Have you ever inspected what goes on behind the scenes of your website? Do you go through your website’s analytics? These are not just numbers and graphs, but important insights that help you evaluate your website’s performance. This data empowers you to take actionable steps to improve your site’s traffic, improve conversion, and drive engagement.Â
Today’s dynamic and fast-paced digital environment demands businesses to stay on top of critical data and harness it to make informed decisions. But what is critical data? What are the key website performance metrics you should track? Can you ignore a few web traffic metrics and concentrate on others? Are some web metrics more important than others?Â
If you are seeking answers to these questions, you are in luck! This blog explores some important website metrics that matter and influence your site’s user experience. Â
What are Website Performance Metrics?
Website performance metrics are tangible parameters that are primarily used to determine a website’s health. Website owners, digital marketers, and other relevant stakeholders use these insights to assess the site’s technical health and implement effective measures to improve the quality of the website. Â
Critical Website Metrics to Monitor and Improve Your Site’s Health
Today’s innovative tools track an array of website metrics and tracking all of them can get a bit overwhelming. We understand that, so we have listed some critical website metrics to help you create a foolproof web strategy. Â
1. Traffic Source
It is essential to track how people are coming to your website and where they are coming from. Are you attracting traffic from social media? Is it from your email newsletters? Or from a search engine query? Traffic sources can be further bifurcated into paid search, direct sources, organic search, referrals, and email. Â
You can determine the efficiency of your marketing campaigns across different web platforms by tracking where your audience is coming from. Â
2. Number of Pageviews per Session
The number of pageviews per session gives you a fair understanding of how engaging your site is. What do we mean by page views? Pageviews can be defined as the number of pages visited by a single user while browsing your site. Additionally, every time a webpage loads, it is counted as a unique pageview, so if someone refreshes the page three times, it will count as three page views. Â
3. Average Session DurationÂ
The global average session duration for websites is 2-3 minutes. Does your site’s average session duration beat this? If yes, you are on the right track. But what is the session duration? Session duration is the amount of time a visitor spends on your website per session. In this scenario, one session is equal to one user’s visit to your website or webpage. Â
4. Bounce RateÂ
The bounce rate indicates the number of website visitors who leave without interacting or engaging with your website, typically after going through one page. A website typically has a high bounce rate due to poor user experience and non-value-adding content. Â
5. Unique Visitor SessionsÂ
Unique visitors’ sessions are the number of unique visitors that visit your website during a pre-defined period. This data helps you determine how easily people can find your website and its overall popularity. Â
6. Conversion RateÂ
The conversion rate, as the name suggests is the number of conversions from your website. A whitepaper or content asset download, the completion of a web form, demo or free trial sign-ups, or a successful payment transaction are some of the most common types of website conversions. Â
7. Type of Devices
How does your audience access your website? Are they using a computer or reaching you on your mobile? It is essential to keep track of this website’s analytics metrics to analyse your device-specific performance levels and respond accordingly. For instance, if the bounce rate for mobile devices is higher than the bounce rate for tablets or a desktop, it indicates you need to improve the site’s mobile-friendliness. Similarly, the type of devices your audience uses equips website owners with crucial information to improve their core website metrics. Â
8. Exit RateÂ
Exit rate is the frequency or the number of website visitors who leave a specific web page. Each web page has a different exit rate; the average exit rate of all web pages is the exit rate of your website. Â
9. Loading SpeedÂ
As the name suggests, loading speed indicates the average time required to load all the elements of a web page including images, text, and other visual elements. The loading speed is calculated from the second a user clicks on the page’s URL to the time all the elements load. Â
10. High-performing Landing and Web Pages
You should know which web pages gain the maximum engagement, and views, and attract more traffic. Additionally, you should also monitor your best-performing landing pages when visitors reach your website through social media, newsletters, and other external links to determine what is working. Â
These insights help you improve your site’s user experience, boost conversions, and improve engagement. Â
Parting WordsÂ
Knowing which metrics to measure website performance is a good start to achieving your business objectives. However, it is worth noting that it requires consistent and timely efforts to ensure all the site traffic metrics and other website activity metrics are performing well and detect areas of improvement. Â
That said, you need to chalk out a plan and work accordingly. You should know which metrics to track and why you are tracking them. The best way to improve your website’s performance is by improving user experience, publishing relevant and value-added content, and creating a visually appealing interface. Â
Boost your website’s performance and drive results with professional SEO services from Crazy Domains. Start today and watch your traffic, conversions, and engagement soar!Â
Frequently Asked Questions
What is website performance monitoring?Â
Website performance monitoring is defined as the process of tracking and keeping an eye on important website performance metrics including page speed, conversion rate, exit rate, bounce rate, and more. Â
What are the common types of traffic sources? Â
Some common types of traffic sources include referrals, social media platforms, search engines, newsletters, paid campaigns, and organic searches. Â
What impact do website metrics have on SEO and user experience? Â
A website’s metrics influence the site’s SEO and overall user experience. User experience is one of the most important critical factors that can influence a site’s key metrics. Sites offering a pleasant user experience rank better than those with slower load times, poor navigation, and inconvenient layout.Â
What are the best practices for improving website accessibility for all users? Â
Improving the content structure, using contrasting and pleasing colour schemes, adding alt texts to all images, ensuring seamless navigation, minimising load speed, and fixing broken links are some of the best practices for improving website accessibility for all users.Â