Comments on: The tail wags the dog… http://www.grokdotcom.com/2006/04/07/the-tail-wags-the-dog/ Marketing blog focused on marketing optimization, improving website conversion rates, search engine marketing, web analytics, word of mouth, etc. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:32:34 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Mark Garner http://www.grokdotcom.com/2006/04/07/the-tail-wags-the-dog/comment-page-1/#comment-147 Mark Garner Sat, 29 Apr 2006 00:57:20 +0000 http://67.59.138.131/2006/04/07/the-tail-wags-the-dog/#comment-147 Call me crazy but I've always found that the one metric that really mattered was how much money the site generated. Having worked for everyone from small business operators to large corporations I've found that this is the only metric that matters to the people who own/run the business as well. In football/sport it's called keeping your eyes on the ball and not the scoreboard. Players who focus too much on looking at the score will always lose the game. (PS Sites that can't demonstrate how much income they are generating will have a short life expectancy.) Call me crazy but I’ve always found that the one metric that really mattered was how much money the site generated.

Having worked for everyone from small business operators to large corporations I’ve found that this is the only metric that matters to the people who own/run the business as well.

In football/sport it’s called keeping your eyes on the ball and not the scoreboard.

Players who focus too much on looking at the score will always lose the game.

(PS Sites that can’t demonstrate how much income they are generating will have a short life expectancy.)

]]> By: Steve Jackson http://www.grokdotcom.com/2006/04/07/the-tail-wags-the-dog/comment-page-1/#comment-146 Steve Jackson Wed, 19 Apr 2006 15:42:14 +0000 http://67.59.138.131/2006/04/07/the-tail-wags-the-dog/#comment-146 Howard/John, Great post and needed I think. I agree with your assessment when it comes to retail and lead generation sites but can see Matt's point regards others. I've blogged it here; <a href="http://blackbeak.conversionchronicles.com/2006/04/19/unique-or-not-unique-that-be-the-question/" rel="nofollow">http://blackbeak.conversionchronicles.com/2006/04/19/unique-or-not-unique-that-be-the-question/</a> Howard/John,

Great post and needed I think. I agree with your assessment when it comes to retail and lead generation sites but can see Matt’s point regards others. I’ve blogged it here;

http://blackbeak.conversionchronicles.com/2006/04/19/unique-or-not-unique-that-be-the-question/

]]> By: WebMetricsGuru http://www.grokdotcom.com/2006/04/07/the-tail-wags-the-dog/comment-page-1/#comment-148 WebMetricsGuru Fri, 07 Apr 2006 22:24:54 +0000 http://67.59.138.131/2006/04/07/the-tail-wags-the-dog/#comment-148 <strong>The tail wags the dog...</strong> I wrote a post recently on Matt Belkin, of Omniture, whoblogged recently about the differences between Visits and Unique Visitors. I took a lot of his post and re-worked it - but I did not agree that visits are more... The tail wags the dog…

I wrote a post recently on Matt Belkin, of Omniture, whoblogged recently about the differences between Visits and Unique Visitors. I took a lot of his post and re-worked it – but I did not agree that visits are more…

]]> By: Webmetricsguru http://www.grokdotcom.com/2006/04/07/the-tail-wags-the-dog/comment-page-1/#comment-145 Webmetricsguru Fri, 07 Apr 2006 22:22:20 +0000 http://67.59.138.131/2006/04/07/the-tail-wags-the-dog/#comment-145 Pretty intersting Post. I read the original Matt Belkin Omniture post last week and posted on it in Webmetricsguru.com. I felt similar to you, mainly because everyone else cares more for Unique Visitors and going after visits, by itself, would make your metrics incompatible with what everyone else does. But you guys have the conversion process down better than anyone - so I'm glad you took Matt apart on his post - people can confuse the means with the end, and I thought that was good point you brought out. Pretty intersting Post. I read the original Matt Belkin Omniture post last week and posted on it in Webmetricsguru.com. I felt similar to you, mainly because everyone else cares more for Unique Visitors and going after visits, by itself, would make your metrics incompatible with what everyone else does.

But you guys have the conversion process down better than anyone – so I’m glad you took Matt apart on his post – people can confuse the means with the end, and I thought that was good point you brought out.

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