19 most important website metrics to track for growth

You’ve poured your heart and soul into developing a website.

It’s visually stunning, packed with valuable content, and perfectly represents your brand.

Great!

But here’s the gut punch – your traffic and conversions are slower than a snail in a race.

You’re left wondering, “What am I doing wrong?”

As a website owner or product marketer, this scenario hits home. Right?

You crave insightful data to diagnose the problem.

But with a sea of website metrics at your disposal, where do you even begin?

Well, the answer lies within this very blog!

We’ll cut through the clutter and reveal the important website metrics that matter most for growth.

Let’s begin with;

Focus on what matters!

Websites generate a staggering amount of data, from clicks and conversions to pageviews and bounce rates; there’s a metric for practically every user interaction.

But having too much data can be just as dangerous as having none.

Like a puzzle without a picture, businesses can feel lost in the sea of website data, not knowing where to start.

The problem? Focus is lost.

The key isn’t to track everything but to be strategic.

Instead of getting tangled in meaningless numbers, identify the metrics that truly matter for your business goals.

Website metrics to track

Website metrics are behind-the-scenes numbers that tell how people experience your website. They track things like the number of visitors (traffic), how long they stay on each page (engagement), and what actions they take (conversions).

By analyzing these metrics, you can see what’s grabbing attention and what’s causing people to leave. This valuable information helps you fine-tune your website to attract more visitors, keep them interested, and ultimately achieve your goals, whether that’s growing sales, building an audience, or spreading information.

Whether they are traffic metrics or engagement metrics, we will discuss each of these in detail,

Engagement metrics

Engagement metrics are the key to understanding how users interact with your website or app. They tell you whether visitors are finding your content valuable and staying. By tracking these metrics, you can identify areas for improvement and keep your audience engaged.

Here are some key engagement metrics to consider:

Visitors
Pageviews
Sessions
Visit Duration
Bounce Rate
Events

By analyzing these metrics, you can gain valuable insights into user behavior. For example, a high bounce rate combined with low visit duration might suggest that your landing page content needs to be improved.

Now, let’s discuss each of them in detail;

1. Website Visitors

Website visitors are individual users who access and browse the pages on your website. Similar to tracking unique customers entering a physical store, website analytics record unique visitors to understand the size of your online audience.

Why track visitors?

Overall traffic: Knowing the total number of visitors provides a basic picture of your website’s reach.
Traffic patterns: Analyzing visitor trends over time can reveal seasonal spikes or marketing campaign effectiveness.
User engagement: Visitor data can be combined with other metrics, like pageviews and bounce rates, to understand how visitors interact with your site.

Tracking visitors with Usermaven

For tracking website visitors, you need to follow the steps that are given below;

Login to Usermaven.
Choose the domain that you want to work on.
Next, go to Web Analytics and click Visitors.
Total Visitors, New Visitors, and Returning Visitors will be shown.

Visitor’s data in Usermaven

2. Pageviews

A page view simply counts the number of times each page on your website is loaded. It’s like a counter that tracks visitors’ viewing of individual pages. While many page views are generally positive, they must be considered in context with other metrics.

Why do pageviews matter?

Website traffic: High page views indicate a popular site, suggesting good brand awareness or marketing.
Content performance: Pages with high views show what content resonates with your audience.
Areas for improvement: Low pageviews might indicate a need for better content or user experience.

Tracking Pageviews with Usermaven

For tracking website pageview, you need to follow the steps that are given below;

Login to Usermaven.
Choose the domain that you want to work on.
Next, go to Web Analytics and click Pageviews.
Total Pageviews will be shown.

Pageviews in Usermaven

3. Website sessions

A single visitor might browse multiple pages during their visit. This entire browsing activity, encompassing all the pageviews and interactions within a defined timeframe, is called a session.

Why track sessions?

User engagement: Sessions provide a deeper understanding of how users interact with your website. Did they just view one page and leave, or did they delve deeper into your content?
Content flow: Analyzing session data can reveal how users navigate your website. This helps identify areas where users might be getting lost or confused.
Conversion tracking: Sessions become even more crucial when measuring website goals like purchases or form submissions. You can track which pages users visit before completing these actions.

Tracking sessions with Usermaven

For tracking sessions, you need to follow the steps that are given below;

Login to Usermaven.
Choose the domain that you want to work on.
Next, go to Web Analytics and click Sessions.
Total recorded Sessions will be shown.

Sessions in Usermaven

4. Visit Duration

Visit duration acts like a timer for each unique visitor, tracking their entire session on your website. This metric provides valuable insight into user engagement. A longer duration might indicate they’re finding your content interesting and navigating various pages, while a short duration could suggest they’re not finding what they need or the site is difficult to use.

