How The Wrong Metric Sinks Your Business (& How The Right One Saves It) (FS011)

What if you built a website with a ton of traffic only to realize it could never end up supporting you?

There are metrics that matter A TON in your business.

However, you might be making critical errors about which ones matter and which do not.

I met a founder recently who made one of those errors. She built a site with loads of traffic, tons of visitors. She had the dream many of us wish for.

But for all that traffic she couldn’t sell a thing. She thought the traffic numbers would mean success… but they didn’t. After all that work she had to go back to the beginning and focus on metrics that matter.

What’s the difference between a meaningful metric and a meaningless metric? Find out in the audio below and take back control of your business (instead of simply reacting to whatever metric some social network throws at you).

(BTW if you haven’t yet, you should really subscribe to the podcast so you can listen to it anywhere. It’s simple. Here’s how.)

Shownotes

Asceticism – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Beyond Traffic: How to Measure What Really Matters — Think Traffic — “This is the trouble with just measuring traffic, it doesn’t really tell you much on it’s own. In our case, we aren’t setting records in terms of revenue, so it’s time to make some changes and focus on measuring what really matters.”

The Trembling 2am Voice Note: Caleb Wojcik’s Journey (FZS 005) — Caleb’s story about meeting Chris Guillebeau and getting started in blogging has some great insights about what metrics matter.

Fizzle Founder’s Story: Sahil Lavingia — if you’re a Fizzler, this is an awesome example of building an audience alongside of building a product and letting the two shape each other. Really great interview.

David Sacks Founder of Yammer- TWiST#354 | ThisWeekIn Startups — the hard part is in the building of the thing, not the idea. Lots to glean in this interview. (Though I haven’t been a fan of Calacanis, he’s grown on me through listening to this show. Like Derek Halpern, there’s a lot more under the surface than you initially thought).

Ask us a question — we’d love to answer your specific question like we do for a couple Fizzle Show Listeners here. You can do a quick leave us a voicemail or write it in.

The Only Real Secret of Effective Website Design (unmissable video + course release) — Think Traffic — Definitely check this out if you haven’t.

Leave us a review — We’d really love it if you left an honest review at iTunes. Doesn’t cost you much, but means the world as it helps other hopeful entrepreneurs find the show. Simply click here and open in itunes and click “write a review.”

Our Biggest Business Influences

37signals: Web-based collaboration apps for small business — (Corbett’s) their blog and book are excellent. (their other book is great as well).

The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses

Seth’s Blog

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It

Online Marketing Strategy – Social Triggers

Quick Sprout — I’m Kind of a Big Deal

Richard Branson — Screw Business as Usual

Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose

Steven Pressfield Online

Independent Writer, Speaker, and Broadcaster – Merlin Mann