Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
probably the best-known segment and the easiest to create is First-time Visitor
resistance, but do not be fooled by its simplicity. it's quite handy because you can
make sure that you look at a given metric in the right perspective. Assume that you
look at the billing step in your sales funnel and the average amount of time spent
on that page as part of an optimization process. We have two very different results
when viewing this from two different segments, as you can see in Figure 12.18 and
Figure 12.19 using yahoo! Web Analytics filters.
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Figure 12.18
First-time visitor segmented report on average time spent on billing step
Figure 12.19
Returning visitor segmented report on average time spent on billing step
this is just one metric, where common sense concludes that first-time visitors
are slower than returning visitors in filling out a form. in this case we see a 40 percent
difference between the two segments. Any of the other metrics that you would use for
optimization are likely to fluctuate just as much when looking at different segments.
Another segment worth mentioning is the one where you try to compare the
form resistance impact (deleting fields) to the addition of sales information to the form.
create a segment of visitors who come directly to the site and have more than five
visits, and use this as a control group. this segment is likely to be committed to your
brand and will need little sales reinforcement. Use the opposite group for optimization
impact analysis, so that it becomes clear if you do need more sales information on your
form and if you are applying the right information.
