Website metrics serve as key insight generators for successful online strategies.
They give you a clear idea of where you stand and how to optimize your website. Google Analytics Dashboard is an indispensable asset for harnessing this power of knowledge. The only problem is it showcases a plethora of different website metrics.
It’s quite easy to get overwhelmed or confused.
But, there’s a way to make sense of it all. You just have to be selective and strategic about what you want to achieve. The utmost priority is to focus your attention where it matters the most.
Here are the 10 metrics you cannot go wrong tracking.
1. Conversion Rate
All online-facing businesses strive to turn visitors into well-paying customers.
To pull this off, they measure new or unique visitor conversions. These indicators denote a portion of visitors that take an action such as purchase or subscription.
Of course, the main objective is to maximize conversions. The best way to do it via a user-friendly, easy-to-navigate environment.
2. Bounce Rate
Bounce rate refers to the number of times new visitors leave the site immediately.
In other words, they don’t interact with page elements at all. Thus, high bounce rates are indicative of poor design, complicated navigation, shabby content, etc.
To plug these leaks, you have to improve user experience (UX). In the process, you also have an opportunity to increase time spent on site and number of interactions.
3. Traffic Sources
It’s a good idea to track where your website traffic is coming from.
Namely, there are three primary sources: organic search, direct visitors, and referral visitors. These categories differ wildly in terms of traffic quality.
This is to say they are also linked to varying levels of conversions. Organic search is still the king in this regard, which is why you may want to put an emphasis on SEO.
4. Interactions per Visit
Even visitors that don’t convert pose a valuable source of information.
You want to monitor what they do on the website— how many interactions with the digital environment they undertake. Mapping this out allows you to see how customer journey through the site looks like.
Based on the insights, you should be able to steer behavior toward desired outcomes.
5. Session Duration
Our next indicator is rather straightforward.
It tells you how long an average visitor spends on your website. This is directly correlated to website information and content relevancy for visitors. However, long session duration can also suggest some problems with the UX.
For example, maybe you presented too much information or a plethora of navigation options. This would force visitors to invest more time and effort than necessary.
6. Most Popular Content
Not all content is created equal and your visitors are well-aware of this.
Therefore, it makes sense to discover what works and what doesn’t. Drawing this line of distinction enables you to save a lot of resources in the long run.
So, make sure to observe the most popular landing pages and posts. Replicating them should allow you to tap into a steady stream of repeat traffic.
7. Top Exit Pages
On the other hand, top exit pages reveal where your website shortcomings are.
The metric points out to pages that were last visited during sessions. People could have gone on to browse your website more, but they didn’t. If the exit rate is particularly high, there could be something turning visitors away.
Your job is to find out what exactly that is and fix it.
8. Google AMP Report
Google’s Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) is the new benchmark for mobile-friendliness.
The open-source initiative has made mobile optimization a key part of the ranking equation. Its purpose is to make web content render faster for mobile users. So, do your SEO strategy a favor and integrate Google AMP for reporting purposes.
That’s the way to drive more engagement and conversions across smaller screen sizes.
9. Visitor Location
Knowing where your traffic originates from is a valuable piece of knowledge.
It gives you a business focus and lets you better cater to people’s wants, interests, and needs. Thus, run your Console. Click on the Audience, select Geo, and then choose Location.
This option segments the audience according to their home country. You can also use location as a filter for other metrics in Google Analytics. Pretty convenient, isn’t it?
10. Site Speed
Most internet users have an insatiable need for speed.
Search engines know this and reward websites that load faster. To leverage this ranking factor, use free online tools to see where you stand. Believe it or not, even a fraction of a second makes a difference.
So, trim pages overloaded with media, clutter, and graphic elements. You will decrease bounce rates and outpace the competition in one stroke.
Use Website Metrics to Inform Your Strategy
There are many moving parts to achieving online prominence.
Some metrics are red flags and others are green lights. They all have a direct effect on each other and profoundly shape your prospects.
The basic idea is simple.
You establish an order of priority and allocate your resources accordingly. You use website metrics that reflect your brand, as well as business needs and goals. The final step is to take action based on the numbers.
Contact us to learn more about supercharging your business with technology. It’s time to arm yourself with knowledge and get ahead of the game.
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