Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
the form presented in Figure 12.1 is not, well, optimal. that was very polite,
wasn't it?
so let's assume that you've finished basic usability testing. then you might ask,
“What do i need web analytics for?” Because the data you retrieve from your web
analytics application, such as yahoo! Web Analytics, truly represents your customers,
whereas usability studies give you only a model of what customers might do, and the
problems they might run into, on your site. Web analytics data is valuable because you
have the opportunity to work with data on a granular level, both up- and downstream
from the form itself.
Web analytics allow you to answer questions such as these:
d
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id people get all their questions answered before they completed the form?
•
d
id the form arrive at an expected point in the process for the customer?
W
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hat information is missing from the form?
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H
ow do different visitor segments behave, such as first-time visitors versus
returning visitors or paid-for and non-paid-for visitors?
i
306
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s the number of fields on the form itself appropriate?
Analyzing the form, while helpful, doesn't tell you how to take on the bigger
issue of funnel abandonment, which is typically your first optimization angle. We'll
turn to that next.
Using Funnels in Form Optimization
Along with paid search optimization projects, landing page optimization proj-
ects, and organic search optimization projects, more often than not most organizations
include some sort of funnel optimization. Funnel optimization can be anything from the
last steps in an e-commerce funnel, as shown in Figure 12.2, to usability studies on how
many steps are needed all in all. Funnel optimization projects are used on many govern-
mental form-based sites or lead-generating sites, such as in finance and insurance.
Why am i talking about funnel optimization? Because most funnel steps consist
of an information retrieval form, and for us to be able to decide which form to opti-
mize and why, we must understand our funnel.
Figure 12.2
A traditional e-commerce sales funnel