Letting Data Drive the Decisions

As a digital marketing consultant, I rely heavily on clickstream analysis tools, like Google Analytics, to gain actionable insight for my clients.

Data from these reports allows me to review which channels, devices, and campaigns are driving new leads, and where to best allocate time and marketing budget. While Google Analytics isn’t the only tool available for tracking your marketing campaigns, I’m partial to it as it’s free and easy to install and configure.

Here are five reports and tool features you can use to assist you in making data driven decisions.

1. Channels

The Channels report provides you with a high-level overview of which online marketing channels are leading to new visitors and leads.

Here’s an overview of a few different channels that can be used to evaluate the performance of your marketing campaigns in Google Analytics:

Direct

These visits are logged anytime a visitor types the exact URL of a page on your website into their browser, or uses a bookmark to access your site. Direct visits can assist you in measuring the overall popularity and awareness of your brand. These visitors are already familiar with your business.

How it’s actionable:

This report is great for evaluating how various marketing campaigns are leading to brand awareness (e.g. did you pay for a radio spot that mentions your homepage URL? Do you have a billboard? Did you send out a flyer?) Measure both online and offline campaign performance by adding an annotation in Google Analytics. Learn more about direct traffic here.

Organic Search

These are visitors that have found your business via a search engine including Google, Yahoo, Bing, AOL or Ask.

How it’s actionable:

Use this report to analyze what pages are receiving organic search traffic and leading to new estimate requests or calls. This report can help you understand how your search engine optimization efforts are improving your business’ visibility and bottom line in organic search. Don’t forget to associate your Google Search Console account so you can view the queries (keywords) that are leading to new organic sessions.

Social
These visitors have come to your site via a social channel including Facebook, Houzz, Yelp, Google+ and more.

How it’s actionable:

While there are many metrics you can use to help evaluate how well your social media marketing strategy is working, one that I find valuable is how many people are clicking through back to your website. Using this metric as a KPI, helps me understand if we’re reaching the right audience and if our sharing and engagement is leading to visits back to our website.  Using this report can help you understand where you should be spending your time on social media.

Referral

These visitors have accessed your site via a link on a 3^rd party website or blog.

How it’s actionable:

Who is sending you qualified traffic? Have you run an ad, published a guest post, actively contribute to a forum, or have a partner or affiliate that’s linking back to your website? The referral report will help you understand which advertising efforts and relationships are bringing in new leads and sales.

Paid Search

This report shows you how your paid ads on Google AdWords, Bing Ads or other paid search providers are leading to new visitors and goal completions. If you’re running a Google AdWords campaign, make sure your Google Analytics and Google AdWords accounts are linked.

How it’s actionable:

What type of experience are your landing pages providing? Is the traffic converting? If so, from what keywords? Is your PPC campaign acting as a touch point in your customer’s online journey to purchase? Use this report to find out.

2. Goal Completions

Increasing traffic is only half the battle. Increasing traffic that converts is how you win the war. Tracking all desired visitor actions like estimate requests via form completions, downloads, phone calls, etc. is vital for understanding how well your digital marketing campaigns are working.

To track these interactions I set up a goal, which allows me see who’s converting and from what channels. To track phone calls, Congruent Digital uses CallRail, a dynamic call tracking solution that easily integrates with Google Analytics.

3. Mobile

With mobile searches surpassing desktop searches in Google last year, having a website that’s optimized for mobile visitors is essential. In a recent Google Performance Summit, AdWords execs shared some surprising statistics including:

• There are now trillions of searches on Google.com and over half of those searches happen on smartphones
• Nearly one third of all mobile searches on Google are related to location

In Google Analytics, view your mobile visits by either using the left navigation option and selecting Audience > Mobile > Overview or use the advanced segment option to filter for mobile visitors only. When viewing these reports, questions to ask are:

• How does the time on site, bounce rate, and goal completions compare with desktop visitors?
• Is contacting us easy on mobile devices (do you have a click-to-call feature?)
• Are your forms mobile friendly?