Why track visit duration?

Engagement level: Longer visit durations generally indicate higher user engagement. Visitors who spend more time are likely more interested in your content or offerings.
Content performance: Pages with a high average visit duration suggest content that resonates with your audience and keeps them hooked.
Identifying drop-off points: Low visit durations might indicate areas where users are losing interest and leaving your site prematurely.

Tracking Visit Duration with Usermaven

For tracking website visit duration, you need to follow the steps that are given below;

Login to Usermaven.
Choose the domain that you want to work on.
Next, Go to web analytics and click visit duration.
Visit duration in minutes will be shown.

Visit duration in Usermaven

5. Bounce Rate

The bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who leave your website after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate could indicate that your website is not relevant to their search intent or that your navigation is confusing.

Why track Bounce Rate?

Identifying unengaging content: High bounce rates can indicate content that fails to capture visitor interest, prompting them to leave immediately.
Optimizing landing pages: Landing pages designed for specific goals like conversions should have low bounce rates. High bounce rates suggest that the landing page might not effectively communicate its value proposition.
Website usability issues: Technical problems or confusing navigation can lead to frustration and high bounce rates.

Tracking Bounce Rate with Usermaven

To track the bounce rate, you need to follow the steps that are given below;

Login to Usermaven.
Choose the domain that you want to work on.
Next, Go to web analytics and click bounce rate.
The bounce rate will be shown.

Bounce rate in Usermaven

6. Events

Website analytics like pageviews and sessions provide a foundation, but to truly understand user behavior, you need to delve deeper. This is where events come in. An event is any specific action a user takes on your website beyond simply loading a page.

Examples of Events:

Clicking a button (e.g., “Add to Cart”)
Submitting a form (e.g., contact form, newsletter signup)
Watching a video
Downloading a file
Engaging with a chat widget

Why track Events?

Understanding user actions: Events provide granular details about how users interact with your website’s features and functionalities.
Conversion tracking: Track key actions that lead to your business goals, like purchases, signups, or content downloads.
User journey analysis: By combining event data with other metrics, you can map out user journeys and identify areas where users might be dropping off or encountering difficulties.

Tracking Events with Usermaven

For tracking website events, you need to follow the steps that are given below;

Login to Usermaven.
Choose the domain that you want to work on.
Next, Go to web analytics and click events.
All event activities, including auto-captured events, pinned events, and custom events, will be shown.

Event tracking in Usermaven

Traffic metrics

Understanding where your website traffic comes from is crucial for optimizing your marketing efforts. Here are some common traffic sources to track:

Organic search
Direct traffic
Referral traffic
Social media traffic

Here’s a breakdown of the four main traffic sources and how Usermaven tracks them:

7. Organic search

Imagine someone searching for “best running shoes” on Google and landing on your website selling athletic wear. This visitor arrived through an organic search. Usermaven categorizes visitors as an organic search if:

Search engine referral: The visitor’s arrival is registered as coming from a search engine like Google, Bing, or DuckDuckGo.
No UTM parameters: There are no UTM parameters (tracking codes added to URLs) present in the visitor’s referring link. UTM parameters can sometimes indicate a paid search campaign, so their absence reinforces organic origin.

How Usermaven tracks Organic Search

Usermaven automatically analyzes the referring source and absence of UTM parameters to classify visitors as organic search. No additional setup is required.

Organic search traffic in Usermaven

8. Direct traffic

Direct traffic refers to visitors who bypass search engines and type your website address directly into their browser bar or click on a saved bookmark. Usermaven categorizes visitors as direct traffic if:

No referring information: There’s no identifiable referring website or source in the visitor’s data.
No UTM parameters: Similar to organic search, the absence of UTM parameters strengthens the case for direct traffic.

How Usermaven tracks direct traffic:

Usermaven identifies the lack of referring information and UTM parameters to classify visitors as direct traffic. This is automatic tracking as well.

Direct traffic in Usermaven

9. Referral traffic

Referral traffic counts visitors who arrive from other websites by clicking links. It reveals where your website gains attention and highlights potential partnerships or content collaborations.

How Usermaven tracks referral traffic

Usermaven analyzes the referring website information in the visitor’s data. If the visitor came from a known website (not a search engine), it’s classified as referral traffic.

Referral traffic in Usermaven

Visitors who click on links to your website shared on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram are categorized as social media traffic.

Usermaven offers comprehensive analytics on social traffic, covering user behavior, engagement metrics, and conversion tracking. It equips businesses with valuable insights to optimize their social media strategies for improved outcomes.

