It’s a common scenario.  Marketers in smaller businesses meet with management and decide to invest in a new online campaign for a product or service.  They all discuss how to structure the campaign – perhaps an email strategy that links to a micro-site or landing page or maybe a new site altogether.  The marketing team then writes up a request for proposal (RFP), solicits estimates, picks the provider they like best, and the new team rushes towards the deadline.  Intense discussion of the best look and feel and wording induces stress.  The project is completed, and then it’s only updated again when content needs to change. No attempts are made to quantitatively measure the success of the site!

Quite common in larger organizations with enviable budgets, but frequently absent with smaller operations is this analysis of the project’s success.  What return on investment (ROI) did the campaign provide?  How could it have been better? Can changes be made now to improve it moving forward?

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