How to Check Website Traffic: A Step-by-Step Guide? 

Have you ever thought about how many people visit your website each day? Whether you are running a business, a blog, or a personal project, knowing your website traffic can give you valuable information about your target audience and how well your site is performing.

If you are new to website analytics or looking for a simple and clear way to check your website traffic, you are in the right place. This blog will teach you how to track your website traffic, figure out where visitors are coming from, and understand those numbers. You will learn how to use tools like Google Analytics to see what’s working and what’s not. Let’s get started!

Step 1: Add analytics tools to your website

The first step is to set up a tool to track your website traffic. Google Analytics is one of the most widely used and powerful tools for this—and the best part? It is completely free!

Here’s how you can set it up:

• Go to Google Analytics and sign in with your Google account.
• Click “Start measuring” and follow the steps to set up your account.
• Enter your website details, like the name, URL, and industry.
• Add the Google Analytics tracking code to the header of your website.
• After you install it, Google Analytics starts tracking your site’s data.

Other tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs can also provide in-depth traffic reports, but Google Analytics is the most user-friendly place to start.

 Step 2: Use Google Analytics to View Traffic Reports

Once you have set up Google Analytics, you can see your website traffic in real-time. Log in to Google Analytics and select your website account to view the traffic reports. Once you’re inside, navigate to the left-hand menu and click on Audience > Overview. This will show you important information about your website’s traffic.

Google Analytics will show you these important numbers:

• Users: How many different people visited your website?
• Sessions: How many times have people visited your website?
• Page views: The total number of pages visitors viewed.
• Bounce Rate: How many people left your website after seeing only one page?

You can see this information for different time periods: daily, weekly, or monthly. As you collect more data, you’ll better understand how your website performs and what visitors are doing.

Step 3: Analyze Traffic Sources

Knowing how many visitors you have is important, but understanding where they come from is equally important. Google Analytics’ Acquisition Report provides that valuable insight. To check it out, go to the Acquisition section in Google Analytics. Here, you’ll see your traffic organized into different categories:

• Organic Search: People who find your website through search engines like Google.
• Direct Traffic: People who access your site by typing the URL directly into their browser.
• Referral Traffic: Users who come to your site by clicking links from other websites.
• Social Traffic: Visitors arriving from social media platforms.

By understanding these traffic sources, you can figure out which channels are bringing in the most visitors and tweak your marketing strategy to focus on what’s working best.

Step 4: Check traffic using external tools

Google Analytics is a valuable tool for tracking your website’s performance, but there are other platforms that can provide even more detailed information, especially if you want to compare yourself against competitors.

Here are some popular tools you may want to consider:

• SEMrush: This tool is excellent for detailed traffic analysis, keyword tracking, and understanding your competitors. It helps you see how your site stacks up against others in your industry. 
• Ahrefs: Similar to SEMrush, Ahrefs features a powerful site explorer that allows you to analyze traffic, backlinks, and competitor performance. 
• SimilarWeb: This tool gives you a quick overview of your traffic, including global ranking, visitor engagement, and statistics about your competitors. 

Using these tools will help you get a broader overview of your site’s performance beyond what Google Analytics offers, enabling you to refine your digital marketing strategy.

Step 5: Monitor Mobile vs. Desktop Traffic

In today’s world, it is important to know how your website looks on different devices like phones and computers. Google Analytics can help you see if more people are visiting your website on phones or computers.

To check mobile vs. desktop traffic:

• Go to Google Analytics.
• Go to “Audience,” then select “Mobile,” and finally click on “Overview.”
• You will see how many people visited your website on phones, computers, and tablets.

Why is this important? If many visitors are using their phones but leave quickly, it likely means your site isn’t mobile-friendly. To keep them engaged, you should improve your site’s mobile design and make sure it loads faster on phones.

 Step 6: See how people use your website

It is important to know how many people visit, but also to see what they do after arriving. You need to see if people are reading your content or leaving your website quickly.

To track visitor behavior:

In Google Analytics, go to Behavior > Overview. In Google Analytics, go to Behavior > Overview. You’ll find important key metrics like:

• Pages per session: The total number of pages visitors view during one visit.
• Average session duration: How long people stay on your website
• Exit pages: The pages visitors view last before leaving your website.

This information helps you figure out which content keeps visitors engaged and which areas might need improvement. If visitors are leaving certain pages too quickly, it could mean those pages need work—like better content or faster loading times.

Step 7: Set Up Goals and Events

Setting goals in Google Analytics helps you track important things that happen on your website, like when people fill out a form or buy something.

• In Google Analytics, go to the Admin section, and under your view, select Goals.
• Click New Goal, and pick a template that fits the action you want to track, like purchases, sign-ups, or downloads.

By setting up goals, you can easily measure your conversion rates and see how well your website is achieving its objectives.

Conclusion:

Tracking your website traffic doesn’t have to be difficult. By following these steps and using tools like Google Analytics, you can learn a lot about who visits your website and what they do there. This information can help you improve your website, get more people to visit it, and achieve your online goals. Keep in mind that regularly checking your website traffic gives you the insights you need to improve and grow. Start tracking today and see what valuable information you can uncover!

If you need help with website analytics or any digital marketing services, check out Cronico Digital. They’re a digital marketing company in Pune that offers services like SEO, social media marketing, website development, email marketing, and more. If you’re looking to improve your website or get better insights, don’t hesitate to contact them. They’re here to help you grow your online presence.