And... our final chapter. It will guide you through the intricacies of measuring improvements and making informed iterative decisions, supported by compelling case studies that demonstrate the power of strategic modifications.
How to measure the success of your product and website metrics after a redesign or a development process upgrade
Measuring the success of a product and website after a redesign or development upgrade involves accurately tracking and analyzing various metrics. Here are the best ways to measure some of these key metrics.
Conversion rate
- Calculation: To calculate the conversion rate, divide the number of conversions (desired actions taken) by the total number of visitors, and multiply by 100. For example, if a website has 100,000 visitors and 2,000 conversions, the conversion rate would be (2,000/100,000) * 100 = 2%.
- Interpretation and improvement: A good conversion rate varies by industry, but generally falls between 2% and 5%. To improve conversion rates, focus on optimizing the website, improving user experience, and employing effective marketing strategies. A/B testing, building trust, and personalization are effective ways to boost conversion rates.
- Importance: Conversion rate is crucial because it directly affects the bottom line, such as sales and leads, and provides insights into user behavior and marketing campaign effectiveness.
User engagement metrics
(Sessions per User, Pages per Session, Average Session Duration, Bounce Rate)
- Analyzing and improving: These metrics can be tracked using tools like Google Analytics. To improve them, focus on creating engaging content, optimizing website design for user experience, and ensuring your site aligns with user intent. Regularly updating content and ensuring mobile responsiveness can also help.
- Importance: These metrics give insights into how users interact with your site, which can help in tailoring content and design to better meet their needs and preferences.
Search engine rankings
- Tracking tools: Use SEO tools like SEMrush to monitor your website's ranking on search engines. Regularly check keyword rankings and optimize content based on search trends.
- Improvement strategies: Focus on SEO best practices, including keyword optimization, quality content creation, and improving site speed and mobile-friendliness.
Traffic analysis
- Tracking tools: Google Analytics is a primary tool for tracking website traffic, including new vs. returning users, and sources of traffic.
- Analyzing quality of traffic: Look at metrics such as bounce rate, average session duration, and pages per session to understand the quality of the traffic. High bounce rates or low session durations may indicate issues with site content or user experience.
Mobile responsiveness
- Testing tools: Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to check the responsiveness of your website on mobile devices.
- Improvement strategies: Ensure your website design is responsive and offers a consistent experience across all devices.
E-commerce specific metrics
- Key metrics: Track metrics like cart abandonment rate, average order value, and customer lifetime value.
- Tools and strategies: Use e-commerce analytics tools to track these metrics and focus on strategies like improving checkout processes and personalized marketing to enhance these metrics.
Active user percentage (DAU, MAU):
- DAU (Daily Active Users): Count the unique users engaging with your app daily. Divide your Monthly Active Users (MAU) by the number of days in a month. For example, if the MAU for a month is 2,000, and there are 30 days in that month, the DAU would be 2,000/30 = 66.7.
- MAU (Monthly Active Users): Identify how many unique users were active during a selected month. Each user is only counted once in a 30-day period, regardless of how many actions they perform.
- DAU/MAU ratio: This ratio, also known as the stickiness metric, is calculated by dividing the DAU by the MAU and then multiplying by 100. For instance, if you have 1,000 DAUs and 5,000 MAUs, the DAU/MAU ratio would be (1,000/5,000) x 100 = 20%. This means 20% of your monthly active users use the product daily.
Traffic (organic/paid)
- Measuring Traffic: Use tools like Google Analytics to track the volume of visitors, distinguishing between organic (unpaid) and paid traffic sources.
- Analyzing Quality: Assess traffic quality by examining metrics like bounce rate, session duration, and conversion rates specific to each traffic source.
Session duration
- Calculation: Track the total time spent by all users on your site or app and divide it by the number of sessions to find the average session duration.
- Analysis: Longer sessions can indicate higher engagement, but also consider the context of your site or app. For instance, longer sessions on a troubleshooting page might indicate problems rather than engagement.
Bounce rate
- Tracking: Use analytics tools to measure the percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing only one page.
- Interpretation: A high bounce rate might indicate that your site's content or user experience is not meeting visitor expectations.
Churn rate
- Calculation: Divide the number of customers who have stopped using your product or canceled their subscription during a specific period by the total number of customers at the start of that period.
- Analysis: High churn rates can indicate customer dissatisfaction or a mismatch between customer expectations and product offerings.
Customer satisfaction score (CSAT)
- Methodology: Conduct surveys where customers rate specific features or their overall experience with your product.
- Utilization: Use CSAT to identify strengths and areas for improvement in your product or service.
Trial conversion rate
- Calculation: Divide the number of users who convert from a free trial to a paid plan by the total number of trial users, then multiply by 100.
- Analysis: This metric helps in understanding the effectiveness of your product in convincing trial users to upgrade to paid versions.
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Check it outCase studies
Here are several case studies demonstrating the positive impact of successful website redesigns on various metrics.
