Why Setup Goals and Events in Sitecore? 

Setting up digital goals and events and assessing their outcomes is an important first step to take when beginning to leverage the latest functionality Sitecore has to offer. Staying focused on the actions you want to guide your visitors to take ensures you are constantly working towards your business objectives and not unintentionally veering off track. Analyzing the various actions your site visitors take can help you discover better ways to lead them towards completing the different digital goals you’ve set up.

There are three types of goals:

• Informational goals - downloading a product datasheet or some sort of one-way transfer of information
• Transactional goals - signing up for a newsletter or participating in some sort of two-way communication
• Process goals - a combination of the previous two, like downloading a free infographic  and filling out a form to enter a contest.

There are the obvious, large goals you may have that directly impact your bottom line (like placing an order), but it's important to also keep smaller micro-conversions that happen before and after a purchase on your radar (such as responding to a survey or downloading a product datasheet) that will help you track the journey your visitors take before taking the steps required to become a loyal customer.

Not all of your visitors will convert, so using smaller, more frequently completed goals will give you the data you need to help you understand how best to encourage your visitors to take that next step. This approach can also be used to gradually build a more complete picture of each individual customer so you can better serve their needs in the future.

When setting up an event or goal, you can associate a specific point value, depending on the worth of the action the visitor is taking. If they are signing up for your newsletter that might be a lesser point value then someone who is requesting a live demo. Assigning these points allows you to calculate the engagement value they are generating with each and every visit to your site.

Don't forget that goals change! As your business grows, your objectives will change, and so will your goals. This is a never-ending process of continuous experimentation and improvement that will always be necessary for your business.

For a step-by-step guide to creating and assigning goals and events in Sitecore, along with ideas of how you can apply this to your own business, download our Understanding and Creating Goals & Events in Sitecore: A Step-by-Step Guide with Real-World Examples white paper.

Not sure where to start with creating your own goals and events? We have a number of Goals and Events Brainstorming Checklists available for download:

Goals Checklist for Service Companies

Goals Checklist for Retail Companies

Goals Checklist for Travel & Hospitality Companies

Goals Checklist for Non-Profit Companies

Goals Checklist for Healthcare Companies

Contact us to set up a free consultation with one of our marketing subject matter experts.