Friday, March 28, 2014

Hits vs Pageviews vs Visits

Earlier this week I was asked to pull analytics for an upcoming conference. We wanted to display web hits - a very difficult task to determine because according to most people hits are deemed to be either visits or pageviews which doesn't really describe what a "hit" is.

Below is my response when asked if we could count pageviews as hits:

Unfortunately, I would say no – I wouldn’t measure it in “hits” because that is obscure and not something we measure.

I would use pageviews instead because that is something you can analytically prove. You can’t prove hits and we have way more than 19 million hits.

A pageview is each time a visitor views a page on your website, regardless of how many hits are generated. Pages are comprised of files. Every image in a page is a separate file. When a visitor looks at a page (a pageview), they may see numerous images, graphics, pictures etc. and generate multiple hits.

For example, if you have a page with 10 pictures, then a request to a server to view that page generates 11 hits (10 for the pictures, and one for the html file). A page view can contain hundreds of hits. This is the reason that we measure page views and not hits.

OR

Each file sent to a browser by a web server is an individual hit. Technical definition of a pageview. A pageview is each time a visitor views a page on your website, regardless of how many hits are generated. Pages are comprised of files.

Monday, March 24, 2014

Twitter Ratio and Why to Unfollow

The first twitter ratio you hit is around 3000 and it looks for about a 1.0 where your followers and the people you follow are accounted for. They don't want you to follow 100,000 people to try and increase your followers which would defeat their organic ranking.

Your TFF Ratio (Twitter Follower-Friend Ratio) is the ratio of your followers to friends (or people who you follow). The higher the ratio, the more Twitter heat you pack.
  • A ratio of less than 1.0 indicates that you are seeking knowledge (and Twitter Friends), but not getting much Twitter Love in return. Check your pulse, you might be a bot.
  • A ratio of around 1.0 means you are respected among your peers. Many people think that a ratio of around 1.0 is the best - you're listening and being listened to.
  • A ratio of 2.0 or above shows that you are a popular person and people want to hear what you have to say. You might be a thought leader in your community.
  • A TFF Ratio 10 or higher indicates that you're either a Rock Star in your field or you are an elitist and you cannot be bothered by Twitter's mindless chatter. You like to hear yourself talk. Luckily others like to hear you talk, too
Twitter even has a special section for unfollowing.

Why would I want to unfollow someone?

  • Typically, users unfollow other users when they no longer wish to see that person's Tweets in their home timeline. You can still view them on an as-needed basis by visiting their profile, unless their Tweets are protected.
  • If you are unfollowing a user because their updates seem like spam, please read our guidelines on reporting spam on Twitter.

Isn't there a better way?

Services like Just Unfollow are great for reducing inactive followers and I can see the ratio being a major impact in the future when Ads are implemented in a much more prominent way.

The Scoop from Fast Company

I don't monitor my unfollows, so I don't unfollow people who unfollow me on Twitter--and probably wouldn't even if I knew they'd hit the unfollow button. I follow people because I find their tweets interesting or educational, not because I want them to follow me back and rack up my follower count.

Here are four I've tried [to let me know when people unfollow me], so I know they are reliable:
* Followerwonk
* Who Unfollowed Me
* Qwitter
* NutshellMail

That said, I suspect many people on Twitter who "unfollow back" did not want to out themselves to me in public, and that there are a many Tweeters who, as you have observed, engage in that practice.

I don't "courtesy follow" anyone, but I can imagine professional circumstances in which it's more awkward to not follow someone back--like a colleague, or a business contact--than it is to just follow them back out of politeness.

I can easily see this impacting the future of social media even more than it does now. The ratio will impact the need for ads and how competitive your specific industry is on Twitter.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Why Pinterest Should Be a Part of Your Social Strategy

Chances are, you’re already pretty active on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. These sites are so widely used that not having a presence on them could seriously cost you customers. In the past few years, image-based social media has also become increasingly possible. Many businesses now have accounts on Instagram, and more and more are also becoming active on Pinterest. 

While Pinterest may have been optional in the past, this is clearly no longer the case. Pinterest has attracted over 70 million users in its four years on the Internet, making it one of the fastest growing websites of all time. According to Expanded Ramblings, Pinterest has about 2.5 billion page views per month, and 5 million new pins are added each day. 500,000 business owners already have accounts on the site — if you’re not one of them, you’re missing out on the opportunity to find new customers. Here are some of top ways to gain followers on Pinterest.

Attract the Mobile Crowd
In the past few years, Americans have been using their smart phones and tablets more and more frequently. Some users almost exclusively browse the web from their mobile device. As smaller devices continue to grow in popularity, businesses need to find more ways to engage their customers via mobile. 

In general, social media is an effective method of mobile marketing, as many users check their social accounts from their devices. However, Pinterest generates an exceptional amount of mobile traffic. About 75 percent of Pinterest’s daily traffic comes from mobile, compared to around 33 percent on Facebook. In addition, around 35 percent of Pinterest users access the site exclusively from a mobile device. 

To make sure your account is appealing to mobile visitors, you should regularly preview it from a smart phone. Make changes if not everything is displaying as it should be.

Make Pinterest Interactive
The great thing about Pinterest is that you can really use the site to engage your followers. Pinterest allows you to host user-generated boards on your account, meaning followers can pin the content themselves. This serves two purposes — it makes sure your pins are interesting to your followers, and it gives you insight on your customers. In addition, you can have shared or tribute pinboards with your most active followers. 

Post Multiple Kinds of Content
Sure, Pinterest is primarily an image-based social media site, but that doesn’t mean you can’t vary what you post. Incorporating video into your pinboards is a great way to add variety. For helpful tutorials and suggestions on how to use video, click on the video navigation link when you log in to Pinterest. 

In addition, infographics are a great way to convey information. Infographics are literally what they sound like — information presenting in the form of an image. You can use them to offer advice or keep followers up-to-speed on what’s happening in the industry. For example, if you’re a car dealer, you might consider designing an infographic on auto accessories, which could include the percentage of cars that receive auto detailing on tips on how to buy car covers.

Have a Complete Profile
One of the main goals of social media marketing is to attract new customers to your business. Attracting followers with your pinboards is great, but it won’t do you much good if they can’t easily find information on your actual business. It’s important to have a complete profile on Pinterest so users will be more likely to visit your website.
Fortunately for you, there’s a good chance that followers will give you a close if you provide enough data. According to Social Media Today, conversion rates for Pinterest are about 50 percent higher than those of other social media sites. 47 percent of U.S. shoppers have also purchased a product after receiving a brand recommendation from Pinterest. This means you could generate a lot of revenue by being active on Pinterest.
Start using the tips above to build your Pinterest account today, and watch your online presence grow!

Monday, March 3, 2014

Bitcoin - Whoops and Shucks

Are you interested in the big leak?
http://www.reddit.com/r/PHP/comments/1zg66x/lets_play_spot_the_bugs_in_mtgox_leaked_source/
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=41718.0


What is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin uses peer-to-peer technology to operate with no central authority or banks; managing transactions and the issuing of bitcoins is carried out collectively by the network. Bitcoin is open-source; its design is public, nobody owns or controls Bitcoin and everyone can take part. Through many of its unique properties, Bitcoin allows exciting uses that could not be covered by any previous payment system.