As you are reading this blog, I can safely assume you have an active interest in marketing and more specifically internet marketing. If you are currently utilising some form of internet marketing or are considering the benefits there is one really important aspect that you should understand and undertake – analytics.

Due to the internet being digital and computerised, internet traffic flow is logged automatically, online marketing is therefore one of the most tangible advertising methods. It only becomes tangible however when you utilise website analytics for both analysis and reporting. Website analytics can provides very high levels of accuracy on the successes or failures of your online marketing campaigns. Using visitor segmentation you can split your visitors into many areas, usually unique to your specific marketing campaigns, the five main traffic sources being:

• Direct – Visitors entering your URL in the address bar.

• Referral – Visitors who came from an external website, not search engines.

• Natural Search – Visitors from natural search engine listings.

• Paid Search – Visitors from sponsored search engine listings.

• Paid Referral – Visitors from sites that you pay for a click through, i.e. as price comparison sites.

Once you have the basic segmentation you are then able to segment further to investigate in greater detail and with the appropriate tracking parameters, monitor and obtain accurate feedback on each of your individual online marketing campaigns. This is essential for you to ensure that you are not only maximising opportunity, but are also receiving good return on your investment.

Once armed with the relevant segmentation and KPI information you are able to make informed and managed decisions about budget allocation and future spend in direct correlation to your actual Return on Investment.