Website traffic analysis tools: how metrics help to improve conversion rates

Effective website traffic analysis - is the key to the successful development of any online project. By understanding who visits your website, where users come from, what pages they are most interested in, you can not only increase conversion rates, but also significantly improve user experience. In this article, we'll break down popular tools for traffic analysis, talk about how to choose metrics for tracking, compare Google Analytics with alternatives and show how the data obtained helps to optimise a website.

How to choose metrics to track

Web analytics - is not just dry numbers, but an opportunity to understand user behaviour. However, in order not to drown in the flood of data, it is important to choose the right key metrics. Here are some important metrics to pay attention to:

• Number of visitors: determines the total number of users for a given period.
• Traffic sources: allows you to understand where your visitors are coming from - search, social media, adverts or direct visits.
• Failure rate: shows what percentage of users leave the site without taking a targeted action.
• Average time on site: helps to gauge how interesting the content is to visitors.
• Conversion: measures the proportion of users who performed a targeted action - purchase, registration, subscription.

For example, if the online shop bounce rate reaches 60%, it's worth reconsidering the design, loading speed and ease of navigation.

Google Analytics vs alternatives: what to choose

When it comes to web analytics, most people think of Google Analytics - a free, functional and powerful tool. However, there are some worthy alternatives on the market. Let's take a closer look at them.

• Google Analytics - is the most popular tool, offering a wide range of features: real-time traffic tracking, user behaviour analysis, integration with other Google services. However, its interface may seem complicated for beginners.
• Yandex.Metric - is an excellent choice for the Runet. It has a user-friendly interface and a unique webvisor function that allows you to monitor users' actions on the site.
• Piwik PRO - a paid solution popular in Europe due to its compliance with GDPR standards. Allows you to store data on your own servers, which is important for companies with special security requirements.
• Hotjar - a dedicated tool for analysing user behaviour. It offers heat maps, session recordings and surveys to collect feedback, which is particularly useful when optimising the interface.

In addition, there are tools such as Similarwebwhich allows you to analyse competitor traffic, and SEMRushwhich provides detailed reports on the visibility of the site in search engines.

How data helps to improve a website

Web analytics - are not just reports, but a source for improvements. Here are some examples:

• Content Optimisation: by analysing the pages with the most traffic, you can understand which topics are most interesting to your audience.
• Increased download speed: if users leave the site because of long loading times, it's worth doing some technical optimisation.
• Improving usability: session recordings and heatmaps help to identify interface problem areas.
• Conversion optimisation: with A/B tests you can understand which headline, button colour or form is more effective.
• Personalisation: analysing user behaviour allows you to create personalised experiences, for example through content or product recommendations.

For example, Walmart recorded a 2% increase in conversions after improving page load speed by 1 second. And Amazon estimated that each extra second of loading time results in a loss of $1.6 billion per year.

More tips for analysing traffic

• Regular audit: you should not limit yourself to one-off checks. Regular analyses help to identify long-term trends.
• Seasonality accounting: many niches are subject to seasonal fluctuations in traffic. It is important to take this into account when interpreting the data.
• Integration with CRM: linking web analytics data with CRM systems helps to get a complete picture of the customer journey.
• Competitor monitoring: tracking competitor traffic allows you to find new points of growth.

Website traffic analysis - is not just a fashion trend, but a necessity for successful online business development. By choosing the right tools, tracking key metrics and implementing data-driven improvements, you can significantly increase conversion rates, improve user experience and take your site to the next level. Don't forget that web analytics is a process that requires regular attention, experimentation and adaptation to changing market conditions.