By Owen Simpson.
Developing content that is relevant to your specific market is vital for any business to thrive, but this isn’t something that simply happens by chance. Using data to analyse what content your user is looking for, and what journey is going to help them convert is essential; and will help you to build a smooth user experience and easy-to-navigate website for your customers. contribute to a diverse background and understanding regarding value and the value exchange.
With the rise of smartphones and tablets, we know that customers are now accessing businesses websites in many different ways. Long gone are the days of sitting at a desktop computer to use the internet, and the truth is; customers are more likely to view sites on their mobile on the bus home than sat at a desk in their bedroom.
But do you know how your users are viewing your site?
Create content that works for your customers’ device
Using a simple tool like Google Analytics can show you what device your customers are using to view your site. If the majority of your users are viewing on mobile, then it is important to optimise your site for smartphones. Consider if you have too much content on the pages for mobiles users, and if so – ask yourself how this can be broken down in a way that’s more easily digestible to your audience.
In addition, it’s worth also considering the type of device, the screen size and operating system as different websites will work differently on each device - and your data will tell you this. For example, if your analytics software shows high bounce rates or low time on site for mobile users, then it is important to evaluate why this is happening. Be sure that your preferred user journey is tailored to the device they are using.
Paying close attention to search behaviour will help you understand why customers are coming to your site. These insights should be used to tailor your content. Do your users engage better with long form content, guide content or simply content that’s straight to the point? Utilise tools such as Google Search Console and Google Analytics engagement metrics to monitor this and make relevant iterations.
Authoritative content is key, so when creating content remember key Expertise, Authority & Trust principles - your users want to know you’re experts and have confidence in your brand, so show and demonstrate this at every opportunity. This holistic content creation would not only drive traffic, it would also encourage users to stay on site, research the topic and convert. Search data is easily found in your PPC or SEO software and is invaluable to developing your content plan.
Heatmap the customer journey for key insights
Heat Mapping allows you to see how your users are interacting with your content, enabling you to create a smooth user journey across the site. If a heatmap demonstrates that users aren’t engaging with certain content, but are with others, then maybe it is time to make some changes. For instance, if users are engaging with landing pages that include case studies or testimonials, but there is little to no interaction with pages without case studies, it might be an idea to make case studies a fixture on all pages.
Heatmaps also allow you to follow the conversion journeys of your customers. The data will help you to understand which touchpoints they are visiting prior to conversion and can help you to streamline your pages. Don't be afraid to lose some of the unused content either – dropping irrelevant banners and flashy images will help you to create a more focused journey; encouraging users to fulfil your end goal, whether that be to fill a lead form or watch a video.
Watch out for channel information
In order to tailor onsite content to your users, it is important to pay attention to the channel that has driven each visit. It’s easy to overlook exactly what journey a user has taken in order to land on your webpage, and this data can be really insightful when building a user journey. For example, if a user has been driven from a PPC campaign, then it is likely they are already actively searching for the brand (or your services) and have shown intent in this research. These users will be more likely to convert. Your task now is to create a landing page which balances information nicely with CTAs that both inform the user and encourage them to convert by giving them just enough information and encouragement to do so.
Organic users, however, are often more likely to be in a research based phase, and may remain on site for longer in order to gather more information. These users will often be more likely to engage with a content heavy landing page with FAQ’s, case studies and downloadable resources; which will give them the information they need before progressing to the next stage of converting.
Data can be used for off-site targeting too. Using social media pixels can help you create another touchpoint with your customers. For example; you might choose to show a brand awareness ad to those who have visited the site, but not converted. The trick is to make this content interesting and memorable, and by showing the ads multiple times (with refreshed creative so as not to dilute the message) you’ll be able to create stronger brand awareness and encourage customers to return to your site and complete the journey.
Remember – data analysis should be enjoyable!
There is such a wealth of accessible, free data out there that can make huge differences to your campaign results. By analysing and interpreting the data, you can learn so much more about your customers and how to target content that specifically suits them. And remember – don’t be scared of data, embrace it and spend the time to learn what it can do for your business. That’s the fun part!
About the Author
Owen Simpson is the Head of Performance of Digital Marketing at Patient Claim Line, the medical negligence specialists owned and operated by award-winning UK law firm Fletchers Solicitors. Established in Southport in 1987, Fletchers Solicitors is the largest medical negligence and personal injury practice in the UK and currently deals with 1 in 10 of all medical negligence claims in England and Wales. A qualified CAM digital marketer. Owen has 10 years’ experience in digital marketing and has led multi-million-pound campaigns and is an expert on multi-channel marketing. He is passionate about data and the role it plays in defining marketing strategy and influencing results, specifically customer behaviour both online and offline.
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