credit: Arvind

During today’s #CROchat one of the questions was about quality metrics:

Q3: Should all CRO/SEO objectives be quantifiable, or can we include quality objectives?

Yes, you can use qualitative objectives. However, you need to put some time into creating clear concepts and simple language in your communication with other departments or your client (stake holders). Defining quality often requires using synthesized performance indicators. These are pairs, or groups, of quantifiable metrics that indicate intent through their relation to one another.

Justin Alerico describes some of the metrics that can indicate quality:

Quantifiable measures of quality: via @inflatemouse time spent; pages/visit; average order value; average LTV [Lifetime Value]

The important factor in using these measures is properly tying them to your overall goals. Any one of the above metrics can be good or bad depending on context. This is why they need a partner to help illuminate their meaning.

Let’s use an example with Average Order Value (AOV). Most business units will hold to  AOV only being good if it is going up. But, if your goals are toward units sold, transactions, or customer satisfaction as a quality you might want AOV to go down.

If you have a goal of simplifying your purchase process you might want to see both AOV and Time to Purchase go down. This can indicate a qualitatively better experience for your visitors. Simplicity often encourages higher frequency of purchase, but smaller purchases. So, even though one of your monetary indicators is decreasing it is an indicator that your overall campaign goal is working.

If you have a goal of brand loyalty you might also look for decreasing AOV. Pairing a decreasing AOV with an increasing Return Visitor percentage and/or Conversion Starts can indicate a qualitative positive of growing your continual engagement. By building a new group of loyal customers you may be shifting buying patterns.

When you attempt to track qualities (loyalty, satisfaction, etc.) you need to go to greater lengths in defining your success and creating common language with stake holders to decenter the conversations from single metrics, or over-valuing changes in monetary metrics.