As technology continues to advance and enables us to better understand the world around us, data is playing an increasingly important role in our lives. Today, leading organizations painstakingly collect, analyze and utilize information for various processes, products and services to make them more valuable to end users and to increase their marketing effectiveness. This has been especially true in the business world with “performance improvement” programs and in the medical profession with “evidence-based medicine” and “proven best practices.” Consumer products industry giant Procter & Gamble has made an art out of the science of using information to continuously refine and improve their messaging and creative approaches for their highly segmented target audiences.
If Content is King, Data is the Kingmaker
While somewhat of a new concept in the senior living industry, integrated marketing and data-based messaging (or content) strategy have become increasingly important as a result of the competitive nature of the marketplace and the burgeoning number of communications channels being used today by both prospective clients and their tech savvy adult children. Online marketing and social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and mobile device applications have added to the complexity of planning and executing a cohesive, cost-effective strategy and upped the stakes for doing it right and achieving the best possible results. This is where data analysis can be a game changer for your community in driving the most effective and cost-efficient messages to your prospective customers .
Alex Boyce, a multiple Web Health Awards winner and Director of Technology and Online Marketing for SageAge Strategies, says, “Measuring your website and online performance on a regular, ongoing basis is very important to the success of your community’s marketing strategy. The performance data available provides an ideal source for analyzing your results and sharpening your strategy to optimize conversions and turn potential prospects into sales. And there is no shortage of relevant data.”
The Key Performance Measures You Should Be Monitoring
According to Jacey Gulden, author of the article, “The 9 Website Performance Metrics That Matter,” “Even a few months is enough time for your website to become ineffective, meaning you could be losing out on conversions and potential customers.” In her article, Ms. Gulden references a summary of ways to measure your website marketing performance, all of which, she says, you should be analyzing on a monthly or bi-monthly basis.
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Unique Visitor Traffic – The number of individual visitors to your site during a specific period. Are you seeing an upward trend?
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Repeat Visitors – The percentage of visitors who return to your site; 15 percent is considered a healthy rate.
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Bounce Rate –The percentage of visitors who leave your site quickly with no interactions. Are you providing content that is of value to them?
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Direct Traffic – The audience who accesses your website directly by typing your URL into their browser, using a bookmark, or clicking on an untagged link in an email or document. A high rate means you are providing valuable content.
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Organic Traffic – Traffic arriving through search results via a search engine, e.g.Google or Bing. Ideally, 40-50 percent of your total traffic should be organic.
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Organic Search Conversion Rates – The percentage of prospects who arrive at your website through an organic search and convert by taking a desired action. You should aim to convert between 11 and 20 percent of your organic traffic.
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Landing Page Conversion – The percentage of prospects who arrive at a landing page and convert by completing a desired task such as completing an appointment form .
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Keyword Performance – The relevant keywords that attract organic traffic to your site.
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Inbound Links – Links from sources other than search engines that lead directly to your website.
Alex Boyce adds, “Your website provides a gold mine of information that can be analyzed and re-tooled to make sure your online presence uses the right strategies and the right content to attract more web visitors, engage them and turn them into prospective residents.”
Expert Help is Available
If you are a senior living community considering the need for assistance in gathering and utilizing data to increase sales through a fully optimized website and online marketing strategy, we encourage you to contact us for more information. SageAge Strategies is an award-winning strategic growth and consulting organization that operates exclusively in the senior living market and was recently named to INC. Magazine’s list of fastest-growing companies in America. For more information, please call or e-mail Adrienne Mansfield Straub at 570-601-1720 / adrienne@sageagestrategies.com. You can also visit us on our website at https://www.sageage.com/.