How to determine if the right people are on your landing pages/website

Your website is like a digital storefront, and it’s crucial to ensure that the right people are visiting it. After all, attracting the right audience is key to converting visitors into customers. But how do you determine if your landing pages and website are drawing in the right crowd?

Here are some essential factors to consider.

1. Bounce rate and interaction

The bounce rate is often the first metric to examine. It indicates the percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing just one page. If you have high bounce rates, it may be a red flag as it could suggest that the people arriving on your site aren’t finding what they expected or don’t resonate with your content.

To dig deeper, check the amount of time visitors spend on your site. If they are leaving within a few seconds, it’s a sign that they don’t find your content engaging or relevant. This could also indicate that your marketing efforts are reaching the wrong audience at the wrong time or place. For instance, promoting a B2B financial product whilst someone is playing Candy Crush in their leisure time, may not yield the desired results.

2. Timer events

Setting up timer events can provide valuable insights by monitoring how long visitors stay on your page. If they spend only a brief moment before leaving, you may need to refine your content or adjust your targeting. GA4 reports an alternative to “Bounce rate” called “Engagement rate” this metric is calculated by dividing the number of engaged sessions by the total number of sessions. The inverse of this rate would be your Bounce rate by GA4 standards. But these rates are not as reliable as the engagement rate could be different depending on your landing page set up. This is why at D+R we create timers’ events. These are done via Google Tag Manager and show up as trackable events on GA4. These determine who have stayed on the website for more than 2-seconds and those who stay for longer than 10-seconds. The 2-second times can indicate that the user is not a robot and hasn’t just accidentally clicked on the advert. While the 10-seconds can suggest that the user is engaged and actively scrolling through the page.

3. Message consistency

Your advertising messaging should align seamlessly with the content on your landing pages. If visitors are clicking through from an ad and finding a mismatch, they are likely to bounce. Ensure that your messaging is consistent to keep visitors engaged.

4. Engagement and resources

If people are staying on your website and engaging with your content, it’s a positive sign. However, don’t just stop there – provide multiple ways for visitors to contact you and access resources. This can include contact forms, chat support, or downloadable guides. These additional touchpoints can help nurture leads and move them closer to conversion.

5. Conversions and data capture

The second critical factor to consider is conversions and data capture. It’s not enough to have engaged visitors; you need to convert them into customers or capture their data for future marketing efforts. Keep in mind that some visitors may have lower budgets than what your product or service offers. This highlights the importance of targeting the right audience from the start.

6. Key metrics vs. vanity metrics

Finally, analyse your metrics carefully. Distinguish between key metrics that directly impact your business’s bottom line, and vanity metrics that may seem impressive but don’t contribute to your goals. An example of vanity metrics would be the amount of clicks Google Ads or Meta report on their ad platforms. These are usually inflated compared to the actual users arriving to the website. Reporting on these clicks to determine your CTR is unreliable as it will make metrics look better at the beginning of the funnel but won’t actually show any issues you might be facing.

The more you report on vanity metrics, the higher the drop off in your funnel will look like. The discrepancy between Ad platform reporting and your UTM tracking is one of the most important factors in determining how your adverts are performing, or how the connection between advert in situ vs users arriving on the landing page works. By understanding the true value of key and vanity metrics to your business, you can make informed decisions that garner real results.

Final thoughts…

To conclude, determining if the right people are on your landing pages and website involves a combination of factors. Bounce rate, interaction, message consistency, engagement, and conversion data all play a role in assessing the quality of your audience. By continuously monitoring and optimising these aspects, you can ensure that your digital storefront attracts the right crowd and drives meaningful results for your business. Remember, it’s not just about getting visitors; it’s about getting the right visitors.