Measuring Nonprofit Website Conversions - Pt Two

If you're losing it, just hold on,
Google Analytics will make it better

In Part One of this blog we discussed three website metrics, two of which lead to conversions, which is by far the most important measurement to track.

Author Avinash Kaushik of Web Metrics 2.0 says that there is no metric more deserving of our love and attention then conversions. And it is no wonder, because if we are having conversions, that means we are achieving results.

According to the Web Metrics graduate course at West Virginia University, a conversion is the number of times a desired outcome was accomplished or as David Harstein, with Wired Impact explains, it is simply the successful completion of a website goal.

Sayf Sharif with Google Analytics, writes that there are so many things nonprofits can do to track and improve their conversions. He stresses that Analytics can be scary, but once you jump in, it actually becomes easier. He says, “Don’t panic. Don’t worry. It’s honestly not painful.”

I actually like Sharif’s comment, when is says working with Analytics is like ripping off a Band-Aid. He gives easy to follow step by step instructions on how to sign up and use Google Analytics. Check out his online article at How a Nonprofit Can Best Use Google Analytics.

During a podcast interview, Yesenia Sotelo of Smart Cause Digital, exclaimed that conversions are the only reasons for a website to exist. She explains that nonprofits can track conversions like a visitor who becomes a donor or a donor who becomes an advocate. When asked how a nonprofit can convert visitors, she said they need to keep it simple. The best way to convert a visitor, she continues, is to focus on one conversion that is an easy sale – like having an easy to fill out on line form,or  like signing up for a newsletter. The form can take a website visitor and move them in a certain direction – the first step is to guide a visitor along the process and build a relationship. Eventually, from the newsletter, they can be converted into a volunteer or donor.

Another important factor is the content. Engaging web content that can motivate a visitor and compel them to take action is a critical element of a successful website. It is also one of the hardest things to accomplish and measure. Sotelo stresses the importance of creating a catchy headline that gives the visitor a reason to engage with your website. You can listen to her full podcast interview at Nonprofit websites that convert: Q & A with Yesenia Sotelo.

Kaushik states in his book that measuring engagement is near impossible. He says we all want websites that are engaging. However, web Analytics cannot measure qualitative data, it can only measure the degree, but not the kind of engagement a visitor had on a website. In other words, it can measure how much time was spent on a page, but not if that time was spent with them getting aggravated because they couldn’t find something or if that time was spent with them enjoying what they are reading. Using conversions can help track a certain degree of engagement; like time spent on the site, or if someone was registering, subscribing to a newsletter, or making a donation.

So, when Sharif said Analytics was like ripping off a Band-Aid, he should add, that it often comes with an “Ouch”, especially when measuring engagement, but then, that is a topic for another blog.