Statistics are everywhere, whether we’re talking about crime rates going down or high school graduation rates going up. It’s no different when it comes to websites, where we track metrics like page views, conversions, and bounce rates. Although we’d like to believe that we’re savvy about the numbers, we may not be as adept at interpreting them as we think. In his book Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman explains why.

One Mind, Two Systems

Kahneman characterizes our two thinking systems as fictional figures called System 1 and System 2. System 1 operates automatically to quickly generate complex patterns of thought. We use this system when we perceive that one object is farther than another one or when we detect an angry tone of voice. Its capabilities can be innate, such as recognizing objects, while others are learned, such as reading and understanding social situations. Whether they’re inborn or acquired, System 1 thinking requires little or no effort on our part.

In contrast, System 2 thinking is deliberate. This system handles operations that require our attention, and we don’t perform them well if we’re distracted. We use this system when we focus on one person’s voice in a crowded and noisy room or when we search our memory to identify a surprising sound. System 2 thinking involves making choices and deciding what to think or do.

The Division of Labour

Although they function in different ways, they work together to make sense of the world. Both systems are active when we’re awake; System 1 runs automatically while System 2 operates in low-effort mode, using a fraction of its capacity. System 1 generates suggestions based on impressions, intuitions, and feelings. System 2 will usually adopt these suggestions with little or no modification. Most of what we think originates with System 1, but System 2 has the final say. However, when System 1 runs into a situation that doesn’t fit into the model of the world it constructed, System 2 is activated to help by searching our memory to find a story that explains the anomaly.

This division of labour works well most of the time because System 1’s models of familiar situations and short-term predictions tend to be accurate. It’s good at automatically identifying causal connections and events—even when it’s not a solid connection. System 1 suppresses ambiguity and spontaneously constructs stories that are as coherent as possible, and System 2 will generally accept that answer without questioning it. This story construction can work to our disadvantage in considering statistics.

The Wrong Focus

We tend to focus on the story rather than the reliability of statistics. In one example, Kahneman cited a study of kidney cancer rates in 3,141 counties in the US. The counties that had the lowest rates were mostly rural, sparsely populated, traditionally Republican, and located in the Midwest, the South, and the West. If we try to explain this pattern, System 1 brings up facts and associations that support an explanation for System 2. We would probably examine the rural characteristic because we associate it with clean living (access to fresh food and no water or air pollution). This explanation makes more sense than trying to explain the lower rate in terms of political views.

However, the counties that had the highest kidney cancer rates also had the same characteristics (rural, sparsely populated, Republican, same locations). Again, we might focus on the rural lifestyle, which might mean poor access to medical care, a high-fat diet, and too much tobacco. For both situations, we look for a story that explains the cancer rate. We’re so focused on explaining how a rural lifestyle contributes to a lower or higher cancer rate that we miss the fact that these areas are sparsely populated; as Kahneman points out, smaller sample sizes tend to yield extreme results more often. Rather than questioning the validity of the statistics, we skip over that to try to explain the results.

Objective Results

So what does this mean for you? When it comes to your website metrics, do some preparation before you gather data. Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Define your goals. The information you’re looking for will determine which metrics you’ll use. Are you trying to increase conversions? Do you want to make sure that your site is user-friendly? Are you looking for more information about your site visitors?
2. Decide which metrics to use. Before you begin measuring, make sure the metrics will answer your questions. For example, if you want to test the usability of your site, you should consider metrics such as the time taken for a task, the error rate, and the user’s subjective satisfaction.
3. Pick a tool that meets your needs. There are plenty of options out there, so do your research to find the best fit for your goals.
4. Make sure your statistics are reliable. Before you try to explain the statistics, make sure they have a solid basis. Are you looking at the right metrics? Is your sample size big enough? Is it composed of unique site visitors?

Remember that website statistics aren’t necessarily objective because you can interpret them subjectively based on your prior experiences and associations. If it’s your own site, you may be too close to what you’re measuring to analyze it. For example, you may be too invested in a design to objectively evaluate the metrics for the calls-to-action. Bringing in outside help to assess your site’s analytics can help ensure that your metrics are being measured and interpreted properly.

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A blog is like an online opinion column where the author writes about a topic he or she has specialized knowledge about.  It’s generally written by one person and it’s understood that a blog is that person’s own point-of-view.   Blogs are one of the best ways to reach your customers because they contain lots of information.  People like reading them because they take an informal tone while at the same time provide useful information and advice.  What’s even better, blogs tend to rank well on the search engines which improves your SEO and boosts your rankings.  Blogs become an entrance point to your website and are a great gateway for introducing visitors to your company.

2.       Videos

People love watching videos.  If you need proof, just take a look at YouTube.  Millions of viewers watch millions of videos every day.  Videos are a great way for people to learn and a great way for you to attract potential customers to your site.

To use video for lead generation, the first thing you need to do is make a video.  Make your video something instructional that provides useful information to your clients.  The trick with these videos is to make it “useful, but incomplete.”  That way, people feel like they’re learning something, but they still don’t have quite enough information to do it themselves.  The next step in this process is to direct your customers to your website where they will find more informational articles or videos along with information about the product or service you offer.

3.       Quizzes

Quizzes are a fun way to get customers interested in what you have to offer.  To use this technique, create a quiz centered around your product or service.  Make it interactive and relative to your customers.  For example a weight loss company might create a quiz about the nutritional value of certain foods.  After the quiz has been completed, provide advice and information related to the topics covered and make suggestions for how that person can improve.

