As a home service business owner—whether you’re in plumbing, HVAC, roofing, or landscaping—you know how important your website is for attracting customers. But how can you tell if your website is actually working the way it should? That’s where website performance metrics come in. These metrics are simple numbers that show how your site is performing—helping you figure out if your site is fast, easy to use, and most importantly, bringing in leads.
Here are the key website performance metrics every home service business should track, with straightforward explanations of what they mean and why they matter for your business.
1. Page Load Time
What it is: This measures how long it takes for your website to fully load when someone visits it. Ideally, it should load in under 3 seconds.
Why it matters to your business: A slow website can frustrate potential customers, making them leave before they even see what you offer. In fact, Google ranks faster websites higher in search results, so a fast site not only keeps customers around longer but also helps you rank better.
2. Bounce Rate
What it is: Bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing just one page, without clicking on anything else.
Why it matters to your business: If people are bouncing quickly, it could mean your website isn’t giving them the information they need or is hard to navigate. For home service companies, that’s a missed opportunity to turn a visitor into a customer. A high bounce rate means your site needs work to keep visitors engaged and get them to take the next step.
3. Conversion Rate
What it is: This is the percentage of visitors who take action on your site—like calling you, filling out a form, or booking a service.
Why it matters to your business: Conversion rate is one of the most critical metrics for home service businesses. It tells you how well your website is turning visitors into leads or customers. If your conversion rate is low, your site might need clearer calls-to-action (like a prominent “Call Now” button) to guide potential customers.
4. Lead Form Submissions
What it is: This tracks how many people fill out a contact or inquiry form on your website.
Why it matters to your business: For home service companies, lead forms are a key way to collect potential customer inquiries. The more lead form submissions you get, the more opportunities you have to book jobs. If this number is low, it could mean your form isn’t easy to find or fill out—so you might need to make it more visible or streamline the process.
5. Impressions
What it is: The number of times your website appears in search results, even if no one clicks on it.
Why it matters to your business: Impressions show how often your business is being displayed to potential customers searching for services. Higher impressions mean your site is visible, but if you’re not getting clicks, it may be time to optimize your page titles or descriptions to encourage more engagement.
6. Clicks
What it is: The number of times people click on your website from search results.
Why it matters to your business: Clicks represent how many people are interested enough in your business to visit your website. If your impressions are high but your clicks are low, your site might not be as appealing as it could be. Adjusting your meta descriptions and titles could help.
7. Number of Keywords
What it is: This shows how many different keywords your website ranks for in search engines.
Why it matters to your business: The more keywords your site ranks for, the more chances you have to show up in search results when potential customers are looking for services like yours. Expanding the number of relevant keywords can bring in more traffic to your site.
8. Average Position
What it is: This is your website’s average ranking in search results for the keywords you’re targeting.
Why it matters to your business: The closer your website is to the top of the search results, the more likely potential customers are to find and click on your site. Tracking your average position helps you see how well your SEO efforts are working.
9. Average Session Duration
What it is: This metric shows how long visitors, on average, stay on your website.
Why it matters to your business: The longer people stay on your site, the more interested they are in your services. If your session duration is low, it could be a sign that your content or user experience isn’t engaging enough to keep them around.
10. Traffic Sources
What it is: This shows where your website visitors are coming from. Common sources are search engines like Google, social media, direct visits (typing your website URL directly), and referral links from other websites.
Why it matters to your business: Understanding where your traffic comes from helps you focus your marketing efforts. If you’re getting a lot of traffic from Google, for instance, it shows your SEO efforts are paying off. If your traffic is low from certain channels, it might be time to invest in improving those areas, like social media or local directories.
11. Click-Through Rate (CTR)
What it is: CTR is the percentage of people who click on a link, button, or call-to-action on your website.
Why it matters to your business: A high CTR means visitors are interacting with your site and following through on your calls-to-action. If your CTR is low, it could mean your CTAs aren’t visible enough, or your messaging isn’t compelling enough to encourage clicks.
12. Domain Authority
What it is: Domain authority is a score that predicts how well your website will rank in search engine results, based on factors like the number of backlinks and the overall quality of your website.
Why it matters to your business: A higher domain authority means better chances of ranking high on Google, which helps more local customers find your business. Improving your domain authority by getting more backlinks and improving site quality will drive more traffic over time.
13. Pageviews
What it is: Pageviews count how many times a page on your website is viewed. If someone views a page multiple times, each visit counts as a pageview.
Why it matters to your business: This metric helps you see which pages are most popular with visitors. If your service pages or blog posts are getting a lot of views, it’s a good sign that people are interested in what you’re offering.
Why These Metrics Matter for Your Home Service Business
Tracking these metrics isn’t just about numbers—it’s about understanding how well your website is serving your business. A fast, easy-to-use website that turns visitors into leads is one of your most powerful marketing tools. By keeping an eye on these key metrics, you’ll make smarter decisions to improve your website, attract more local customers, and grow your business.
If this seems like a lot, start by focusing on a few critical metrics, like page load time, conversion rate, and clicks. As you get more comfortable, you can dive into the other metrics to fine-tune your site’s performance and boost your results even further.