Every small business owner knows their website is vital to their business success. But many owners don't know how to track the website's performance and make changes based on what they find. In this blog post, we'll teach you about the most essential website Metrics and how to use them to improve your website's performance.

By understanding these metrics, you'll be able to make data-driven decisions about your website and take it to the next level!

So let's get started!

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What Are Website Metrics?

Before we dive in, let's just set the foundation here of what website metrics are—fair enough?

Website metrics are how you measure the success of your website and digital marketing campaigns. Website metrics show how people find and interact with your site, what content they're consuming, and where they're going next.

By tracking the right website metrics, small business owners can make data-driven decisions that improve their website's performance and ROI.

There are a ton of website metrics out there, but which ones should you track? Below are 21 of the most important website metrics for small business owners to track on a weekly, monthly, and annual basis.

Do you need to track all 21 website metrics?

No, of course not. However, a little advanced knowledge can go a long way here. Track any combination of these or other metrics not mentioned here—whatever makes sense for you!

The 21 Website Metrics

1. Website Traffic (Weekly)

Website Traffic is the number of total site visitors your website gets in any specific period—including new and returning visitors.

You can easily track this traffic metric using Google Analytics or any other major web analytics tool.

Check your website traffic weekly to identify trends and ensure your site gets the overall traffic it deserves.

If you see a sudden drop in website traffic, it could indicate that something is wrong with your website or that your marketing campaigns are not working.

2. Website Leads (Weekly)

Website Leads can be a bit of a mystery. You know you need them and hear they're important, but what exactly are they? Website Leads are people who have visited your website and taken some action, such as filling out a form or subscribing to your email list. In other words, they're potential customers who have shown interest in what you have to offer.

Of course, simply having Website Leads is not enough. You must also know how to track them and what to do with them once you have their attention. That's where Landing Pages come in. Landing Pages are designed to capture Website Leads and convert them into customers.

Landing pages typically include a form for visitors to fill out and information about your product or service. Directing website leads to a Landing Page can increase the chances of turning them into paying customers.

So if you're looking to boost your Website Lead numbers, create a strong Landing Page. It may just be the key to unlocking your business's potential.

3. Website Sales (Weekly)

Website sales are, well, sales that directly result from your website. Therefore, this metric is critical to track because it shows how well your website converts visitors into customers.

Website metrics can be tricky to decipher, but Website Sales is a great metric to pay attention to because it tells you how successful your website is in converting site visitors into paying customers. If you're not tracking this metric, you're likely missing out on key insights into how effective your website is in driving revenue for your business.

Ecommerce sites, in particular, should pay close attention to their website sales numbers as it's a key metric in gauging the success of their online store.

If you want to ensure that your website is driving sales and generating revenue, start by tracking this key metric.

4. Website Speed (Weekly)

The Website Speed metric measures how fast your website loads. Website speed is crucial because it can impact your SEO, conversion rate, and user experience. You can improve your website speed by optimizing your images, using a content delivery network, and minifying your code.

One simple to use and effective tool you can use to measure website speed is Pingdom.

5. Website Uptime (Weekly)

Website Uptime is the percentage of time your website is available and accessible to new and returning visitors.

High website uptime is essential for ensuring that your website is always available when potential customers are trying to reach it.

A good website host such as SiteGround will typically provide this data as part of your web hosting plan.

6. Website Security (Weekly)

Website security is the level of protection your website has against hacking and other security threats. A secure website is vital for protecting your customers' personal information and for maintaining your website's credibility.

While web hosts offer some layer of security, using additional tools is recommended to secure your site properly. For example, one popular WordPress plugin for tracking website security is iThemes Security Pro—a reliable tool we've used over the years.

iThemes Security Pro will add not only numerous security layers but also track many important security metrics for you. A considerable headache relief and time saver.

7. Total Impressions (Monthly)

Website Total Impressions are the number of times your site appears in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). This metric helps you understand how visible your site is and whether or not people can find it easily.

Check your website's total impressions monthly to see if you're appearing in SERPs frequently and make changes if needed.

8. Total Clicks (Monthly)

Total Clicks measures how often people click on your website links—both internal links and external links. Total Clicks are important because they show how interested people are in what you have to say or offer.

