The practice of email and online measurement is different–and more complicated–than simply having the tools to measure results. A lot of marketers run into problems not because they don’t have any measurement tools, but because they cannot measure quickly enough, or figure out actionable items based on the data at hand. Of course, good measurement is key to good marketing, so here are six steps to help you measure better.

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1. Get the data

What are the critical data elements and how do you get them in a concise, timely manner?

2. Understand the data

Make sure you have a wholistic view of customer and campaign.  Standardize measurement so that you are comparing apples to apples.

3. Make the data actionable

Consolidate data sources, start building models and segmenting so that your metrics are fast, easy and transparent.

Data should be quick – getting it, reviewing it, and taking action on it.

4. Figure out yardsticks

Establish your benchmarks and comparables, and develop your success metrics. Once the data starts streaming in, it should be easy to interpret and make actionable analyses.

5. Use the data, or lose the data

Figure out the costs (of conversion, unsubscribe, etc.) and figure out ROI.

Part of good measurement is figuring out what data you need, what are the vital metrics.

Use data to improve performance. Use today’s data to do stuff tomorrow.

6. Rinse and repeat

Measure, analyze, get it better next time. Apply the discipline of measuring.

Look at results, measure better next time.

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Getting these six steps right is one of the tougher tasks marketers face. We feel your pain. But get it right, and your marketing strategy will benefit and results will improve.  Ready, set, measure.

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More here: Metrics that Matter

Tags: measurement

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