Google just updated their existing mobile ranking algorithm which is supposed to provide an additional rankings boost to websites that are mobile friendly.

Not sure if your website is mobile friendly? Try Google’s free Mobile Friendly Test tool here. You can also use the free tool Screenfly to see how your website appears across multiple devices.

4. Location

Understanding how to segment and filter your data by location can make it more insightful. While not a hard and fast rule, typically traffic from outside of your service area won’t convert and can skew important metrics in your Google Analytics reports.

Also, getting tons of traffic from a blog post is great, but if it’s not coming from your local service area, in my experience chances are slim it will lead to new business.

Tip: set up an advanced segment or filter to help you understand which channels are leading to new visitors from the cities and towns from your service area. Make sure you are localizing your landing pages so that you’re sending clear signals to search engines about the cities and towns that you serve.

5. Landing Pages

Channels aside, regardless of how a potential customer finds you online, the experience your landing pages provide is crucial to acquiring new leads. A landing page is defined by Google Analytics as the first page a visitor views during a session – also known as the entrance page. If your website’s landing pages are providing a poor visitor experience, you’ll be wasting money paying for advertising and marketing services.

You can find the Landing Pages report by navigating to Behavior > Site Content > Landing Pages. Important metrics to look at when evaluating the experience you’re providing visitors are:

• Bounce Rate: Bounce rate is defined as a session that only visits one page. A high bounce rate, a low session duration, and no goal completions can all be red flags
• Avg. Session Duration: this metric is defined as the total duration of all sessions (in seconds) / number of sessions. If you’re avg. session duration is low, it could indicate visitors aren’t quickly finding the information they are looking for
• Goal Completions: a goal is any desired visitor interaction. While the online path to purchase can often span multiple sessions as your customers do research, if you’re doing a good job of explaining who you are, what you do, and why you’re a better solution than your competitors, eventually potential customers will want to talk.

Wrapping it Up

Whew, that’s a lot and I’ve only scratched the surface of the reports and features available in this powerful tool. Having data that’s actionable is worth its weight in gold.

If you have questions about implementing anything I’ve mentioned, or would like to learn more about Congruent Digital’s online marketing services, you can email me here. I look forward to learning more about your business!

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Brian Jensen

Brian Jensen is the CEO at Congruent Digital, a full-service online marketing agency that provides clients with a data-driven approach to search engine optimization, social media, content marketing and pay-per-click advertising.

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Give Your Garden A Makeover This Summer

Refresh Your Garden This Summer As we continue to enjoy the sunshine, we get to spend more time outside and when the outside of our home isn’t up to scratch, it can cast some shade on your outdoor entertaining. To help you make the best of the exterior of our home, here are some tips …

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Stay Put Drops

300% more slip resistant than 8oz canvas, the Stay Put™ Canvas by Trimaco gives you slip-resistant protection that stays put. The drop consists of two layers—absorbent canvas and a durable non-slip backing. Use the canvas side up to keep tracking to a minimum. Protect your jobsite with the Stay Put™ Canvas.

From the Trimaco Website

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Titan Coating Smartphone App

Now Available: Titan Coating Connector Smartphone App

Quick answers for Busy Professionals

MINNEAPOLIS — June 2, 2016 — Titan™ has launched the Titan Coating Connector, a new free smartphone application for iOS and Android devices. Created for busy paint contractors and professional paint retailer associates, the app makes it possible to access volumes of sprayer and coating information in a matter of seconds, whether on the job site, in the store, or on the fly.

Paint contractors can use the app to quickly and conveniently access helpful information:

• Get recommendations for airless and HVLP sprayers based on coatings used and frequency of spraying. Answer five simple questions and the app displays the top three recommended sprayers. Drop-down menus present product information and specifications, which can be sent via text or email for future reference.
• Check the compatibility of a sprayer with any coating by simply entering the Titan sprayer model, how many guns are being connected to it, and the coating being used.
• Quickly access Titan product information pages and text or email them directly from the app.
• Access Titan product service manuals, recommended accessories, product catalogs, and coupons and promotions directly from the app.
• A direct dial feature enables calling Titan Technical Service directly from the app.