If your total clicks are low, it could mean that your content isn't relevant to your audience or that your website design makes it hard for people to find your links.

You can improve your total clicks by improving your content strategy and ensuring your links are easy to find.

9. Click-Through Rate (Monthly)

Click-Through Rate is the percentage of people who click on your website links after seeing them in SERPs. This metric shows how successful your marketing campaigns are at getting people to visit your site.

You can improve your click-through rate by making your website links more visible and by creating more interesting and relevant content.

10. Social Shares (Monthly)

Social Shares measure how often people share your website content on social media—an important metric because it shows you how viral your content is.

If your content is being shared a lot, it means people find it valuable and are more likely to continue reading it or taking action on it.

If your social shares are low, it could mean that your content isn't relevant to your audience or that enough people are not seeing it.

You can improve your social shares by creating a more compelling content strategy and promoting your content on social media.

11. Time on Site (Monthly)

Time on Site measures the average time a visitor spends on your website—a vital website metric because it shows you how engaged people are with your website content.

If people spend a lot of time on your site, it means they find your content engaging and valuable.

If people spend only a few seconds on your site, it could mean that your content isn't relevant to your audience or that they can't find what they're looking for.

You can improve your time on site by creating better content and ensuring your website is user-friendly.

12. Pages per Visit (Monthly)

The Pages per Visit metric measures how many individual pages people are viewing on your website—a vital website metric because it shows you how much content people are consuming.

If people only view one page on your site, it could mean they're not finding your content valuable or can't find what they're looking for.

You can improve your pages per visit by creating more engaging and relevant content and ensuring your website is easy to navigate.

13. Bounce Rate (Monthly)

Bounce Rate is the percentage of people who leave your website after only viewing one page. A high bounce rate usually indicates that something is wrong with your website, such as poor design, slow loading times, or irrelevant content.

Aim for a monthly bounce rate below 40%. You can improve your bounce rate by improving your website design and creating more relevant and engaging content. You can also tell which pages seem to be the exit pages site visitors leave from the most—often an indicator that a particular page may need rework.

14. Website Conversion Rate (Monthly)

Website Conversion Rate is the percentage of site visitors who take the desired action on your website, such as signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase. This metric is crucial to online success for small business owners because it shows how effectively your website generates leads or customers.

Check your website conversion rate monthly to see if people are taking the actions you want them to and make changes if needed.

15. Total Keywords (Monthly)

Total Keywords measures how many keywords your website ranks in the top 100 in the SERPs. This metric helps you understand how visible your website is in search engines.

Check your website's total keywords monthly to see if you're ranking for the right keywords and make changes if needed.

16. Average Position (Monthly)

Average Position is the average position of your site in SERPs. Essentially, it's a way to measure your website's visibility in search results.

A high average position means your site appears near the top of the SERPs—where you want to be to attract organic search traffic. Conversely, if your average position is low, you must improve your SEO efforts.

There are a few different ways to track your average position. One is through Google Search Console. Go to the "Search Traffic" tab and click "Search Analytics." From there, you can see the average position for all the keywords you're ranking for.

17. Website Referrals (Monthly)

Website Referrals are the number of visitors who come to your site from another site. This metric helps you understand where your website traffic is coming from and whether or not your marketing efforts are working.

Check your website referrals monthly to see if your marketing campaigns are driving organic traffic to your site.

18. Domain Authority (Monthly)

Domain Authority is a metric created by Moz that measures how well your website will rank in search engines. The higher your domain authority, the better your chances are of ranking at the top of the SERPs.

You can improve your domain authority by creating high-quality content, building backlinks, and improving your on-page SEO.

19. Website Backlinks (monthly)

The Website Backlinks metric helps you understand how many other websites are linking to your website. Backlinks are vital because they help improve your website's visibility and search engine ranking—when done strategically and effectively, they are a critical traffic source.

Check your website's backlinks monthly to see if you're gaining or losing any, and make changes if needed.

20. Mobile-Friendliness (Monthly)

Mobile-Friendliness is a metric created by Google that measures how well your website works on mobile devices—a vital metric because more and more people are using their phones to browse the internet.

