Web analytics is the collection and analysis of web data to understand trends in user behavior and optimize web usage. The most commonly tracked metrics for websites include the following:

  • Web site traffic: Total number of visits to the site.

  • Traffic sources: Where the traffic is coming from, for example, organic search, referral, direct, and social.

  • Bounce rate: The number of visitors who leave the website immediately, usually expressed as a percentage (%).

  • Top pages: The web pages that receive the most traffic.

  • Conversion rate: How often a visitor performs a desired action, such as making a purchase, usually expressed as a percentage (%).

  • Conversion by traffic source: Analysis of the conversion rate for a specific traffic source, calculated using the same four traffic source categories: organic search, referral, direct, and social.

  • Customer lifetime value: Factors a customer's current purchases with projected purchases, based on past results.

Related terms