How do users find your website?
In a recent US report, respected research company Forester highlighted the mix of web tools and methods increasingly used to find a website.
Forester asked users the question
Search engine like Google still dominate results
Search engines top the list with 61% of respondents agreeing but interestingly this is lower than the 83% recorded 6 years ago.
Typing the web address/URL is the 2nd most popular but clearly, this would be more relevant for popular B2C brands.
Website links, word of mouth, print , TV & news story have significantly declined whereas newer areas like social networking (e.g. Facebook), blogs, Twitter & online forums / discussion groups have grown.
Key learning for companies big & small
- has your website been search engine optimised to ensure good Google rankings?
- is your web address memorable and displayed on all your communication materials?
- do you have an email marketing strategy
- do you make it easy for email recipients to share the email with their friends and family
- do you have a strategy to get inbound links to your website?
- do you have a social media strategy including Facebook, blogs & Twitter whenever appropriate?
- do you carry out web analytics to track your web visitor sources to identify what’s working and what isn’t?
