If you don't know what success looks like, it becomes difficult to evaluate whether your website is effective. Success metrics help answer an important question: Is our website accomplishing its goal and objectives?
Connect Metrics to Goals
Different goals and objectives require different measurements.
Informational Sites
Possible metrics:
- Page views
- Engagement time
- Content usage
- Search activity
Recruitment Sites
Possible metrics:
- Program inquiries
- Application clicks
- Event registrations
- Contact form submissions
Support Sites
Possible metrics:
- Help article views
- Reduced support requests
- Resource downloads
- FAQ engagement
Conversion Sites
Possible metrics:
- Form completions
- Registrations
- Appointment requests
- Sign-ups
Select a Small Number of Metrics
Avoid tracking everything. Start with three to five meaningful measurements that connect directly to your website goals.
Example:
| Goal | Metric |
|---|---|
| Recruit students | Program inquiry submissions |
| Support faculty | Knowledge base usage |
| Promote events | Event registrations |
Review Metrics Regularly
Metrics should be reviewed on an ongoing basis.
Consider:
- Monthly reviews for active sites
- Quarterly trend analysis
- Annual goal evaluations
Regular review helps identify opportunities to improve content and user experience.
Activity
Complete this statement:
Our website will be successful if ____________________.
Then identify three metrics that would help measure that success.