Professional paint retail associates will also find the app is a useful sales tool. Based on customers’ specific needs, it can be used to quickly look up recommend sprayers and accessories. It can also be used to check coating/sprayer compatibility, and get quick access to coupons, promotions and product information.

“At Titan, the professional painter’s experience is at the center of everything we do,” said Mike Collins, channel marketing manager for Titan. “Our new Coating Connector app is just another way we are innovating for contractors and industry professionals, simplifying their jobs and making their work go faster.”

The free application can be downloaded and installed directly from Google Play and iTunes by searching for “Titan Coating Connector,” or via Titan’s website here.

About Titan

As a leader in spraying technology, Titan manufacturers and markets a full line of professional-grade sprayers for applying a variety of coatings. Titan products include airless and air powered paint sprayers, fine finishing sprayers, sprayers for applying texture, roofing and corrosion control and protective coatings, and line stripers for sports fields and asphalt. For nearly half a century, contractors and maintenance professionals have relied on Titan products for world-class, end-to-end solutions that are dependable and easy to use. Visit titantool.com.

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4 Great Interior Painting Patterns

Painting Companies in Ottawa Can Add Dimension to Your Home with These Exciting Patterns

Want to take the appearance of your interior painting to a whole new level? Many Ottawa painting companies are seeing patterns being embraced by homeowners, either as an alternative to solid walls or to complement them. These patterns can be subtle details that add texture and variety to walls, bold contrasts that delight the senses and rebel against convention, or anything in between. If you’re looking for an exciting new way to have your house painted, these patterns are a great place to start!

Start with the Colours

Before you start an interior painting project, it’s essential to pick out your colour scheme, since this will have an incredible impact on the look and feel of the space being painted. When it comes to patterns that potentially combine many colours, this process is even more important and may affect what kind of pattern you settle on. Do you want bright and playful complementary tones, or a stark contrast that truly stands out? Perhaps you want to work with subtle shifts between two shades of the same colour, creating texture and shape.

Once you’ve settled on a colour scheme, it’s time to choose a pattern—here are some of the most popular:

Stripes

They’re classic, they’re playful yet simple, and they’re versatile. While horizontal stripes are the most common choice, especially for the way that they make even the smallest rooms feel wider and more open, vertical stripes can easily find a home anywhere from the dining room to the nursery.

Chevron

A chevron pattern consists of zig-zagging stripes—think of an Easter egg. Because they are evenly spaced and at right angles, it’s best to hire professional Ottawa painting companies to give your walls the chevron treatment, which can range from classy to adventurous (or even both).

Herringbone

Not to be confused with the tile or stitching pattern of the same name, herringbone as a painting pattern is chevron’s even bolder cousin. It’s a pattern of diagonal segments, which can be uniform in colour over a background of another colour, or can come in a variety of colours. Unlike chevron, these diagonals often don’t touch at the joints, and they don’t necessarily have to be even—herringbone is certainly not for the faint of heart!

Ombré

The easiest way to define ombré is as a gradient that slowly transitions from one colour to another, particularly from a dark colour to a light one. This is not an easy interior painting trick to pull off and takes a lot of skill and experience to get it just right, so if you’re planning on adding an ombré look to your home, call the professionals. A painting company in Ottawa would be more than happy to help you achieve the look you want!