Additionally, some social media platforms might add UTM parameters to their links, which Usermaven would then recognize and categorize as social media traffic.

Organic social traffic in Usermaven

Comprehensive website metrics

The comprehensive website metrics encompass a range of crucial data points, including conversion rates, device types, geographic locations, top pages, entry and exit pages, and keyword performance.

Let’s get into the details of these;

11. Conversions

Conversions are the lifeblood of any website. They represent those crucial actions visitors take that demonstrate an interest in your product, service, or offer. These actions could be anything from signing up for a newsletter to making a purchase.

Examples of Conversions:

E-commerce: Completing a purchase, adding items to a cart, initiating checkout.
Lead generation: Submitting a contact form, downloading a white paper, and signing up for a free trial.
Engagement: Watching a video for a certain duration and subscribing to a push notification list.

Why track Conversions?

Tracking conversion rates can help you in several ways. Some of these are;

Measuring marketing effectiveness: Track how your marketing efforts translate into actual website actions, allowing you to refine your strategies for better results.
Optimizing sales Funnel: Identify areas in your sales funnel where visitors might be dropping off and make improvements to increase conversions.
Calculating ROI: By understanding conversion rates, you can calculate the return on investment (ROI) for your marketing campaigns.

Tracking Conversions with Usermaven

Usermaven automatically tracks these events and displays conversion data in your dashboard. You can see conversion rates, identify trends, and analyze user behavior leading up to conversions.

Conversion goals in Usermaven

12. Device type

It’s essential to track how visitors are accessing your website (desktop, mobile, tablet). This data helps ensure your website offers a positive user experience across all devices.

Why track device type?

Mobile-first optimization: With the majority of web traffic now coming from mobile devices, ensuring your website is mobile-friendly is essential. Analyzing device-type data helps you identify areas where your mobile website might need improvement.
Responsive design: Understanding the device breakdown of your visitors allows you to tailor your website’s design and functionality for optimal viewing on all screen sizes.
Targeted content: Device type data can inform content strategy. For example, you might offer a streamlined mobile experience with bite-sized content while providing more in-depth information on desktops.

Tracking device type with Usermaven

The beauty of Usermaven? Usermaven automatically detects the device type (desktop, mobile, tablet) used by each visitor. No need for complex code implementation.

Device type data in Usermaven

13. Location tracking

In website metrics, location data refers to information about the geographic location of your website visitors. This data can be derived from a user’s IP address and provides valuable insights into your audience’s demographics and behavior.

Importance of location tracking in website metrics:

Targeted content and marketing: Understanding where your visitors come from allows you to tailor content and marketing messages to resonate better.

For instance, an e-commerce store might display products or promotions relevant to a visitor’s location. Imagine someone searching for winter clothes – if they’re in Alaska, you’d prioritize different items compared to someone in Miami.

Local SEO: For businesses with a physical presence, location data is crucial for local SEO efforts. By knowing where your online traffic originates,
you can optimize your website for local search terms and increase your chances of appearing in the search engine results pages.
Improved user experience: Location data allows you to personalize the user experience. This could involve displaying local currency or time zones or providing content specific to a user’s region.

For example, a news website might showcase local headlines based on a visitor’s location.

How does Usermaven help track location data?

Usermaven can track user location data (with user consent, following all privacy regulations). This data empowers you to make informed decisions about your website and marketing strategies based on the geographic makeup of your audience.

Location data in Usermaven

14. Top Pages

In website metrics, top pages refer to the web pages on your site that receive the highest volume of traffic (user views) within a chosen time frame.

Why track top pages?

Understanding user preferences: Top pages reveal what content resonates most with your audience. This helps you identify successful content strategies and areas to replicate or expand upon.
Content optimization: Analyzing top pages allows you to see which content performs well and tailor future content to match user interests.
Identifying conversion points: If your top pages align with your conversion goals (e.g., product pages, contact forms), it indicates a strong user journey toward conversions.

How does Usermaven help track top pages?

Usermaven can track top pages. It will show you which pages have the most views within a chosen timeframe, their scroll depth, time on the page, and other data.

Top pages data in Usermaven

15. Entry Pages

Entry pages are the specific web pages on your website where visitors first land during their session. These can originate from various sources like search engines, social media links, or external referring websites.

Why track entry pages?

Understanding traffic sources: By analyzing entry pages, you can see which channels are driving the most traffic to your website. This helps you identify the effectiveness of your marketing efforts across different platforms.
Content optimization for Acquisition: Knowing which entry pages attract visitors allows you to optimize that content to further improve acquisition from those specific channels.
Campaign measurement: Entry pages play a crucial role in measuring the success of specific marketing campaigns. You can track how many visitors landed on a designated entry page from a particular campaign.

