Measuring website performance: does your website really work?
March 27, 2026
Stefan Grevelink
Your website going live is one thing, but how do you know if it is really performing? With the right tools, you gain insight into who visits your site, what they do, and where you can make improvements. This way, you do not work on assumptions, but on concrete data.
1. Find out who your visitors are with Google Analytics
Google Analytics shows what is happening on your website. Key things to check:
- Pageviews and sessions
This shows which pages are popular and how many visitors your website attracts in total. It gives you a clear picture of what is and isn’t working. - Bounce rate
Check per page how often visitors leave immediately. A high bounce rate may indicate that the content doesn’t match expectations or that the page is not user-friendly. - Goals and conversions
By setting goals (such as a contact request, sign-up, or purchase), you gain insight into how many visitors actually take action on your website. - Traffic sources
Find out where your visitors come from, such as search engines, social media, email, or direct visits. This helps you determine which channels are most effective.
Tip: Create a dashboard with these key metrics (KPIs), so you can see your website’s performance at a glance.
2. Check your visibility with Google Search Console
Google Search Console shows how well your website performs in Google:
- Search terms and positions
Discover which search terms people use to find your website and at which position your pages appear in the search results. This gives insight into your online visibility. - Click-through rate (CTR)
See how many people actually click through from the search results to your website. A low CTR may indicate that your page titles or meta descriptions could be more compelling. - Indexing issues
Check whether all your important pages are properly indexed by Google. This helps prevent valuable content from not being visible in search results.
3. Understand how visitors navigate using heatmaps
Tools like Hotjar show how visitors use your pages:
- Click behavior: which buttons and links get attention?
- Scroll behavior: how far do visitors scroll, and do they see all the important content?
- Friction points and conversion points: where do visitors drop off, and which actions lead to conversions?
Tip: Combine heatmaps with Analytics to see whether user behavior actually leads to conversions.
4. Key KPIs per type of website
Depending on your website, there are different metrics you should track:
E-commerce
- Conversions / sales volume
- Average order value
- Cart abandonment rate
- Top products
Lead generation
- Form submissions
- Conversion rate per page
- Traffic sources
- Downloads / sign-ups
Content / blog
- Pageviews and sessions
- Engagement: how long visitors stay, how far they scroll
- Shares and social shares
- Newsletter sign-ups
Tip: Start with 3 to 5 core KPIs for your website. This helps you stay focused and make targeted improvements.
5. Combine all insights
By combining Google Analytics, Search Console, and heatmaps, you get a complete picture:
- Who your visitors are and what they do
- Which pages perform well and where visitors drop off
- Which keywords and channels contribute to your goals
This way, you base your decisions on concrete data instead of assumptions. With these insights, you can optimize your website step by step and achieve better results.
Curious how your website is performing?
At AllesOnline, we’re happy to take a look with you and show exactly where you can make improvements and gain results.
Author of this blog
Stefan Grevelink
Stefan specializes in web development and custom software. With years of experience, he develops and oversees digital solutions such as complex websites, web applications, and system integrations that are reliable, scalable, and future-proof. He translates technical challenges into practical solutions that genuinely help businesses grow.
stefan@allesonline.nl | 
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