5 Key Website Metrics for Business Success

Track these five key website metrics to ensure the success of your business

This idiom has been around for ages, however, “the devil is in the detail’ is still relevant today when it comes to running a business, especially if your business relies on the internet for a major portion of its revenue. Sometimes the smallest details determine whether or not your website contributes to your bottom line. All major websites track key metrics, and you should too if you want to stay one step ahead of your competition. Analyzing these key metrics can help you remain relevant to your current customers and attract new ones.

Number of visitors

Visitors are your website’s life blood and tracking the number of visitors your site receives will tell you whether or not your website audience is growing, shrinking or stagnating. Website traffic consists of new visitors and repeat visitors, with the number of new visitors indicating how effective your marketing efforts are. The number of repeat visitors indicates whether your website’s content is engaging and relevant. Your goal is to have both types of visitors increase.

Traffic sources

You also need to track the source of your visitors. There are three main traffic sources. Direct traffic comes from people typing your URL into their browsers and is a good indicator of your customers’ loyalty; organic search traffic comes from online search engines and is a good indicator of the effectiveness of your SEO efforts; referral traffic comes from other websites, blogs and social media and is a good indicator of the effectiveness of your promotional activities. Knowing where your visitors come from allows you to proactively deal with any changes in traffic patterns before they cause a serious problem.

Keyword search terms

Track which keywords people use when they conduct a search that leads them to your site to give you a better understanding of what type of product or information they were seeking. This way, you can optimize your content around the keywords that attract visitors and increase traffic to your site.

Bounce rate

Your bounce rate is also a crucial metric. A bounce occurs when a person visits your site and then leaves immediately without taking any action. A high bounce rate indicates your site does not effectively engage visitors, and you need to determine the underlying causes. Visitors may think your site is unattractive, or slow page load times can cause visitors to go elsewhere. Keep tweaking your site to see what is effective in lowering your bounce rate and improving visitor experience.

Conversion rate

Your conversion rate measures how effective your website is in getting visitors to perform an action you desire, whether it is requesting information or making a purchase. A low conversion rate may indicate you need to target your marketing more precisely or develop website content that is more engaging. Your conversion rate directly affects your bottom line, so constantly monitor this metric and modify your marketing strategy and site content as needed to increase your rate.

Don’t let poor website performance negate the positive results of tracking your website’s metrics. StatusCake can monitor your website’s downtime and performance so you can quickly take action if a problem occurs. Whether you are a large or small business, we are always here for you.