If you come here often, you might be surprised by such a straight forward post title — a direct tie-in to the visual. But you won’t be surprised by the segue into a discussion of web analytics which is the real reason I’m writing this.

The ad is pretty direct. Headline. Visual. No copy. The product is white Sambuca. Though clear, it is considered a white spirit (think white rum). Sambuca is often served straight in a shot glass and set on fire for a few seconds. Hence the “White Hot” headline and flaming background behind the bottle. The ad is targeted at people who know the product. It directs attention to this brand and reminds the occasional Sambuca drinker of their appreciation for the product.

Segue time. There’s another reason for title of this post. This ad is currently the hottest piece in my portfolio on Flickr. I pay attention to statistics like this. It’s like an ongoing critique of my work. People view what they like. Similarly, I review the analytics of this website to understand what readers find most interesting.

Website analytics are extremely valuable. Make sure you understand what they tell you about your site. Especially if your site drives sales. What are people looking at? What actions are they taking? Are your pages getting the results you expect? Where is your traffic coming from? All this information and more is available to scrutinize.

I’m barely scratching the surface here in terms of the data available to you and how to analyze it. The important thing is that you do pay attention and take informed action.

The most savvy online marketers and communicators make continuous adjustments to their websites and content based on the data in their analytics. Are you paying attention to yours?