Website engagement is one important metric to keep your eye on when you start looking at how your website is performing for you. I believe it’s one of the most important indicators of the success of your site.
But, what is website engagement?
This metric basically refers to how engaged visitors are when they come to your website. The website engagement score shows the level of interaction and quality of interaction between users and a website. You can find out more about your website’s engagement by using a tool such as Google Analytics. It’s measured by things like
- time spent on the site
- the number of pages viewed
- interaction with content (e.g., comments, likes, shares)
- form submissions
- Any other user activities that demonstrate active involvement.
Essentially, it looks at how much website visitors actively participate in what’s on your site. Do they take a quick glance, then bounce off? Or do they stick around, explore, click a little, and dive deeper? On a good website, visitors will decide to stick around longer and explore.
Website engagement should matter to you as a website owner and entrepreneur. It’s a kind of grade that shows you how well your site is doing in areas such as…
Website Engagement = Happy Visitors
Engaged users are usually happy visitors. When someone is spending more time on your site instead of fleeing, they are more likely to have a positive experience on your website. Visitors that found value or otherwise enjoyed themselves are more likely to return or tell others.
I’ve had clients worry more about getting people to their website (which is a big deal too), but the bigger deal is what greets them once they find your site. Is it a great experience? Or is it not so great?
It takes a lot of work to get people to your site in the first place. Make sure your site make it worth their while.
Website Engagement leads to Converting Visitors
In marketing, when someone takes a particular action we want them to (sign up for something, buy something, contact us, etc.) we call that a conversion.
Unhappy visitors who don’t find what they’re looking for (at least not easily) don’t convert. But users that engage with your site are not only happier, but they are more likely to take the next step.
Website Engagement helps Improve Search Engine Ranking
Search engines (like Google, Yahoo, and Bing) use many different factors when deciding which sites to show searchers for each query. That’s partly why it’s so hard to get visitors through organic search in the first place.
One of the metrics used by search engines when deciding the quality of a website, and whether or not to show it to searchers is engagement. Website engagement is a pretty good indicator of the relevance and quality of a website.
The bottom line: high engagement can positively impact your site’s search engine ranking.
Website Engagement is “Grading” Your Content
Your website engagement can be monitored for your site overall, but also specific pages. I find this super helpful in determining whether or not a piece of content lands with my audience.
Once a blog post or page has gotten some traffic, I can look at how long visitors tend to stay on the page. Do they scroll down and read the whole thing? Do they leave really fast?
This information can help me with my content strategy and optimization. I find out what content appeals to them more, and what makes them run for the hills.
When you’re trying to figure out whether or not your website is working well for you, look at your website engagement first of all. Thankfully, with web design we aren’t carving in stone here. You can adjust and tweak your site as needed, based on the data you’re seeing.
Let me know if I can help you with your website engagement, or website needs in general.
