This post is part 4 in an arc on NextStage Evolution's Evolution Technology reports. This time we're considering Returning Visitors. What NextStage is reporting on is probably not what others' report on when using that term. We're reporting how many visitors, while they're on your site, have it in their mind that they'll return at some point in the recognizable future. What is recognizable future? The brain isn't good at understanding time concepts beyond "now" and, when pressed to do it, can understand a 48 hour window around this current moment in time. This means that at whatever time you're reading this post -- let's say noon -- your brain can easily and rapidly work well with information from noon yesterday through to noon tomorrow. Beyond that you're in the realm of the mind and how time is considered there is very different. I wrote about this in Making Visitors Want It Now.
Recognizable future is the line where the brain's and mind's concepts of future meet. Basically about 1-2 days out, so this NextStage report is an indication of how many visitors currently on your site believe they will return to your site within 1-2 days.
Considering the charts I'm sharing in this series are about this blog and I post to it pretty much daily, that could be an important metric. Especially if they don't return, because then you know something interrupted a planned and desired activity. It's not the blog itself because a strong influencer for their return is a satisfactory experience, therefore indications of non-returns mean there's environmental factors that got in the way. Some you can't control or deal with. Others you can, and knowing how to deal with the interrupters is one of those things NextStage does regularly.
Next up is what percentage of visitors are likely to return. Remember, this isn't a metric of how many did return, this is a measure of how many, while they're on the site, are thinking of returning. The large black block on the chart is showing that about 90% of this blog's readers will return. Look at the left of the chart and you'll see a small, yellow dot. That dot and its position indicate why the actual number of repeating, returning visitors might be less than 90% and what you can do about it. Knowing how many return is nice, knowing how many want to return means you can prepare, knowing how many want to return then don't could mean your competition is doing something in the market and you may want to investigate.
Previous topics in this arc included:
- Are Visitors Getting Good Value?
- Are Visitors Having a Good Experience?
- Do you have more men or women visiting your site?
Please contact NextStage for information regarding presentations and trainings on this and other topics.
Upcoming Conferences:
- IMedia Brand Summit on 9-12 Sept 07
- XChange on 20-21 Sept 07
- DC Emetrics Summit on 14-17 Oct '07
- Society for New Communications Research Annual Research Symposium & Awards Gala on 5-6 Dec 07 in Boston.
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