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Home Paint

So, it's time to think about selling your home. You have done a lot of living in your house; many pleasant memories exist there. But, perhaps the interior walls of your home have seen better days? You love the way you used a few of your favorite hues to brighten up your home. Maybe your kids have personalized their bedrooms a little too much. Or maybe your home just needs a fresh coat of paint to attract some desirable attention.
When putting your home on the real estate market, especially when the market is sluggish, it is important to make the most of your home's potential. Your home must be clean, inside and out. The interior of the home must show light and bright. The use of color needs to be subtle, yet appealing. Since one's color preference is based mainly on personal taste, using a neutral color palette is the best way to go when preparing your home for a sale.
The appropriate use of paint in your decorating scheme can perk up a dull and lackluster home interior. It can hide defects in the walls and ceiling. Paint can correct a lot of imperfections in the overall appearance of the home. The correct color of paint has the ability to enlarge even the smallest of spaces. The perfect wall color can make larger spaces more appealing, giving the space a feeling of warmth.
The use of white paint throughout your home is a good way to de-personalize the interior of your home and make it appealing to potential buyers. This way they can better visualize their own color palette, fabrics and furniture they have in your space, helping them visualize themselves actually living in your home. In a buyer's market, one must give the seller's choices in color, decorate schemes and tastes in a home preference over their own choices if they intend on selling their home as quickly as possible.
The condition of the exterior paint of your house also leaves a lasting impression on a buyer, especially since the outside is the very first thing they see when viewing a home. Peeling exterior paint, damaged wood, and dirty shingles do not make a very good impression on potential buyers. If the trim on the exterior of your home is worn and the paint has started to peel, a thorough touch-up with paint is needed. To match your current color, simply remove a chip of paint and take it to a hardware or paint store. Try using the leftover paint from your last exterior paint job, mix it up and try it in an inconspicuous area. Or, if it is simply too old, go ahead and get a fresh can of paint made up for a good match. Maybe the best thing to do, depending on the condition of your exterior, is to try a completely new and fresh look.
Does it seem like a lot of work to sell your home? Well, it is a lot of work. But, this type of work can teach you a lot about yourself, your own preference for certain colors and challenge your home improvement skills. And what better way to practice decorating your next home then on your current home. The rewards will only benefit your pocketbook and lessen the time and stress in selling your home in the long run.

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Interior Painters and Fashion

Team Up with Your Residential Painting Company and Colour Your Home for the Summer!

Searching for the right paint can be a painstaking process; do you opt for timeless colours or in-style trends? Should you paint an accent wall, or simply keep your walls all one colour? It’s not just homeowners that can feel the pressure either; even interior painters worry about colour choices, because the colour of your walls can certainly make or break the look of a room. Interior painters often look for colour inspiration from the fashion industry to stay informed on the latest colour trends which, in turn, helps you keep your colours up-to-date and your home looking fresh.

Here are some of the latest colour trends for Summer 2016:

Soft and Warm

Calming colours present an inviting palette that serve as a tribute to nature, capturing the essence of spring and summer and giving the room a sense of tranquility and exploration. Rose and peach shades offer feelings of compassion and friendliness while easing you into a time for relaxation.

Energetic and Serene

Blues maintain a sense of serenity while also promoting a fun and happy vibe, a perfect way to reenergize after a long day at work. Residential painting experts recommend tranquil and airy blues with sea-life inspired energetic blue accents for some contrast. Our experts are also quick to note that these blues pair nicely with the rose and peach shades previously mentioned.

Vibrant and Delicate

Yellow and grey tones mimic the colours of the sun and the clouds—extremely appropriate for the summer! Using a vibrant yellow brings a warm and happy feeling to the room and can also contrast the quieter colours of your home. Grey tones bring a classical feel to any room while offering a distinctive edge when paired with more vibrant and contrasting colours.

If this seems like a lot of information to take in, don’t worry! Interior painters who specialize in residential painting keep up-to-date on all these trends and can offer you fashionable and safe advice when choosing colours for your home. Don’t be afraid to go for bold colour choices. It is easy to tone a room down with versatile room accents whose colours are more toned down. You and your guests will feel the positive and happy vibes of summer all year round with these warm colour choices! Contact an interior painter today and get started on your residential painting project.

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