There are many web analytic tools out there, which you can find some of them in the resource page. They provide us with various data that are intimidating and overwhelming. However, If you are new to web analytics, you’d better start with some basic metrics that are commonly found on all analytics tools. Once you understand these basics web metrics, you can pick the right metrics to analyze and improve your web performance, and develop your data portfolio and dig deeper into other more complicated web metrics.
1. Visits (sessions)
Visits mean that someone come to your website and start browsing your web page. In fact, this visitor’s interaction with your web page is called session.
In Google Analytics, for example, a session or visit is referred to as period from a visitor’s first request to the last request. If this visitor doesn’t take another action or request and simply leaves the browser open and walks away, the visit session will terminate within a particular time period.
2. Unique visitors
A unique visitor is referred to as a distinct individual that comes to your website for a certain time period. A unique visitor can have many visits or sessions. This is one of the best web metrics that tell the amount of different visitors that arrive at your website, a good indicator of site popularity.
3. Pageviews
Pageviews indicates the total number of pages viewed by visitors. This metric is particularly used to indicate a website popularity. However, as fewer pages views are counted because of increased use of flash and online video on websites, this metric is not a good indicator of web popularity as it used to be.
4. Bounce rate
Bounce rate is the percentage of single page visits. This metric is used to measure the percentage of those who visit your website and immediately leave without interacting with your page.
For example, if your website got 100 visits today, and 20 of them left your site without giving your site one pathetic click, then your bounce rate 20%.
Bounce rate analysis can help you find out why people are leaving and try to improve your content on your website to attract and keep visitors around.
5. Exit rate
Exit rate indicates the rate of how many people leave your website from a certain page. Therefore, it discloses the pages on your website that send people away. However, everyone who comes to your website has to leave. Maybe they come to your website and make a purchase then leave. Remember, some pages on your site have a high exit rate like your order receipt page.
However, a high exit rate on other pages like your product pages or info pages indicates that those pages have some problems. You need to figure it out and improve your content.
6. Conversion rate
If you are running an e-commerce website, then conversion rate metric is very important to you. Conversion rate is the percentage of visitors who take an action on your site. Actions are things like completing a purchase, filling out a research form, or subscribe your newsletter.
Conversion rate is important because it indicates and measures how successful your website is. Low conversion rates show that either your target customers is too broad or you fail to convince your audiences how they will be better off after using, trying or buying your products or services.
In conclusion
These are the six basic web metrics that are widely applied on many web analytics tools. For the beginners of web analytics, it’s better to start with these basic metrics instead of dive into those more complicated ones that make people overwhelmed or confusing. Once you are comfortable with these basic metrics and know which ones are most useful for analyzing and improving your website, then you can explore any other web metrics that suitable to your site.
