Websites can be stunning. The most beautiful websites I have seen are works of art. Many of the most beautiful websites are simple to navigate, uncluttered, and easy to see.

But you can’t judge the quality of a website just by its appearance. You need to look at the data and analytics to determine how successful your website is.

Google Analytics has a color-coordinated feature for right-brainers. This is your chance to shine, left-brainers!

Analytics and data must be the foundation for evaluating the success of your website. How to measure website effectiveness? Let’s take an in-depth look.

1) The Number of Visitors (And Their Source).

You should be able to see how many people visit your site each month. This is one of the most important metrics. The first step in getting people to visit your site is to get them to sign up.

You should be aware of sudden drops or spikes in traffic. If you notice a significant increase in traffic, it is important to find out where it came from. You will want to find out as soon as possible why there has been a drop in visitors.

You should also take a look at the way your visitors arrive at your site. How did they get to your site? Is your site being found through a Google search, social media channels, or a referral link?

Find out the latest trends in your industry.

2) Bounce Rate

Google defines bounce rate as “the percent of visits that go only to one page before exiting a website.”

Visitors who are:

• Click an external link to leave your site
• Click the browser back button
• In the web browser, type another URL
• Close the browser tab or window
• Do not interact with the website for too long and take a “session break”
• It is important to know whether visitors are staying on your site after they visit it or leaving.

Are you experiencing a higher bounce rate because of a recent update or change to your website? Do you think your site is experiencing a higher bounce rate?

Look at all the sources to determine which ones are sending visitors with high bounce rates. This data will help you make improvements and to focus on the sources that bring quality traffic to your website.

You should also understand the nature and purpose of the page that you are evaluating. A Contact Us page that people go to to find your address might be a problem.

Blog articles often have high bounce rates. This is because people receive a notification and visit the page. They then read the article, then leave the site–just as you would expect. It’s not surprising.

Before you worry about high bounce rates on pages, make sure that this metric is relevant to the page and its purpose.

3) Average Time on Page

What length of time is your visitor spending on your pages? Are you able to communicate your message effectively?

You may have videos that are informative and you want your visitors to view them. Do you think that visitors spend enough time on your site to view the videos if they are only about four minutes long?

Similar to analyzing your bounce rate in the past, you should also look at what sources are sending you qualified visitors who spend enough of their time on your pages.

4) Goal Progress

Before you start any project, the first thing to ask is “What are your goals?” It is equally important to track your progress towards those goals. Every goal should be SMART – specific, measurable, and attainable.

It is more than how your website looks. It takes a deep look at its analytics and data to measure its success.

There are tons of resources and data available to you. Don’t waste time. Get started today on your analytics research!