What should you track on your website? Top 10 website metrics

In today's digital era, having a website is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity. Whether you're a multinational corporation or a small local business, a well-maintained website can be your ticket to a larger market, increased sales, and exponential growth. However, just having a website isn't enough, you need to understand how your site is performing to make sure it's meeting its goals. This is where website metrics come in.

Let's take a look some of the most important website metrics you should be tracking and what they mean. 

• Traffic

• Source of traffic 
• Bounce rate
• Time on page 
• Conversion rate
• Mobile traffic 
• Page speed
• Exit pages
• Device type
• Referrals 

Why should you track your website metrics? 

Understanding your website’s performance isn't just about collecting data for the sake of it, but about gathering insights that can guide your future strategy. By tracking the right website metrics, you can get a clear picture of what's working and what's not. These insights allow you to make data-driven decisions, fine-tune your marketing strategies, enhance your content, and ultimately, better serve your customers. Now, the question is, which metrics should you be tracking?

Top 10 Most Important Website Metrics

There are many different metrics you can track on your website, and the most important metrics may depend on the goals for your website. However, if you don't know where to start, there are several important metrics that should be standard for all website owners. Let's take a look at the top 10 most important website metrics you should consider tracking! 

1. Traffic

Traffic, or the number of people visiting your site, is a fundamental metric to track. More visitors mean more potential customers, which could translate into more sales or conversions. Monitor not just your overall traffic, but also unique visitors and the number of pages viewed per visit. High numbers in these areas are good indications of a healthy website.

2. Source of traffic 

Where is your traffic coming from? Is it organic search, social media, direct traffic, referrals from other websites, or paid campaigns? Understanding your traffic sources can tell you a lot about the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. For instance, a high number of referrals could indicate that your SEO strategies are working well.

Check out our blog post on increasing your traffic through organic, social, and paid strategies.

3. Bounce rate

Bounce rate refers to the percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate could indicate several issues, like irrelevant content, poor website design, or even slow loading speeds. Monitoring your bounce rate helps identify these issues and improve the overall user experience.

4. Time on page

How long do users stay on your pages? The longer they stay, the more likely they are to engage with your content, make a purchase, or complete some other desired action. If your time on page is low, consider making your content more engaging or intuitive to navigate.

5. Conversion rate

This is arguably the most important metric for any business-focused website. Conversion rate is the percentage of visitors who complete a desired action, like making a purchase, filling out a form, or subscribing to a newsletter. A low conversion rate may point to a need for better targeting in your marketing efforts, or improvements in your site's design or user experience.

6. Mobile traffic

With the explosion of smartphone usage, a significant portion of web traffic now comes from mobile devices. Therefore, it's crucial to know what percentage of your traffic is mobile, and if your website is delivering a smooth experience for mobile users.

7. Page speed

Page load time directly impacts user experience and your site's SEO performance. In the era of instant gratification, a slow website is a big no-no. If your site takes too long to load, users may leave even before your content has a chance to make an impression.

You can use online tools to test your page speed. 

8. Exit pages 

Exit pages are the last pages users visit before they leave your site. If certain pages consistently show up as exit pages, they may contain issues that are driving users away. By identifying and fixing these issues, you can decrease your site's overall exit rate.

9. Device type

This goes hand in hand with mobile traffic. Knowing which devices your visitors are using to access your site can help you optimize the user experience for those devices.

10. Referrals 

Referrals are other websites that link to your site and send traffic your way. These could be social media platforms, blogs, forums, or any number of other types of sites. Referral traffic can be particularly valuable, as it often consists of users who are already interested in your products or services. Monitoring your referral traffic can help you identify which partnerships or types of content are driving the most valuable traffic to your site.

Learn how to boost your traffic and understand your referrals with Pagecloud Analytics. 

What's next? 

Understanding and tracking these website metrics can provide invaluable insights into your website's performance, your audience's behavior, and the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. Remember that the goal is not just to collect data, but to use it to make informed decisions that drive growth and improve user experience.

By focusing on these top 10 website metrics, you can start to gather meaningful data that guides your marketing strategy and helps you optimize your website. And remember, while these metrics provide a strong starting point, the specific metrics you choose to prioritize may vary based on your unique business goals and the specific purpose of your website.

Get started using Pagecloud Analytics!