Did you know that it is possible to lie with statistics? Politicians do it all the time. But they are not the only ones.
In 1954, former Better Homes and Gardens editor and active freelance writer, Darrell Huff, published a slim (142 page) volume which, over time, would become the most widely read statistics book in the history of the world – How to Lie With Statistics. Just how good is the book? It is still in print and available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Why Is this Important?
First, it is important because so much of our lives are now driven by statistical information.
Second, it is important because business people must have statistics that are accurate and meaningful.
Third, because so many sources are throwing statistics around that finding good statistics among the bad has become something akin to dumpster diving.
Fourth, because of Darrell Huff’s explanation in the introduction to his best-seller:
The secret language of statistics, so appealing in a fact-minded culture, is employed to sensationalize, inflate, confuse, and oversimplify.
This book is sort of a primer in ways to use statistics to deceive … The crooks already know these tricks; honest men must learn them in self defense.
“Clicks” Is a Dirty, Rotten, Lying Statistic
Clicks is a legitimate statistic, in the sense that you are paying for them. However, while clicks may be qualified to become leads, they are not … leads. And, they have no value to your home improvement business until they become a lead. What’s more, clicks lie.
Because someone clicked through to your website does not make them a lead. They may or may not have a serious inquiry. More importantly, they may or may not have an intent to purchase. Or, they may have an intent to purchase, but not necessarily to purchase from your business.
Our blog post on October 26, 2015, spoke to “one of the greatest ironies in all of business.” Here is another one.
The More Appealing a PPC Ad, the More Clicks a Website May Get
The quality of your internet ad may attract attention, but some of that interest may be chalked up to nothing more than curiosity – even from competitors. Click through rates may indicate activity, but activity does not always translate to revenue. However, some clicks do translate to leads.
It’s Easier than People Think to Know the Difference between a Click and a Lead
The reason it is easy is because the business owner – that would be you – should define what is or is not a lead. Some home improvement businesses may define a lead as someone who takes a trackable action on their website, such as, subscribing to a newsletter, filling out a request for information or responding to an offer.
Others may define a lead as someone with whom contact has been established. That’s just a little more than website-motivated action, but it doesn’t matter which you track. What matters is that you know what you consider to be a lead so that you are not accepting statistical misinformation and declaring a campaign successful when it is not.
That’s part of what makes Keyword Connects unique. Our service is delivering real, honest-to-goodness leads. More than that, the leads we deliver are not interested only in home improvement, they are interested in dealing with you. Learn why Keyword Connects is better.