Alta's website underwent a dramatic transformation with a user-centric design, focusing on intuitive navigation and a smooth mobile experience. Leveraging Webflow, technical glitches were fixed, providing a robust, flexible platform that aligns with Alta's growth and enhances customer engagement.
After CereCore's website redesign, they observed a 27.7% increase in total page views and an 8.9% increase in unique page views. The redesign also resulted in an 18.7% increase in site entrances and a 12.7% reduction in bounce rate. This was achieved by integrating their website with HubSpot and refining their messaging strategy. Post-launch, CereCore reported a 54% increase in lead conversions and a 58% increase in average read time.
Financial Times performance enhancement
The Financial Times focused on improving their website's performance, especially for mobile devices. A key finding was that a 1-second delay in page speed led to a 4.6% drop in article views, underlining the critical role of website speed in user engagement.
Mobify's eCommerce improvement
In the eCommerce sector, Mobify found that every 100ms improvement in checkout load speed resulted in a 1.55% increase in conversions, emphasizing the direct correlation between website speed and sales conversions.
Pure Visibility's strategic redesign
Pure Visibility executed a strategic website redesign, focusing on foundational updates rather than a complete overhaul. This approach, which included choosing a faster WordPress theme and eliminating custom CSS, led to a significant increase in their website's speed and usability. They also experienced improved keyword rankings as a result.
Make your product perform better than ever
Our Merge UX team can help you transform user interactions, driving conversions and engagement.
Check it outTips on using Google Analytics you probably didn’t know before
Here are some advanced and most recent Google Analytics tips from 2023 that can provide deeper insights beyond the basics.
Enhanced e-commerce tracking
This tip involves implementing an additional tracking code on your website to capture more detailed e-commerce data. This feature allows for a detailed understanding of customer behavior on e-commerce sites. By tracking product impressions, detail views, and shopping cart behavior, you can gain insights into customer preferences and optimize your site for better conversions.
Custom dimensions and metrics
Custom dimensions in Google Analytics are used to collect and analyze data that GA doesn’t automatically track. These might include user attributes like membership status or content attributes like the author of a webpage. To utilize them, you need to set up custom dimensions in your GA account and modify your tracking code to collect data on these dimensions.
Custom reports and dashboards
Create custom reports and dashboards focused on specific metrics and dimensions crucial to your business for streamlined analysis. Sharing these reports can promote collaboration and data-driven decision-making. You can create these reports and dashboards directly in the GA interface, choosing from a variety of visualization options (e.g., tables, pie charts) and then saving them for ongoing use.
User ID and Google Signals
Use User IDs for tracking visitor behavior by assigning unique IDs to logged-in users. Google Signals can track cross-device behaviors of users logged into their Google accounts, providing insights into user behavior across different platforms.
Custom funnels as standard reports
Transform custom funnel explorations into standard reports for easier access. This helps in visualizing the customer journey and identifying where users drop off. You start by creating a funnel exploration and then save it as a report in your library. From there, you can add this funnel to a specific report section in GA4, making it easily accessible from your GA4 homepage.
Data anomalies tracking
This will help spot abnormal patterns, which can highlight potential problems or opportunities for growth. To monitor data anomalies in GA4, you should regularly check the 'Insights & recommendations' section on your GA4 homepage. This section highlights any unusual data patterns, such as spikes or drops in user activity.
Advanced filtering and goal configuration
Use advanced filtering to refine data analysis and set up goals in GA4 to track and measure specific actions aligning with business objectives. For example, you can filter out internal traffic to focus on genuine user interactions. You can set up these filters in the admin settings of your GA account.
Site search analysis
If your website has a search function, use the Site Search feature in Google Analytics to understand what visitors are searching for, which can be crucial for content strategy and improving conversion rates. To set it up, you need to enable Site Search Tracking in your view settings and configure the query parameters used by your site’s search function.
Attribution in GA4
GA4 offers flexible attribution models, allowing changes in the default attribution model within the platform. It's vital to understand the different attribution scopes (event, session, user level) to avoid misinterpretation of data.
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Click hereConclusion
Well done on getting through our guide! Now, you're armed with the tools and tricks to make your site and product shine. Remember, improving your numbers is a journey that doesn't end here. Keep tracking, tweaking, and trying new things to keep up with what your users need and love.
You're not just chasing better stats; you're creating a better experience for everyone who visits your site or uses your product. So keep pushing forward, stay curious, and continue to make your digital space a place people love to be. Here's to your ongoing success and all the improvements you'll make along the way!
And remember, if you ever feel stuck or need a hand implementing any of the strategies from this e-book, Merge is here to help. Our team is ready to jump in with expert advice, hands-on support, and all the services you need to ensure your metrics glow.
Whether it's design tweaks, content upgrades, or comprehensive strategy overhauls, we're just a message away. Let's partner up to bring out the best in your website and products!
