Andrew Robinson begs to differ. Robinson, director of international services for marketing services provider Lyris, says there are obvious metrics that most emailers are not even considering. Oops! “The real screamer is short visits to a Web site,” he explains. “Once people click through, if they spend less than two seconds on the site and then move away, then that’s a short visit.” Short visits are bad news.
Short visits mean the email campaign is doing its job of generating interest, but the website is mucking it up. Robinson says this phenomenon happens when there is a disconnect between the people creating the e-mails and the people creating the Web site. Sometimes they just don’t see eye-to-eye and they don’t even know it.
Prospects feel that disconnect—and then that’s just what they do. When the website doesn’t live up to the expectations established by the email, short visits result. The opportunity is blown.
Like everything we do in direct marketing, companies should measure their email marketing program’s performance based on business goals, Robinson insists. “Test for particular goals. [When] people…make a purchase, or download a whitepaper or download an application or whatever goals you have, you need those goals reported on your e-mail campaign.” But when they are with you for less than 2 seconds, you need to know that statistic as well. It’s not good news, for sure, but it’s a learning opportunity.
Put the champagne away for another day. Go back to the basics. Test. Analyze. Measure.
That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
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