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 marketer or website owner, this scenario could be an absolute nightmare.

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;

What are website metrics?

Website metrics are numerical measurements of how well a website performs. They can help you understand how visitors interact with your site, how long they stay, and where they come from.

Some website metrics measure technical aspects like search engine optimization (SEO) and page load time, while others measure how well a site attracts visitors, engages them, and converts them into customers.

Now, you may be wondering where to start from.

Come along!

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 website 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 website 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 types of website 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 types of website 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 your website’s pages. Similar to tracking customers entering a physical store, website analytics record 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 website metrics, like pageviews and bounce rates, to understand how visitors interact with your site

2. Pageviews

Pageviews simply count 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 pageviews are generally positive, they must be considered in context with other website 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.

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.

4. Visit duration

Visit duration is basically how long a visitor spends on your SaaS website in one go. A longer visit duration means someone is watching most of your website (exploring your website content thoroughly), while a short duration may suggest they turned it off quickly (didn’t find what they needed or the site was confusing). Tracking visit duration helps you understand how engaging your website is.

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.

Related: Customer journey tracking

5. Bounce rate

The bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who leave your website after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate may 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 can 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.

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 engagement metrics with Usermaven

For engagement metrics like website visitors, pageviews, sessions, bounce rate, visit duration, and events, you need to follow the steps that are given below;

• Log in to Usermaven
• Choose the domain that you want to work on.
• Next, Go to web analytics.
• Click on the metrics you want to analyze.
• Analytics will be shown in numbers, pie charts, and graphs.

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
• Ads traffic
• Email traffic

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

7. Organic search

Organic search refers to unpaid website traffic that comes from search engines like Google. Tracking organic search is crucial for SaaS businesses because it reveals how well your website ranks for relevant keywords and attracts potential customers who are actively searching for solutions your service provides.

Why track organic search?

Here’s why you should pay attention to organic search metrics:

• Identify keyword performance: See which keywords are driving visitors to your site. This helps you understand what search terms potential customers are using and allows you to focus on optimizing your content for those keywords.
• Measure content effectiveness: Organic search traffic often comes from informative content like blog posts or product descriptions. By tracking organic search alongside content performance metrics, you can see which content resonates with your target audience and attracts qualified leads.
• Optimize user acquisition strategy: Understanding organic search traffic sources empowers you to tailor your overall user acquisition strategy. You can identify areas where organic search is strong and complement it with other marketing initiatives like social media or paid advertising.

8. Direct traffic

Direct traffic refers to website visitors who land on your site by typing the URL directly into their browser or clicking a link from a bookmark or saved location. While it might seem straightforward, understanding direct traffic can be surprisingly insightful for SaaS businesses.

Why track direct traffic?

• Brand awareness: A significant amount of direct traffic can indicate strong brand awareness. People familiar with your company or service might bypass search engines and head straight to your website.
• Identify user loyalty: Direct traffic can also suggest user loyalty. Existing customers or users who have had positive experiences may return directly to access your service.

9. Referral traffic

This refers to visitors who arrive at your website by clicking a link from another website. Tracking referral traffic helps you understand which external sources are driving qualified leads to your SaaS offering.

Why track referral traffic?

• Identify brand advocates:  High referral traffic from relevant websites or blogs can indicate brand advocacy. These sources are potentially recommending your service to their audience, driving valuable user acquisition.
• Optimize content marketing strategy: Referral traffic can be influenced by guest blog posts, industry reports, or other content collaborations. By tracking referrals, you can see which content partnerships are most effective and focus on building similar relationships.

10. Social media traffic

This refers to visitors who click on links to your website from social media platforms, regardless of whether the social media traffic is paid or organic. Tracking social media traffic allows you to measure the effectiveness of your social media marketing efforts across both organic content and paid advertising campaigns.

Why track social media traffic?

• Social media engagement: Social media traffic volume indicates how well your social media content resonates with your target audience.
• Optimize social media strategy: By analyzing which social media platforms drive the most traffic, you can tailor your content and engagement strategies for each platform to maximize reach and conversions.

Related: Social traffic in digital analytics

11. Ads traffic

This refers to visitors who arrive at your website after clicking on a paid advertisement displayed on search engines, social media platforms, or other websites. Tracking ad traffic allows you to measure the return on investment (ROI) of your paid advertising campaigns.

Why track Ads traffic?

• Measure campaign effectiveness: Ad traffic metrics help you assess which keywords, ad formats, and targeting strategies are most successful in attracting potential customers.
• Optimize Ad spend: By understanding which ads drive the most conversions, you can optimize your ad spend and allocate resources towards the most effective campaigns.

12. Email traffic

This refers to visitors who land on your website after clicking a link from an email you sent them. Tracking email traffic allows you to measure the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns.

Why track email traffic?

• Engage existing users: Email traffic can indicate the successful nurturing of existing users.  Targeted emails with relevant content or promotions can drive them back to your website for further engagement.
• Track campaign performance: By analyzing email traffic alongside email open rates and click-through rates, you can gauge the effectiveness of your email marketing efforts and tailor your content for better engagement.

Tracking traffic metrics in Usermaven

Usermaven simplifies traffic metric tracking! No code is required. Usermaven automatically captures data on visitors, including their source (organic search, referral, etc.) You can then view insightful reports and visualizations to understand how users find your website and what their journey looks like. You need to follow the steps that are given below;

• Log in to Usermaven
• Choose the domain that you want to work on
• Next, Go to web analytics
• Scroll down and reach Top Channels / Sources
• Analytics of each source will be shown in numbers.

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;

13. 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, initiat
  ing 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.

14. 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.

Related: How to locate users based on device type in Usermaven

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. 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.

Related: Landing & exit pages

19. 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 track comprehensive metrics?

Usermaven streamlines comprehensive tracking of device type (desktop, mobile, tablet) to understand how visitors arrive at your site. It then translates this data into insightful reports, allowing you to see the bigger picture of your conversion funnel.

You can analyze where visitors from various sources enter your site and how they navigate through your content. This comprehensive view empowers you to optimize your website and marketing efforts for a smoother user journey that ultimately leads to more conversions.

How do we use website metrics to drive 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 struggling to create brand awareness, boost 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. 

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 (visit duration, sessions, location, etc) with tools like Usermaven.  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.