Who buys and who flies? For ecommerce marketers, an excellent indicator of purchase intent is the ‘pages per session’ metric. Calculating this figure is simple mathematics – just add up the total number of pages accessed during a given time period and divide by the total number of visitors. The resulting sum is the average pages visited. Pure gold when it comes to marketing stats.
Once the data rolls in, how will you know where you stand? While the optimum figure can vary from industry to industry, the ecommerce data service Littledata reports that a satisfactory range is between 1.8 – 4.4 pages per visit. Exceeding the latter puts your website in the upper echelons – you’re hitting a grand slam. Below the 1.8 marker, and your ad dollars are hitting the trash bin.
Never dismiss this crucial metric. Page consumption reveals a truckload about the habits, hopes, intentions, and objectives of your visitors. The metric, for instance, indicates interest level in your products and services. It also says a great deal about the impact of your offers, the efficacy of communications media utilized (Facebook, email, blogs, etc.), and favorability of the website experience you’ve so meticulously crafted. Combined, these factors invariably influence the eventual actions taken by visitors – convert or dessert?
Is your pages-per-visit metric subpar? Don’t be disappointed, be determined. A satisfying turnaround can be achieved by implementing several proven strategies.
Begin by placing the most popular merchandise front and center. Generally, the earlier that attention is grabbed, the more extensive the browsing will be. Visitors seldom spend time on the uninteresting and irrelevant.
Closely aligned with the ‘good first impression’ policy is layout quality. An engaging home page is clean, uncluttered, easy to navigate, and energized with striking images – but don’t overdo.
Remember, the overall look and navigability of the first page sets the tone for the rest of the website. A favorable initial experience indicates more of the same, a prospect that generally encourages visitors to journey further.
Finally, brand marketers can generate major gains by pepping up the pages. The faster the load times, the more visitors will see – and presumably like what they see.
If you have questions or comments about increasing the pages per session metric for your website, or any other brand-related topic, feel free to send them our way. You can connect with the Young Company team at 949-376-8404 or bart@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest brand marketing news and tips.