How important are your mean path reports?
The mean path report divulges the most common pathways your web site's visitors take when perusing your site. This report is a powerful tool which allows you to determine at a glance how your site is really being used.
Generally speaking, the mean path report doesn't get the respect or attention it duly deserves. Ironically, it is one of the few reports that the whole company can use, from the sales to the marketing department to the webmaster. In this article we will give you specific examples of how the above-mentioned parties can utilize the mean path report.
Webmasters
Webmasters are in charge of adding new web pages to their company's web site. When adding a new page, the mean path report can help a webmaster decide where that page should go and which existing web pages should link to the new page.
A couple of days or weeks after adding the new page, the webmaster can once again refer to the mean path report. He or she should look to see if the new page is appearing in at least one of the most common pathways through the web site. If it isn't, the webmaster may want to consider changing its position and/or re-organizing the links throughout the site which point to the new page.
Sales Departments
One of the primary aims of every sales department (in some cases the only aim) is to continually increase the number of sales and downloads from their web site. The mean path report can be instrumental in increasing the number of sales and downloads while decreasing the number of visitors who leave the site without purchasing a product.One way the sales department can utilize the mean path report is to link pages which the report reveals are being visited frequently to other pages that don't appear in the report.
After a couple day or weeks, the sales department can then re-examine the mean path report to see if the less popular pages are now visible in any of the common traffic pathways. If not, they may want to consider removing them from their site.
Marketing Departments
The information in the mean path report is crucial to the marketing department as well. When producing new content, the mean path report can help marketers decide what types of information should be added to their site.The content found on the pages included in the mean path report is what customers want to read. By examing this content and producing more of it, marketers can tailor their sites to best suite the needs of their user base.
A couple of days or weeks after posting new advertising material, marketers can re-examine the mean path report to see whether or not their new content is appearing in the most common user pathways. If not, then a re-assessment of the ad's content and/or its placement on the site may be necessary. The mean path report can be utilized by the entire company to make highly effective and targeted decisions to achieve numerous and diverse goals.
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