Meauring Web Site Effectiveness

The success of a web site cannot be accurately measured simply in
the number of visits it receives or how well it ranks in search
engines. Visitor numbers only give a rough idea of how well a site
is truly performing. The percentage of web site visitors who make
a purchase reveals a rate of conversion which may be a better indicator
of a web site’s performance, but this still leaves many gaps in
our understanding of a web site’s functionality and effectiveness.
Search engine rankings can tell us how well a web site has been
marketed but they tell us nothing of how well a marketing message
is received or how a business is perceived by the general online
public.

I have developed a measurement system which addresses the
voids left as a result of relying solely on popular web metrics
such as visitor numbers, search rankings and conversion rates to
provide an accurate representation of a web site’s overall performance.
T.R.A.C.E VALUE  takes a holistic view of web site performance,
combines popular web metrics, emerging analytical trends, traditional
marketing measurements, web site functionality, programming, design,
composition and accessibility concerns and provides a detailed and
insightful view of a web site’s true effectiveness.

As a tool for pinpointing a web site’s weaknesses T.R.A.C.E VALUE
is invaluable, as a method of offering solutions it is absolutely
unequaled. T.R.A.C.E VALUE can be used to modify and enhance existing
online marketing efforts, increase online conversion rates, address
issues of web site functionality, improve search engine rankings,
improve web site information structure, monitor and improve online
perception and reputation, monitor the effectiveness of marketing
efforts, improve site content relevance and provide detailed benchmarks
for future sight improvements.

Listed below are the individual elements which combine to create
the T.R.A.C.E VALUE . This list is provided to offer a general
overview of the T.R.A.C.E VALUE ™ web site measurement system and
by no means is a complete representation of the many variables involved
in the whole measurement process.

Trust

How is a web site measured in terms of trust? A link from one web
site to another of similar content may be considered a vote of confidence.
A link from a web site which enjoys some authority on a particular
topic to another site may be considered an even more significant
vote of confidence. The sheer number of links pointing to a web
site can also be seen as passing trust online as long as those links
are deemed relevant. Web site content can also be used to instill
trust, guarantees of service, security, refund and privacy policies
can all be used to generate trust from online visitors. The age
of a web site can also be considered when determining the trust-worthiness
of a web site. Accessibility may also be thought of as a feature
which generates trust, a site which addresses issues of accessibility
may receive a slight bonus in terms of how it is perceived by the
public and vicariously by search engines.

Relevance
A web site with a theme of relevance, a unifying trend which connects
one page to the next, one web site element with another can be considered
relevant to it’s own content. A page title which matches or closely
matches a page name or heading or perhaps the name of an image creates
a theme or a recurring pattern which helps to raise the level of
a web site’s relevance to any particular topic. Relevance also exists
in off-site areas as well. How relevant are back links to a web
site? How relevant are references to a web site in social media
channels? How well matched are any online advertising content to
the main content of a web site?

Authority / Accessibility /

Authority refers to how well established the site is compared to
others, how relevant and important the site’s content is considered
by both web users and search algorithms combined.<br>

Accessibility is concerned with both technological issues connected
with web design and the availability of the web site to the widest
possible audience including those with disabilities and special
technological needs.

Usability is concerned with the basic functionality of a web site.
Does the site perform well with a variety of browsers and operating
systems? Do on page scripts function flawlessly or do they sometimes
cause errors? Are all web site links active or are there missing
pages? Does the site load quickly and easily? Are various screen
resolutions catered to? Does the basic navigation of the site make
sense or is it difficult to understand? Perhaps most importantly,
does the site function for the largest possible audience?

Composition
The composition of a web site involves the design and programming
of a web site but it also considers the main message or purpose
of the web site and how scripting, design and programming issues
may interfere with that the fulfillment of that purpose. Do various
design elements of the site support or detract from the overall
message of the site? Is the main message of the site supported or
hindered by the technology behind the web site? Are action points
clearly defined and mapped out for the web site? Does the overall
composition of the site support the desired outcome of the online
presence?

Exposure
Exposure is concerned with the number of references and links to
a web site, the site’s existing search engine rankings; the number
of pages within a web site and there relevance to the overall theme
or content of the site. These elements combine to for the exposure
level of a web site. Exposure can be considered as part of a web
site’s marketing effectiveness, the strength, value and results
of present online marketing efforts.

After an analysis of the five major areas of research involved in
the T.R.A.C.E VALUE  a rating can be applied to each element.

Values are measured on a scale from 1 to 10 for each element. Giving us
a maximum overall score of 50 and a minimum score of 0.

So how does your website measure up?