Comments on: More thoughts on using visits or visitors to calculate conversion rates http://blog.webanalyticsdemystified.com/weblog/2006/10/more-thoughts-on-using-visits-or.html Eric T. Peterson's Web Analytics Demystified weblog, since 2005! Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:41:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Anonymous http://blog.webanalyticsdemystified.com/weblog/2006/10/more-thoughts-on-using-visits-or.html#comment-111 Anonymous Wed, 01 Nov 2006 18:51:00 +0000 http://blog.webanalyticsdemystified.com/weblog/2006/10/more-thoughts-on-using-visits-or.html#comment-111 Eric: I believe it was the 360i presentation on the first day in the <A HREF="http://www.searchenginestrategies.com/sew/summer06/agenda.html" REL="nofollow">Search Behavior Research Update</A> session. (someone correct me if I've given credit to the wrong presenter). They had broken it out by natural listings, paid listing, overall and combined. Combined it was 3.9 clicks to purchase (conversion). This was using a traditional e-commerce model. Other less rigorous types of conversions may have higher click to purchase ratios. However, the visit to visitor ratio is relevant and important for all types of conversions. Eric: I believe it was the 360i presentation on the first day in the Search Behavior Research Update session. (someone correct me if I’ve given credit to the wrong presenter). They had broken it out by natural listings, paid listing, overall and combined. Combined it was 3.9 clicks to purchase (conversion). This was using a traditional e-commerce model. Other less rigorous types of conversions may have higher click to purchase ratios. However, the visit to visitor ratio is relevant and important for all types of conversions.

]]> By: Eric http://blog.webanalyticsdemystified.com/weblog/2006/10/more-thoughts-on-using-visits-or.html#comment-112 Eric Wed, 01 Nov 2006 16:27:00 +0000 http://blog.webanalyticsdemystified.com/weblog/2006/10/more-thoughts-on-using-visits-or.html#comment-112 Jason: Not a problem! I mean, on some level I do get why people say "every visit is an opportunity to convert" but in my experience when money or personal information are involved, visitors are more cautious and it may take several visits for the conversion to occur.<BR/><BR/>Who's study are you citing? I missed the panel ...<BR/><BR/>Thanks for your comment! Jason: Not a problem! I mean, on some level I do get why people say “every visit is an opportunity to convert” but in my experience when money or personal information are involved, visitors are more cautious and it may take several visits for the conversion to occur.

Who’s study are you citing? I missed the panel …

Thanks for your comment!

]]> By: Eric http://blog.webanalyticsdemystified.com/weblog/2006/10/more-thoughts-on-using-visits-or.html#comment-113 Eric Wed, 01 Nov 2006 16:23:00 +0000 http://blog.webanalyticsdemystified.com/weblog/2006/10/more-thoughts-on-using-visits-or.html#comment-113 Anonymous: Perhaps, but this would be a good place to add segmentation to your conversion rates such that you could examine the OCR and BCR in the context of "existing customers" and "new customers" ... I would expect, in the situation you describe, the OCR and BCR would be very similar for existing customers (they already know the site and the purchase process, right?) and likely divergent for new customers (depending on the level of consideration associated with the purchase or transaction.)<BR/><BR/>For content and information sites the BCR will describe the propensity to get information into people's hands while the OCR will describe how easy it is for them to get that information.<BR/><BR/>Excellent points! Anonymous: Perhaps, but this would be a good place to add segmentation to your conversion rates such that you could examine the OCR and BCR in the context of “existing customers” and “new customers” … I would expect, in the situation you describe, the OCR and BCR would be very similar for existing customers (they already know the site and the purchase process, right?) and likely divergent for new customers (depending on the level of consideration associated with the purchase or transaction.)

For content and information sites the BCR will describe the propensity to get information into people’s hands while the OCR will describe how easy it is for them to get that information.

Excellent points!

]]> By: Anonymous http://blog.webanalyticsdemystified.com/weblog/2006/10/more-thoughts-on-using-visits-or.html#comment-114 Anonymous Wed, 01 Nov 2006 15:35:00 +0000 http://blog.webanalyticsdemystified.com/weblog/2006/10/more-thoughts-on-using-visits-or.html#comment-114 Hi Eric,<BR/><BR/>I think this speaks directly to the concept that it normally takes more than one visit for people to convert. This was a point brought up at SES San Jose in the first metrics session--that it takes something like 3.6 visits to convert (based on their study which should not be assumed to be universal truth). But thanks for putting this up. It's a great reminder that visitor behavior is complicated and takes special care to understand.<BR/><BR/>Jason<BR/><A HREF="jasonanalytics.blogspot.com" REL="nofollow">Read my blog here</A> Hi Eric,

I think this speaks directly to the concept that it normally takes more than one visit for people to convert. This was a point brought up at SES San Jose in the first metrics session–that it takes something like 3.6 visits to convert (based on their study which should not be assumed to be universal truth). But thanks for putting this up. It’s a great reminder that visitor behavior is complicated and takes special care to understand.

Jason
Read my blog here

]]> By: Anonymous http://blog.webanalyticsdemystified.com/weblog/2006/10/more-thoughts-on-using-visits-or.html#comment-115 Anonymous Wed, 01 Nov 2006 15:16:00 +0000 http://blog.webanalyticsdemystified.com/weblog/2006/10/more-thoughts-on-using-visits-or.html#comment-115 Agree on the need to look at visitor and visit conversions - however, dose't it also depand upon the type of business? For example, a purely transactional business where the same customers generally make repeated purchases (a majority of the sales) I would think would rely more on the visit conversion while a content/information site would be more likely to use a visitor conversion.<BR/><BR/>just a thought Agree on the need to look at visitor and visit conversions - however, dose’t it also depand upon the type of business? For example, a purely transactional business where the same customers generally make repeated purchases (a majority of the sales) I would think would rely more on the visit conversion while a content/information site would be more likely to use a visitor conversion.

just a thought

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