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70 August 2014 | beautystorebusiness.com CUSTOMERS FIRST Before you can perform an effective rede- sign, you need to find out how people are currently interacting with your site. To do so you must utilize technology called "Web analytics"—essentially, software that can track just about every action your visitors make. "From a marketing standpoint, Web analytics is probably one of the most useful tools retailers have in running their businesses," says Andre Kasberger, an Internet consultant and founder of Suncoast Internet Marketing Masterminds (suncoastimm.com) in Sara- sota, Florida. "It allows you to measure and track actions in ways never before available." Such as? "Web Analytics can answer important questions about cus- tomer behavior," says Kasberger. "Some examples are: How many people came to your site? Where did they originate? What device did they use? What pages did they view, and how long did they stay? What items did they look at? The answers to those questions can help you fine-tune your site to make more sales." Pay special attention to visitor behav- ior in the initial moments of interaction. "Remember that you have about eight seconds or less to get your visitor's attention—and when you do you want to encourage the visitor to stay with you," says Kasberger. That's where analytics really shines: It shows you the actions visitors are taking when they first land on your site. In addition, notes Kasberger, Web analytics can provide you with important demographics about people who follow you on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Because people make personal information available on those sites, you can build a useful profile of your ideal customer. INTERNET ACTIVITY Web analytics have become more impor- tant as the Internet has become a more vital part of the retailer experience. "You need to look at your own store in the context of the overall retail transforma- tion," says Andrew Warren-Payne, senior research analyst at Econsultancy.com. "Twenty years ago the Internet did not exist. Now, 24% of all retail spending is done online. This will only keep growing." The upshot: Retailers need to analyze their customers' Internet behavior. The mobile revolution has made dynamic websites even more critical to success. "The land- scape is shifting quickly," says Warren- Payne. "Now everyone has a smartphone. Your competitor is not located on the next street or in the next town—but in your customer's pocket." You need to make sure your Web presence satisfies the needs of the mobile customers and draws them to your store. You need to use Web analytics even if you do not sell directly online, adds Warren-Payne. "People will still be going to your website to find out what you have on your shelves, your store location and hours." Just finding out what merchandise visitors search for on your site can give you powerful insights into fine-tuning your in-store selection and reforming displays. Once you track how customers behave on your site, you will be better able to meet their needs when they arrive at your store. GET FOCUSED So how do you get started? When it comes to selecting Web analytics soft- ware, most experts caution against over-shopping. Most of the available tools will provide similar customer data. "You want to start measuring and col- lecting data as soon as you can so you can get to decision-making," says Chris Leone, chief operations officer of Webstrategies (webstrategiesinc.com), a Richmond, Virginia-based consulting firm. So select one tool rather early and get to know it inside and out. That one tool in the minds of most consultants is Google Analytics, described by Leone as "the best free tool available." (For more information: google.com/analytics). If installing the sof t ware is fairly straightforward, the more difficult task is deciding how to manage the cascade of data you'll soon be looking at. The secret to avoiding getting overwhelmed, says Leone, is to focus your efforts on meeting specific business challenges. That will also save you from spending time and money chasing data that will not really help you. For example, "vanity metrics" such as "total traffic to your site" might sound great but really mean nothing when divorced from an analy- sis of the buying patterns of different demographic groups. www.MalibuC.com | 1.800.622.7332 PRESCRIPTIVE WELLNESS TREATMENTS HAIR SCALP SKIN 100% vegan gluten sulfates parabens propylene glycol DEA FREE OF: Normal & Dry Skin Hydrate Exfoliators Masques Tattoos wellness solutions wellness solutions wellness solutions Sensitive Skin Acne wellness solutions ink well wellness solutions ness solutions malibu C ¨ Color Hard Water Blondes Swimmers Hair Repair Scalp I s Y o u r W e b s i t e P u l l i n g i t s L o a d ? . i n d d 7 0 Is Your Website Pulling its Load?.indd 70 6 / 2 6 / 1 4 4 : 4 6 P M 6/26/14 4:46 PM