6 metrics that reveal more than clicks

Marketers love counting clicks to measure user engagement, and understandably so.

In theory, clicks tell us whether target audiences are reading our emails, interested in our headlines and open to engaging with our sales teams. They affirm our confidence in our marketing strategies.

The problem, however, is that clicks often send us the wrong signals. For one, people often click on things accidentally. Also, clicks are superficial. As much as we’d like to equate clicks with engagement, we can’t be certain what users are actually thinking.

If we want to quantify visitor engagement, we have to look beyond clicks. Here are five things that every marketer should measure instead:

Return visits

No matter your business model, return visits are important. When people come back to your website or app, it’s a sign that they’re eager to learn more about your company, make a repeat purchase or share your content. You’ll want to calculate—and optimize—this metric at the user level. Experiment with personalized, targeted offers to see what brings people back to your site.

The ideal return visit rate will depend on your specific business model and marketing goals. An ideal visitor engagement threshold will correspond with your revenue goals.