| Here's an easy question: As a restaurant operator, | | | | way. Your software will tell you where they came |
| would you ever hire a new employee and then be | | | | from, so you know what's being said about you and |
| totally clueless about whether that person ever | | | | where. |
| shows up for work? Or, would you take on a new | | | | Or, if you're paying to advertise on other websites, |
| partner and then not monitor if the deal was | | | | you will be able to see for yourself if it's working - |
| working? | | | | and take appropriate action if not! |
| Of course not. | | | | Start For Free |
| So, how come you pay for a website, fork out for | | | | How do you find this stuff? |
| online restaurant marketing and then don't bother to | | | | Most web site hosting companies actually have |
| analyze the outcome or the return on investment? | | | | tracking software pre-installed but don't advertise it, |
| True, time was when businesses resisted getting into | | | | so ask the company, or your webmaster, if it's |
| the numbers and traffic patterns of their sites | | | | available. |
| because it was tough to do and difficult to | | | | Two programs they use frequently are Awstats and |
| understand. But now there are tracking tools - many | | | | Webalizer, but they're not the easiest to understand |
| of them free - that provide valuable, easily-digestible | | | | and their features are limited. |
| information you can use to boost your business. | | | | Other free options that require additional setup |
| And if you understand the impact of your online | | | | include Google Analytics and StatCounter, which is |
| presence, you can communicate better with your | | | | free for low-traffic web sites. |
| customers and ultimately make more profit. | | | | I personally use a combination of Google Analytics |
| Let me explain. | | | | and Mint. Google offers high-level tracking, and, for a |
| Know Where Your Web Site Visitors Come From | | | | mere $30, Mint allows me to see all key statistics on |
| People find your web site in one of three ways: | | | | one page. Plus, it updates in real time. |
| | | | What To Look At First |
| 1. They type your Internet address directly because | | | | After you've chosen a program to track your web |
| they saw it - in an ad, on your packaging or | | | | site traffic, here are some numbers to watch: |
| elsewhere. | | | | - Unique visitor count - the number of different |
| 2. They use Google, Yahoo, MSN or one of the other | | | | people that have looked at the web site |
| search directories and your name turns up. | | | | - Repeat visitor count - number of those people who |
| 3. They click a link to you on another website, | | | | visited again |
| including restaurant directories, review sites, etc. | | | | - Referring web sites - what other web sites are |
| If you know who comes from where, you will also | | | | linking to yours |
| know what works best in delivering visitors to your | | | | - Search phrases - what people are typing into |
| site. | | | | Google, Yahoo and MSN to find your site |
| For instance, if your tracking program shows most | | | | - Entry pages - what visitors first see when they |
| traffic as "typed in" rather than "redirected", this | | | | arrive. (It's not always the homepage!) |
| signals that your web site address promotions - | | | | - Exit pages - the last page a guest saw before |
| in-house and on packaging - have been successful. | | | | leaving your web site. |
| If they come via search engines, your software will | | | | There are others, but start with these - they provide |
| tell you what people were looking for when they | | | | most value when you begin tracking. Then it won't |
| discovered you. Now you can be proactive by writing | | | | be long before you can not only measure the return |
| content that gets listed in search results. | | | | on your Internet investment but also identify how |
| Alternatively, with the popularity of restaurant-review | | | | you can make it pay even more! |
| online communities there's a good chance you're | | | | Now, what did happen to that employee you hired |
| being talked about, with users providing an active link | | | | last week? |
| to your homepage, and visitors have arrived this | | | | |