4.       Forums

Making use of forums in your industry is an excellent way to stay connected with your customer base, to scope out the competition and to generate leads.  Find a popular forum within your industry and create an account.  Right away, join in the discussion, making comments wherever you have something useful to say.  Once in a while (but not too often because people will start to think you’re spamming and you’ll lose credibility) comment about one of your own products and services and link to your website.  Make sure your comments are relevant to the discussion and not just there to give yourself some traffic.

5.       Articles

Writing articles and creating article writing campaigns is a great way to connect with people from all over.  Use a distribution site to send out your articles and they will get picked up by bloggers and article writers all over.  Make sure to include a short bio about yourself at the end of the article and a link to your website.   This way, when readers are finished with the article, they can visit your site for more information and to look at your products and services.

6.       Social Marketing

Social marketing is all the buzz these days.  If you want to get in on the action, choose two or three sites you want to get involved with and then make your presence known.  Before making your decision, be sure to check out the demographics of each site so as to ensure that you are reaching your target audience.  Once you’ve decided on your sites, create a page for yourself and fill it with content related to your business.  Update it regularly with useful content related to your industry and relevant links.  Don’t always direct people to your own website; be sure to include links to other sources as well.  This way you’ll gain credibility and people won’t see you as abusing the system.

Instead of creating a marketing plan and then forcing staff members to fit into that mold, do the opposite.  Allow staff talents to drive the direction of your internet marketing efforts.  Working this way will lead to a more well-rounded campaign that everyone will enjoy doing.

1.       Writing Content

Writing content is fundamental to internet marketing.   For most websites, written content makes up the bulk of the site and the content falls into two categories: informational and sales.  Informational content consists of free information put out on the web.  These articles give advice or tips on how to do something related to your business or industry.  But nowhere should you try to sell your product.  There are other places to sell and this isn’t one of them.  Informational content can include eBooks, articles and blog posts.

The other type of written content is sales.  You’re a business (or an organization or charity or church) and you need a place to tell your customers what you have to offer.  This is the place to do it.  Sales and marketing content should give your customers enough information about your product in order to make a buying decision.  Be sure to include a call to action at the end of the page and let customers know exactly what they should do next.

2.       Design

People who naturally love design are excellent assets to your e-marketing team.  They can make banners, landing pages and create flash videos to put on your site.  Creating different aspects of the site, while keeping with the branding of your company will add flare to your website and help keep customer’s interest in the company and the site.

On the surface, it may not seem like design is an important part of internet marketing, but in fact it is.  Good design that is clean, simple and professional helps with your e-marketing in that it builds credibility for the site.   Design is part of positioning yourself as an expert in your field.  It allows clients to feel comfortable with you and your product and will encourage them to return to your site for more information and eventually to buy your products.

3.       Videos

If you’re lucky enough to have someone on your staff who enjoys making videos you will be able to reach a much larger audience.   Different people have different styles of learning and many people learn best through videos.  Adding instructional or informational videos to your website will provide another kind of content for your customers.

The beauty about videos is that they work overtime for you.  Not only can you post your video directly on your website, but you can also post it on YouTube, where millions of viewers are likely to find you.  At the end of the video make sure to include your URL and direct viewers to your website for more related information.   “How to” and instructional videos are excellent to put on your site because people are always looking for information on the web.   Additionally, you can transcribe the content of the video and publish it as an article or a blog post.  Now when people search for your topic, your transcription will also be indexed, boosting your SEO.

Interruption advertising worked for a long time, especially for large corporations.   Now, however, the game has changed.  And the internet had a major role in this change.   People no longer respond to interruption in the same way they used to.  In the olden days you could run a commercial on TV and viewers would race to the store to buy your product.  Now, interruption advertising is so commonplace that viewers have found defenses against all the unwanted interruptions.  The result is that this form of advertising just doesn’t work anymore.

Just like television commercials and print ads are losing their effectiveness, so are most forms of advertising online.  Banners, skyscraper ads and flash videos don’t capture people’s attention these days and actually have the opposite effect of annoying people.

Nowadays, advertising needs to be much more subtle.  It’s no longer about shocking people into paying attention.  Rather, it’s about providing useful and relevant information that is going to solve some kind of problem.  This is not direct advertising.  In fact, it’s a very indirect form of adverting.   Instead of telling people what they need, it’s about building relationships with people and gaining trust.

Effective online advertising includes the following components:

• Article writing campaigns- articles should provide information that is relevant to your business and useful to your customers.  “How-to” articles work well along with articles that give expert advice.    An important point to keep in mind about these articles: Do not sell.  This isn’t the time or the place for selling.  No one wants to read a 500-word sales pitch.  Focus on adding value and helping people.  It will build trust.

• Blogs- blogging has become one of the most effective and important tools for advertising online.  A blog is like an online opinion column and has an informal tone.  Basically, it’s one person sharing what they know with the world.  They generally should not contain any sales pitches, except for once in a while when something special and exciting is coming to the market.  One major advantage of blogs is that they tend to rank well on the search engines.  This helps customers find your site and boosts your SEO.

• Google AdWords- these four line advertisements are becoming one of the most popular and effective ways to promote your product.  They only appear when someone searches for one of your keyword terms so ads are targeted.  When people are looking to buy something, they appreciate getting a targeted ad that helps them find what they’re looking for.  When using AdWords, it’s important to test your ads to make sure they’re effective.  Run two ads simultaneously to find out which one pulls in the best results.  Then, improve upon it and run it again alongside your improved ad.  Working this way will help you achieve optimum results.