10 website engagement metrics online businesses need to track, analyze

Running a successful website means tracking and analyzing key metrics that tell a powerful story about your users' behavior and engagement. 

But getting the full picture of how your users feel and interact means measuring a wide range of website engagement metrics that reveal behavior patterns over time. With so much data at your fingertips, it can be hard to know which ones to focus on. 

Our guide to the top website engagement tracking metrics shows you exactly what and how to measure engagement on your site. We’ll help you spot potential growth opportunities and make changes to your site to better meet user needs. 

Top 10 engagement metrics to track to build a better website

Measuring website engagement is the process of tracking specific metrics that indicate how successful your site is at capturing attention and retaining visitors. It shows you how users engage with your site. 

Understanding how your visitors are engaging and identifying blockers to website engagement can improve your user experience (UX) and help you better meet customer needs. Let's explore  the different types of engagement metrics you can use for website monitoring to track and analyze user engagement and understand your customers’ experiences on your site.

1. Average time on page

Average time on page measures the amount of time your users spend on specific web or product pages.  It gives you insights into your top-performing web pages, and shows you which ones need to be optimized for a more enticing customer experience (CX). 

For example, let’s say you’ve created a new page featuring product demos and descriptions—but your users' average time on the page is below 10 seconds. This is a good indicator that either your page content or messaging isn’t resonating with users, or that they’re having problems using it. You can then redesign your webpage to break up product information into smaller chunks, or more visually appealing segments. You might also check that all the page media is working correctly and make any necessary fixes.

Calculate average time on page by taking the total time users spend on a page and dividing it by the total number of page views, minus the number of page exits—or let web analytics tools do the math for you 😉. 

Then, watch replays of user sessions to gain deeper insights into exactly what users are drawn to or where they get distracted on the page. This will show you how they’re really interacting with your web pages.

2. Average session duration 

Average session duration measures the average length of user sessions on your website. A low average session duration may indicate that your website content, design, or product offering is failing to fully capture your users’ attention— causing them to drop off and possibly continue their search elsewhere. 

Measure average session duration with web analytics tools like Google Analytics or Contentsquare. These tools track the time from when a user lands on your site to when they exit or become inactive. 

Then, combine your average time on page and average session duration metrics to go even deeper. For example, you might have a long average session duration, but notice a specific page has low time on page and high exit rates. This insight lets you pinpoint where you need to take action, and which pages to optimize first to increase your average session duration—and captivate users throughout their journey. 

3. Page views

Page views is the number of times a page is loaded or reloaded by a user in a web browser. It helps you understand if your individual web pages are getting clicks and how popular they are. 

First, use web analytics tools to calculate your page views and gauge whether your pages are engaging users. 

Then, look at Contentsquare’s Heatmaps capability for an in-depth view of exactly where users click and how far down they scroll on a page. With these insights, you’ll know which page elements users are drawn to and compel them to use your product offering. Use these insights to optimize your least engaging pages with user-centric content and UX design changes.

Heatmaps show you key engagement areas on your website and CTAs, so you know what to improve

4. Pages per session

Pages per session is a metric that tracks the total number of pages visited on your website in a single user session. This helps you understand whether your web pages inspire visitors to keep clicking, and whether your UX is intuitive throughout their customer journey. 

Calculate pages per session by dividing the total number of page views by the number of user sessions. Then, combine the insights you’ve gathered on page views with your pages per session data, to see where you can optimize your site with internal links, clickable images, and CTAs that’ll get more users clicking through to relevant pages.

For example, let's say you recently posted a new product walkthrough video on a landing page that’s suddenly getting a large number of page views. This likely indicates that users are interested in your new video. It’s an ideal opportunity to add a link in the video description that get viewers to click on the corresponding product page for more information, promoting click-throughs to high-value pages.  

5. Bounce rate

Bounce rate is the number of visitors who leave your website without performing a single action, such as clicking through to another page or engaging with your content. A high bounce rate is a good indicator that your website content and/or messaging isn’t delivering on user needs or providing enough value.

