by Jerod MorrisCopyblogger Media
Everything You Think You Know About
Pageviews is Wrong
Image credit: Sea World
Flickr Creative Commons Image via: Martin Terber
Flickr Creative Commons Image via: istolethetv
3 Big Ideas
1. Start with the end in mind
2. Turn online visitors into readers
3. Turn readers into an engaged online audience
“Begin with the end in mind.”
~ Stephen Covey
from The 7 Habits of Successful People
Flickr Creative Commons Image via: Martin Terber
• A visitor is someone who ends up on your site.
• A reader is someone who consumes your content.
The problem?
Pageviews don’t understand the difference.
Visitor pageview ≠ Reader pageview
If not pageviews, then what?
• Time on page
• Time on site
• Pages per visit
• Successful events (clicking on CTA, watching video)
• Substantive comments
“An object imbued with intent — it has power, it’s treasure, we’re drawn to it. An object devoid of intent — it’s random, it’s imitative, it repels us. It’s like a piece of junk mail to be thrown away.
This is what we must demand of our lives, of our objects, of our things, or our circumstances: living with intent.”
~ John Hockenberry, TED2012
Design that turns visitors into readers
• Structure content for the web
• font type and size
• subheads
• white space
Design that turns visitors into readers
• Use internal linking
• Simplify your layout
• Provide an excellent experience across all devices
Flickr Creative Commons Image via: Bushery
Flickr Creative Commons Image via: Martin Terber
How to Turn Readers Into an Audience
• A reader is someone who consumes your content.
• An audience member is someone who commits to consume your content consistently (and then does so).
Inspire committed action.
An audience member …
• Subscribes to your RSS feed
• Subscribes to your email newsletter
• Subscribes to your podcast
• Bookmarks your site in their browser
• Follows you on a social media account (that they actually use and engage with)
Quick recap
• Visitors arrive at your site
• Readers consume your content
• Audience members come back, consume consistently, and share with others
• (Customers buy your products)
What metrics show audience
engagement?
• Subscribers (RSS, email, podcast, etc.)
• Social media (interaction — not followers)
• Participants in polls, surveys, etc.
How do you drive engagement
metrics?
• Respect the power of email
• Offer a forum or membership area
• Allow people to self-select
• Have a smart social media strategy
• An option not provided cannot be selected
• Your actions show your intent and your priorities
Remember …
The Power of an Audience
Flickr Creative Commons Image via: Martin Terber
Build an engaged audience with the power
of a digital media platform:
NewRainmaker.com
Connect with me on Twitter: @JerodMorris