Websites are often seen as a company’s storefront. This is the digital space where businesses can showcase their products or services, share achievements like awards and recognitions, highlight results through case studies, or build credibility through partnerships.
Websites can also serve as a platform for content creation, such as building a blog, or as a sales tool through an online store. Some companies use their site to connect with loyal customers, while others focus on acquiring new leads and clients.
The possibilities are endless, and each business should use this space in a way that best supports its objectives. However, depending on those goals, the way you measure website performance will differ. In this article, we’ll explore the key digital metrics companies should track, based on their defined objectives.
Defining Website Objectives
A website can serve multiple purposes, typically grouped into three categories: Awareness, Engagement, and Conversion. Companies may choose to prioritize one category or set specific goals across all three.
- Awareness: the first stage of the customer journey, when a visitor learns about the company, its products, and the solutions it offers.
- Engagement: the middle stage, before or after purchase, when users interact with the brand through dialogue or feedback.
- Conversion: the final stage, when the desired action occurs, such as a purchase or collecting customer data (e.g., email).
To make objectives clear and actionable, one of the most widely used frameworks is the SMART method:
- S = Specific: Goals must be precise and clearly defined.
- M = Measurable: Each goal must have an associated metric to track success.
- A = Attainable: Ambitious but realistic, not vague or unlimited.
- R = Relevant: Aligned with the company’s overall strategy.
- T = Time-Bound: With a deadline to assess performance and adjust if needed.
Example of a SMART goal: “Reach 500 more monthly visits to the homepage over the next two months.”
Once objectives are defined, continuous monitoring is essential to evaluate whether results are on track, exceeding expectations, or falling short. Regular analysis allows companies to either maintain their strategy or pivot to improve outcomes. For focused, objective analysis, define metrics that map directly to your goals. Your final report should include quantitative results (the numbers) and qualitative insights (what those numbers mean and what to do next).
Awareness Metrics
1. Page Visits
How many daily and monthly sessions does the website receive? Are they from the same visitor returning multiple times, or from new visitors? This metric combines both new and returning sessions, and most analytics tools also break out new vs. returning visitors.
2. Pages per Visit
How many pages does a user view in a single session? This indicates how deeply visitors navigate your internal links and content.
3. Exit Rate
Which pages are users leaving from? If they exit after just one page, it’s called the bounce rate. If they leave after visiting multiple pages, it’s the exit rate.
4. External References
Tied to SEO and link building, this measures how many other websites link to your pages—whether from blogs, online newspapers, or social media posts.
5. Traffic Sources
Did the visitor arrive via search results, social media, paid ads, or directly by typing the URL? This helps identify which channels drive the most traffic so you can invest accordingly.
6. Page Rankings
Which URLs are the most viewed across all sessions? Typically, the homepage ranks first, followed by key product, service, or content pages.
Engagement Metrics
1. Time on Page
How long do users stay on each page? This helps you gauge content relevance and depth of engagement.
2. Number of Comments
Blog comments or product reviews on e-commerce sites reflect user interaction. Even negative comments offer useful insights—brands should respond cordially whenever possible.
3. Page Shares
How often is a page shared? Many sites include share buttons to make this easier (e.g., an icon that opens an email link or copies the URL to the clipboard). Shares amplify reach and can drive incremental traffic.
Conversion Metrics
1. New Leads
New contacts—also known as leads—represent potential customers added to your company’s database (with prior, explicit consent). Tracking this shows how effectively your site generates opportunities.
2. Subscriptions
For sites integrated with email marketing platforms, the number of newsletter sign-ups is a key conversion indicator.
3. Sales
For e-commerce websites, tracking completed purchases is the most direct conversion metric, often accompanied by revenue, average order value (AOV), and conversion rate.
Tools for Measurement
Website analytics don’t stop here. There are specific metrics for social media, email marketing, SMS marketing, and more. While websites primarily rely on Google Analytics, other useful tools include Quintly, SocialBakers, Hotjar, and Piwik.
If you’d like to learn more about this topic, get in touch with the Digital Strategy team at Wola!