Use analytics tools to analyze your site’s bounce rate and get an overall idea of how well your website engages visitors. Then, use product experience (PX) insights tools to dive deeper into the CX and see exactly how users navigate your web pages and where they drop off to find out what’s driving your bounce rate.

🔥Pro tip: use Contentsquare’s Session Replay to watch users as they bounce from your site, and see if they're 'rage clicking' or if there are any blockers on your page causing them to leave. 

Combine these granular observations with direct user insights you collect with the feedback collection widget to learn why users are engaging or bouncing. 

A feedback widget gives you access to key user insights as they navigate your website or product

6. Exit rate 

Exit rate metrics tell you the total number of users who leave your website from a particular web page. If your web pages have a high exit rate, it could mean you need to pay more attention to user behavior trends and respond to bugs and blockers.

Calculate your exit rate by taking the number of exits and dividing it by the number of page views for a specific web page. Then, use exit-intent surveys to get granular, voice of customer (VoC) insights that help you understand your customers and their motives for leaving your site.

For example, if you see your checkout page has a high exit rate, use a Contentsquare Survey to discover what’s blocking users from completing their purchase. This exit survey—delivered at the key moment—will show you exactly which web page elements you need to optimize to boost engagement and get sales. 

Exit-intent surveys are just one of the 40+ templates available in Contentsquare to give you user-backed insights into the user experience 

7. Clicks and scroll depth 

Measuring clicks and scroll depth tells you how many times a user clicks on your website, and how far down a page they scroll. It’s a good indicator of how active your visitors are and whether you’re creating an onsite experience that drives them to perform key actions—like signing up for a trial or converting into a paying customer. 

Start by tracking clicks, then use heatmaps to see an aggregate of all user clicks across any given page, as well as interaction and scroll depth. See which CTAs, videos, or content are driving engagement. Next, watch replays to see how deeply users are engaging during their sessions, and spot opportunities to improve the customer experience and captivate your visitors. 

8. Returning users

Tracking returning users means measuring the number of visitors who’ve previously logged visits to your site, within a specific timeframe. This metric helps you understand how strong your website is at customer retention.

Measure your returning user rate by dividing the number of repeat visitors by the total number of unique (or new) visitors within a certain time period, or let Contentsquare automatically track it for you.

9. New user sessions 

New user session metrics measure the number of new visitors who click on your website from a new device. This helps you gauge whether your marketing, content strategy, and reviews are successfully attracting potential customers.

First, calculate new user sessions with an analytics tool.Then, check the difference between your new and returning visitors to see how many you’re retaining after their first visit. This will give you a sense of whether you attract and keep users engaged.

10. New contacts & subscribers 

Monitor the number of new contacts and subscribers your website gets, either through form submissions or product signups. This helps you understand if your  content and offers are relevant and tailored to the unique needs of your potential customers. 

Use your website’s CMS dashboard to see how many new contacts and subscribers you’ve gained within a given time period. Then, use surveys to find out more. Ask users what made them subscribe, or what they’d like to see throughout their product experience, so you can ensure you’re engaging them at every stage of their customer journey.

Contentsquare Surveys capability uses AI to give you valuable user-backed insights

Supercharge your website engagement by putting your metrics in context 

Tracking metrics like time on page, session duration, and bounce and exit rates will give you an overview of how users are interacting with your site.

It’s a good idea to stack your website engagement metrics against industry benchmarks to check the success of your efforts in context. But don’t  get too caught up in industry averages, as they'll vary depending on your unique user base and business model. It’s even more impactful to compare your metrics against your past performance and behavioral trends specific to your user and organizational goals.

Use our guide to identify and track the right metrics to meet your specific engagement needs. Then, go deeper by gathering granular, qualitative user insights that reveal the why behind the numbers, showing you how users are engaging with your site, and what they’re thinking and feeling.

FAQs about website engagement metrics