Your website is a source of valuable insight into your audience and overall sales and marketing effectiveness. Understanding your website metrics helps you identify what’s working, where users drop off and how to create a stronger online experience that converts. But what do these numbers actually mean and how can you utilize them to improve your site’s health?
In this post, we’ll reference the metrics and terminology defined by Google Analytics 4 (GA4), the industry standard for website metrics tracking. Keep in mind, while many analytics tools measure similar things, the names and calculations can vary (for example, GA4’s “sessions” are called “visits” in Squarespace or WordPress). Regardless of naming nuances, here are 8 website metrics categories that can help move your brand to the next level.
Users and sessions: Measuring your reach and activity
Before diving into complex analytics, start with the basics: users and sessions. These two core website metrics offer a clear snapshot of your audience size and engagement level.
- Users represent the total number of unique visitors who have come to your website during a specific time period.
- Sessions measure how many times users visit. If someone visits your site twice, that’s one user but two sessions.
Why it matters: A growing number of users signals increased brand visibility, while repeat sessions show consistent interest or returning visitors. Tracking both helps you understand your reach and audience loyalty.
Traffic sources: Where your visitors come from
Knowing how visitors land on your site is key to understanding which marketing channels are delivering results. Your traffic sources provide valuable insight into your audience’s buyer journey—from top-of-funnel awareness to bottom-funnel conversion.
Common traffic sources include:
- Organic search: Visitors finding your site through Google or other search engines.
- Direct traffic: People typing your URL directly into their browser.
- Referral traffic: Visitors coming from links on other websites.
- Social traffic: Users arriving through social media platforms.
- Paid traffic: Clicks from ads or pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns.
Why it matters: Understanding your traffic sources provides valuable context on where and how your audience finds your website, helping you allocate your marketing budget and focus on the channels that drive the most qualified visitors.
Engagement rate: The new measure of user interaction
In GA4, “bounce rate” has been replaced by a more meaningful metric: engagement rate. Instead of focusing on who leaves after one page, GA4 highlights the percentage of sessions where users actively interacted with your site. An engaged session means a visitor spent at least 10 seconds on your page, viewed multiple pages or completed a key action such as a form fill or click.
Why it matters: A higher engagement rate shows that visitors are spending time exploring your content and taking meaningful actions. If your engagement rate dips, it may signal issues with page speed, design or content relevance. Reviewing underperforming pages and improving navigation, calls to action or on-page value can help re-engage visitors and increase conversions.
Pageviews: Measuring how visitors explore your site
Pageviews show how many times users have viewed a page, including repeat views within the same session. This metric helps you understand which pages attract the most attention and how visitors move through your site. Paired with engagement data, it offers valuable insight into what content keeps users interested, and where they might lose momentum.
Why it matters: A high number of pageviews across multiple pages suggests users are actively exploring your site and finding your content relevant. If most traffic lands on one or two pages without moving deeper, it may be time to improve your internal links, refine your calls to action, or create stronger pathways that encourage continued engagement.
Conversion rate: The ultimate performance indicator
All the traffic in the world won’t help your business if visitors don’t take action. Your conversion rate measures how effectively your site turns interest into outcomes.
Why it matters: A strong conversion rate shows your design, content and calls to action are aligned with user intent. Whether your goal is a purchase, form fill or registration, monitoring this metric helps ensure your website is achieving its business purpose.
New vs. returning visitors: Tracking loyalty
Healthy websites attract new visitors and keep them coming back for more. The new vs. returning visitors metric highlights how well you’re balancing awareness with retention.
For context, most websites see a returning visitor rate between 15% and 25%, meaning the majority of traffic comes from new users discovering the site for the first time. Content-heavy or news sites, however, often see much higher rates (sometimes 60–70% or more) since their audiences check back regularly for updates. If your site is newer or still building credibility and domain authority, expect a higher share of new visitors (around 80–90%), which is normal. As your visibility grows and users begin returning for more content, that returning visitor percentage will naturally increase over time.
Why it matters: Returning visitors indicate trust and engagement, while new visitors show your brand’s ability to reach new audiences. Tracking both helps shape campaigns that nurture relationships while expanding your reach.
Mobile vs. desktop performance: Optimizing for every device
Today’s users expect seamless experiences, no matter the screen size. Analyzing how your website performs on mobile vs. desktop helps you ensure accessibility and consistency across devices.
Why it matters: With mobile traffic now dominating, a responsive and fast-loading mobile site is critical for both SEO and user satisfaction. Monitoring device-based performance ensures that no matter how visitors access your site, they get the best experience possible.
Site health: Looking beyond the numbers
All metrics point to one larger story—your overall site health. This includes everything from speed and SEO to technical performance and accessibility.
Why it matters: A healthy site performs better in search rankings, keeps users engaged and builds credibility. Regular audits help identify technical issues, improve load times and ensure that your website continues to deliver value over time.
Understanding website analytics is only valuable if it leads to smarter marketing decisions. By regularly reviewing your metrics, you can identify trends, strengthen your content strategy and improve user experience—all of which contribute to better business outcomes.
Ready to make sense of your website numbers? Flying Orange can help you decode your analytics, identify opportunities and web design strategies that drive real growth. Contact us today for a free website audit and start transforming data into actionable direction.
Frequently asked questions about website metrics
What are the most important website metrics to track?
Focus on users, sessions, traffic sources, top pageviews, and conversion rate. These provide a strong snapshot of your website performance and marketing effectiveness.
What is a good engagement rate?
It varies by industry, but an engagement rate between 50-60% is generally average, but context matters. Lower rates (e.g. 40–50 %) aren’t necessarily bad, especially for new sites, niche industries or traffic from paid sources.
How often should I check my website analytics?
A monthly review is ideal for tracking trends, though weekly check-ins can help catch sudden changes in traffic or conversion rates.
What tools can I use to track my website metrics?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the industry standard, but tools like Moz, Ahrefs and SEMrush, can offer deeper insights into behavior, SEO and content performance.
Why do my website metrics fluctuate?
Seasonal trends, marketing campaigns, algorithm updates, or even design changes can all affect traffic and engagement. Monitoring your data over time helps you spot patterns and make informed decisions.
Flying Orange has been a trusted development resource since 2007, meaning we’ve seen our fair share of design trends. Feel free to reach out for a free quote. We’re here to help with both ongoing, monthly website maintenance, or full website redesigns. We would love to learn more about your needs.