Marketing 101: The Importance of Conversion

In our new Metrics That Matter series, Mashable is speaking with digital marketers about the metrics they pay attention to and why. While it's always a good thing to have consumers tweet nice things about you and "like" your Facebook posts, marketers are in the business of selling, and they need to influence consumer behavior. The goal is first, to let people know about a product and second, convince them to buy it. But to do so, they need a solid grasp on the best ways to convert consumers.

Monitoring KPIs and analytics are obviously helpful for assessing performance and efficacy, but they're much more than that. "They are early indicators of where resources should be allocated, either to improve problems, or increase growth or revenue," says Hugo Smoter, director of marketing for ecommerce site Spreadshirt. Keeping an eye on metrics can make sure you're spending marketing dollars wisely and targeting the people who are most inclined to make a purchase. Read more...