY beloved website "Regretsy" listed one of my products in a post they made. Look at that traffic! Without looking at stats, I would never have known why so many clicks happened all at once. Especially since I don't promote my Etsy shop on my social network sites.
Notice also that I get a good amount of clicks coming from other places where my products are showing up in search queries. I'll talk about it in another post, but well-written KEY WORDS, TITLES and DESCRIPTIONS all help with those rankings and click-throughs.
This is a good time to stop, breath and go brave those stats. You're armed with some basics...and before you know it you'll be excited every week or day or month...to go see what your stats have to offer you.
Thanks for taking the time to read! Watch next month for Tip #3: Ask Yourself The Hard Questions
Please do leave comments and questions here! I will be sure to respond to everyone. I know that many of you are experts. I welcome your input, as I am speaking only from my experience. What works for one works for many. Increase the expertise! Add your advice to the discussion!
Thanks!
Melissa Machowski
Owner, Designer, Maker at Spoiled Cowgirl by MDB,
M Design Boutique, MDB Weddings and Events and
Spoiled Cowgirl by MDB at Craft Cafe
Why listen to my advice?
I believe in getting perspectives from all over the place. I have
learned from other people succeeding at what I am trying to do. I’ve
tried a lot, read a lot, failed a lot, and ultimately found some real
success at running an online handmade business. My lessons learned can
be yours too...at least, I hope so! ----> next tip coming in one month! Follow Craft Cafe and Spoiled Cowgirl to get the announcement!
