The reason why so many people focus on marketing ROI is because that IS the most important factor. Let’s face it if you spend money and you do not generate any business (conversions, leads, sales, etc.) then what good is it? Yes, I think that other things are important (building a brand, learning how to improve content, usability, etc.) but with building new business, there will not be any additional budget to test and build an online presence. So there is a balance of shorter term business and longer term ROI, it is different for every business…this is why I always recommend a diversified approach to marketing so it can build (while getting a great ROI) as well…

Thanks again for reading and your comment!
Nick

Selling online is generally only a small function of a website and yet it is all that most businesses seem to care or look at.

How about using the information gathered about product interaction online to help in determining product mix in store. Do customers enquire or view the same products online as they do in store. If not then why?

By monitoring what customers browse on your website you can gain insight into emerging trends.

How about using the site for feedback on a new product. Before sinking large amounts of money into a new product in store(s) you can monitor the feedback from it online and possibly avoid an expensive flop.

IMO if you track your information over time you will see the benefits of your online presence and when I say tracking information I mean doing a comparison analysis of online statistics with in store statistics. E.g Traffic to the website vs traffic in store etc.

What is this information worth? A lot more than just sales, that’s for sure.

Your website is more than just a sales channel but while business look at it for purely online sales I think they are missing the true understanding of what online represents.

Cheers!

2) Open a bit.ly (or similar) account so you can see what links you’re publishing (even to sites other than your own) are generating clicks (read: interest).

3) Read “What Sticks” by Briggs and Stuart. In short, marketing should and can be measured like every other biz discipline. (BTW, I have a chapter by chapter summary on my website for those who are curious.)

4) Personally, I wouldn’t put too much faith in “Simply Asking.” Sure it won’t hurt but the fact is most people’s recall is average at best. The better question would be to ask *why* they contacted you. Improving your message distribution mix is meaningless if your presumption about motivation is off target.