You can improve your mobile-friendliness by ensuring your website is responsive and using large font sizes and buttons.

21. Website Revenue (Annual)

The Website Revenue metric is the total amount of revenue that your website generates over the course of a year. Tracking your website's revenue will help you to see how successful your online business is and whether or not it is growing.

You can increase your website's revenue by generating more leads and converting more of them into customers.

3 Best Website Analytics Tools For WordPress Websites

As we have established so far, it's imperative to track your website metrics in order to identify which areas of your site are performing well and which ones need improvement. Luckily, there are plenty of web analytics tools available that can help you do just that.

Here is an overview of three of the best web analytics tools for tracking WordPress website metrics.

1. Google Analytics

Google Analytics is perhaps the most popular website metric tracking tool out there. It's free to use and provides a wealth of data about your website visitors, including their location, the devices they're using, and how they found your site.

You can also use Google Analytics to track conversion rates and other important metrics.

2. Rank Math

Rank Math is another excellent tool for tracking WordPress website metrics. It's a WordPress plugin that provides detailed insights about your website's SEO performance.

Rank Math also includes a keyword research tool that can be used to improve your site's ranking in search engines.

3. Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free tool provided by Google that gives you detailed information about your website's performance in Google search results.

You can use Google Search Console to track your website's click-through rate, average position in search results, and the number of impressions your site is getting.

You can also use Google Search Console to submit your website's sitemap to Google and to request that your site be indexed.

So there you have it—three of the best web analytics tools for tracking WordPress website metrics. Try out each and see which works best for you and your business. Thank me later!

But wait, there's more! 😉 Here's an honorable mention well worth noting.

Honorable Mention: SEMrush

SEMrush is a tool that provides insights about your website's organic traffic, paid traffic, and competitor analysis.

SEMrush also includes a keyword research tool and an SEO audit tool that can be used to improve your website's ranking in search engines.

For those interested in spying on their competition, SEMrush also includes a competitor analysis tool that can be used to find out what your competitors are doing right and where you can improve.

Please note that, unlike the above Website Analytics Tools, SEMrush is a paid tool. However, they offer a free trial, so you can try it out before you commit to a subscription.

Website Metrics FAQs

Link building is one of the most essential yet challenging SEO strategies. As a result, entrepreneurs often have questions about it. What follows are some of the more common link-building FAQs.

What are website metrics, and why should I track them?

Website metrics are numerical data points that provide information about how your website is being used.

They can give you insights into everything from which individual pages are being visited most often to how long users stay on your site.

By tracking the right metrics, you can identify areas where your website could be improved and make changes that boost conversion rates.

Which metrics should I track?

The answer to this question depends on your business goals.

If you're looking to increase website traffic, you'll want to focus on measures like average pageviews and unique visitors.

However, if your goal is to increase conversions, measures like time on site and bounce rate may be more relevant.

Ultimately, choosing the important metrics that will give you the most precise picture of how well your website performs against your goals is essential to your success.

How often should I check my metrics?

Again, this depends on your business goals.

Checking weekly or monthly may suffice if you're trying to grow web traffic. However, checking daily or even hourly may be necessary to spot real-time trends if you're focused on conversions.

The key is to find a balance that allows you to track your progress without getting bogged down in data overload.

How do I interpret my metric data?

Once you've decided which metrics to track and how often to check them, it's important to establish a baseline against which you can measure progress.

Start by taking a snapshot of your metric data at a given point in time (weekly, monthly, etc.), then continue tracking those numbers over time.

Comparing your current data points to your baseline will help you understand whether your efforts have the desired effect.

Final Thoughts: Website Metrics

Website metrics can be a busy entrepreneur's best friend—or worst enemy.

Tracking the right metrics can give you insights into how your website performs and help you optimize your content and design to boost website conversions.

On the other hand, tracking the wrong metrics can lead to wasted time and resources chasing after data that doesn't matter.

Hopefully, this article sheds a little light on the subject for you.

Do you track any other website metrics? Share in the comments below!

Want Further Assistance?

Still a bit unsure of what to track and when? Or maybe you'd like further guidance on how to leverage website metrics to grow your business online? Then, request a discovery session with us, and let's explore whether we are a good fit to help you.

Here's to your success!