Related: Landing and exit pages

How does Usermaven help track entry pages?

Usermaven can track entry pages. It will show you which pages users visit first and how they arrived there (organic search, social media referral, etc.). It will provide a number of total entrances, entry rates, and related data.

Entry Page data in Usermaven

16. Exit Pages

Exit pages are the final web pages a visitor views before leaving your website. In simpler terms, it’s the last page in their session before they “exit” the site.

Why track exit pages?

Identifying user drop-off points: High exit rates on specific pages indicate potential problems in the user journey. This could be due to confusing navigation, lack of clear calls to action, or irrelevant content.
Understanding user engagement: Analyzing exit pages helps you gauge user engagement throughout the website. Pages with low exit rates might suggest areas where users are finding the information or experience valuable.
Conversion optimization: By looking at exit pages before conversion points (like checkout pages), you can identify potential roadblocks preventing users from completing desired actions.

How does Usermaven help track exit pages?

Usermaven can track exit pages. It will show you which pages users viewed before leaving your website. It will provide data about total exits, unique exits, and related information.

Exit Page data in Usermaven

17. Keyword metrics

Keywords are the words and phrases people type into search engines like Google or Bing to find information online. They act as a bridge between searchers and the content they seek. In the context of a website, these keywords represent the topics, products, or services you offer.

Importance of tracking keywords:

Enhanced visibility: Search engines rely on keywords to understand the content on your website. By strategically incorporating relevant keywords throughout your website (titles, meta descriptions, content), you increase your chances of appearing in search results when users enter those search terms. This translates to a significant boost in website traffic and potential customers.
Informed content strategy: Keywords offer a window into your audience’s mind. By tracking the keywords that drive traffic to your site, you gain valuable insights into what people are searching for and what resonates with them. This knowledge empowers you to create targeted content that directly addresses their needs and interests.
SEO optimization: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of improving your website’s ranking in search results. Keywords play a crucial role in SEO. By strategically using relevant keywords and optimizing your website for them, you can significantly improve your ranking and gain a competitive edge.

How does Usermaven help track keywords?

Usermaven can reveal which keywords are driving the most traffic to your website. This helps you understand which keywords are most effective in attracting visitors and where to focus you
r SEO efforts.

Keyword data in Usermaven

How do we use website metrics to drive growth?

Website metrics are a treasure trove of information, offering a window into how users navigate and interact with your website. But this data becomes truly transformative when harnessed to propel growth. Here’s how you can unlock the strategic potential of website metrics:

Align metrics with goals: The first step is to identify the metrics that resonate most with your specific business objectives. Are you striving to cultivate brand awareness, amplify lead generation, or drive online sales?

Having a clear vision for your website’s purpose allows you to select the relevant metrics that directly tie into those goals. For example, if your primary focus is lead generation, you’ll want to track metrics like conversion rates on contact forms or sign-up pages.

Conversely, if brand awareness is your priority, you might prioritize metrics like social media engagement or website traffic sources to understand where your audience is coming from.

Embrace data-driven decisions: Once you’ve identified the key metrics, move beyond simply collecting data and delve into analysis. Look for trends and patterns that can shed light on user behavior and pinpoint areas for improvement.

Are visitors abandoning their carts at the checkout stage? A high bounce rate on a specific product page might indicate a need for clearer product descriptions or high-quality visuals. By deciphering these insights, you can make data-driven decisions to optimize your website for a more engaging and user-friendly experience.

End-note

Website metrics are a powerful tool for understanding your audience and optimizing your website for growth. They act like a compass, guiding you towards the actions that will resonate most with your visitors.

You can transform your website into a lead-generation machine and achieve your business goals by tracking the right metrics, taking action on your insights, and continuously testing and improving.

Think of it as an ongoing conversation with your audience, where you listen, learn, and adapt to create a website that converts. Any confusion?

FAQs

1. What are the most important website metrics to track for growth?

While it depends on your goals, common metrics include:

Traffic: Total visitors and unique visitors
Engagement: Time spent on site, bounce rate (visitors leaving after one page)
Conversions: Desired actions (e.g., purchases, sign-ups)

2. How can I use website metrics to improve user experience (UX)?

Track user behavior with tools like Usermaven (visit duration) and sessions. See where users struggle (high bounce rate pages) and optimize for smoother navigation.

3. How often should I track website metrics?

Monitor key metrics regularly (daily/weekly) to identify trends. Deep dives into specific metrics can be done less frequently (monthly/quarterly), depending on your needs.

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