Q1 Progress and Q2 Goals
Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day because it helps you start your day out right, giving you the nutrition and energy you need to get things rolling. Just like breakfast, hitting your Q1 goals will help you get things rolling for your business. Your Q1 success is the foundation to base the other three quarters of the year on, and while finishing strong is also important, getting off to a fast start is even better.
So how are you doing with those early goals?
Well, with the importance of social media, it almost seems like you can divide your goals into those that are social media related, and those that aren’t. And when it comes to this critical area of your business, you’ll need some way of tracking your progress.
Google Analytics may provide just some of the tools you’re looking for. It’s easy to view, and contains a wealth of data. Some things to look at include:
- Your mobile percentage. How are people viewing your site? If the mobile percentage is increasing, you’ll want to take steps to make your site as mobile-friendly as possible.
- New vs. returning visitors. If most of the people visiting your site have been there before, what do you need to do to attract new viewers?
- Referral Traffic. Are associated sites like Yelp or Google Maps helping you? If not, how can you take advantage of them?
If you are an Infusionsoft user and you market with Facebook ads, consider Sync2CRM and Wicked Reports to dynamically integrate your Infusionsoft app with Facebook and then measure your powerful metrics.
SMART Goals
Outside of social media, the goals of your business may vary considerably depending on your industry. Common metrics include sales revenue, gross and profit margins, overhead costs and monthly profits or losses. A great way of setting and achieving your goals is to make them SMART. SMART is an acronym meaning Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound.
If you’re meeting or exceeding your Q1 goals, give yourself and your staff if you have one, a hand for a job well done. If your objectives were too easily met, though, it may be time to start becoming more ambitious.
If you failed to meet some of your goals, now is the time to reevaluate them. What specific factors led to not accomplishing the goal, and what can you do about it? Remember, Q2 is a new beginning, and a great time to make course corrections. The advantage you have now is there is still plenty of time to make 2017 a great year.