Trouble with Conversion Tracking

How can I check my ROI if I do not acutally have a "purchase" page?

[SailorGrl]

I work for a safari company - and our website is aimed at a)informing customers about our product and b) enticing customers to USE us and ultimately c) email us.

the problem I am having is how to accurately track conversions when all we do is advertise the types of safaris and treks we do - but do not have a purchase page. We tailor-make itineraries and the idea is for them to contact us, plus our 'product' is thousands of dollars and not many people are that secure with clicking "buy" without researching the company - we are based in Tanzania, which also doesn't instill confidence.

We do have a "contact us" page - which might lead to some sales, but it is not certain. Also - we have a "contact us" button on every single page of our site, so not everyone goes there (according to my web stats).

Does anyone have any advice for me - I am very new to internet marketing and I want to get the biggest bang for my buck.

Thanks for any advice.

[briggidere]

Hi there,

You could install a 2nd phone line and have it as a dedicated web phone. you would be able to track those people who call in on that number then. Just change the phone no on the website, and for any web promotion make sure you use this tel number.

Hope this helps

birggidere

[SailorGrl]

Thanks briggidere -

However, we are based in Tanzania and we are almost 100% web-based. Our clients are predominantly from the US or Europe, and no one really calls us. We encourage them to email us (though our number is on the site)which is what they do.

The problem is that we have a "contact us" page - but most people first close the browser to open their email - and that is when they email us.

How critical is conversion tracking with a business like mine?

[jpjones]

Conversion tracking should be thought of as "critical" if you're spending money on getting visitors to your site. The web is currently the only media which is completely trackable, and so you'd be wise to use that to your advantage!

As for email / contact us page one idea -> have you considered removing the email address from that page - and replace it instead with a simple form, which you can then track submissions on? You'll then know, for each prospective client, where they came from and what they are interested in. You can then follow that information through to when a client makes a purchase.

[SEO_Report]

You can detect AW visitors and dynamically show a special email address (ie. [e-mail])...very easy to do

That way, you can be be sure that any msg sent to this email address is from a visitor that came as a result of clicking on your ads.

[eWhisper]

I've always found online forms the best way to pass the referrer data. In a form, you can pull the exact keywords used, the search engine, referring data, whatever - so that when you receive the lead, you know what they were searching for that lead them to contacting you.

Any additional data like that you can pass to the sales people helps close the deal.

[werty]

In addition to what everyone else is saying about the form you should be able to have a "thank-you" page after the user submits the form, on this page you can place the google tracking code and wil be able to know the CPA of getting a person to fill out your web form, through adwords.