Understanding Your Website Analytics: A Therapist’s Guide to What Matters and What to Ignore
Understanding Your Website Analytics: A Therapist’s Guide to What Matters and What to Ignore
Website analytics can feel a bit intimidating, but they’re actually quite helpful for understanding how visitors interact with your site. In Squarespace, analytics can show you where clients come from, which pages they find most interesting, and how engaged they are. This guide breaks down key metrics for therapists, focusing on those that can help improve your site without requiring technical expertise. Let’s get started with the essentials and see how small changes can make a big difference!
What Are Website Analytics, and Why Do They Matter?
Website analytics track visitor activity, engagement, and traffic sources, giving you a snapshot of your site’s performance. This helps you identify which content connects with visitors, if your SEO strategies are effective, and where adjustments might enhance the experience. Remember, though, perfect numbers aren’t necessary—these metrics just give you a clearer picture of your website’s health.
Key Metrics in Squarespace Analytics
01. Traffic
Visits & Unique Visitors
What They Are: “Visits” are the number of browsing sessions, while “Unique Visitors” reflect the total number of different people visiting your site.
Why They Matter: These metrics help you track growth. Increasing visitors over time shows that your SEO and marketing efforts are helping to reach more people.
How do I know if how much traffic I need?: There’s no universal number, as it really depends on your goals, location, and marketing efforts. Instead of focusing on a specific number, I’d recommend paying attention to growth trends and quality of traffic:
Focus on Monthly Growth: Aim for steady growth month-over-month. Even an increase of 5-10% each month can be a good indicator that your site is gaining traction.
Consider Your Location: If you're a therapist in a small town, "good" traffic might look like 100-200 unique visitors per month. In a large city or with a broader reach (like teletherapy), 300-500 unique visitors per month could be a reasonable goal to start with.
Traffic Quality Matters: Even more than numbers, what matters is that your traffic is high quality. If you’re seeing conversions (like form submissions or contact requests), that’s a great sign you’re reaching the right people.
In short, aim for steady growth and engaged visitors rather than a specific number. High-quality, local traffic that leads to new inquiries is far more valuable than large numbers alone.
Improving Visits & Unique Visitors:
Tip 1: Share your site and blog posts on social media or professional profiles (like LinkedIn) to drive new traffic.
Tip 2: Use keywords on your pages that match terms clients might search for (like “Seattle therapist for anxiety”) to help search engines understand what your site offers.
Traffic Sources
What It Is: Traffic sources show where visitors come from (e.g., search engines, social media, direct links).
Why It Matters: Knowing where traffic comes from helps you see which outreach methods are most effective.
Improving Traffic Sources:
Tip 1: Focus on creating content that uses keywords relevant to your services to encourage search engine traffic.
Tip 2: Share helpful resources or blog posts on social media or via email newsletters to increase “Social” and “Email” traffic sources.
Bounce Rate
What It Is: The percentage of visitors who leave after viewing just one page.
Why It Matters: A high bounce rate can indicate that visitors aren’t finding what they need or expected.
What is a Good Bounce Rate?: For most websites, a bounce rate between 26% and 50% is generally considered good, though the ideal range can vary depending on the type of page and its purpose:
Excellent: 26% - 40% (indicates strong engagement; visitors are exploring beyond one page)
Good: 41% - 55% (visitors are generally engaged but might not explore as much)
Average: 56% - 70% (could signal that visitors aren’t finding what they need on that first page)
High: 70%+ (usually means visitors leave quickly; consider reviewing content or links on high-bounce pages)
For therapists, a slightly higher bounce rate on certain pages, like Contact or FAQ, is normal since visitors might leave after quickly finding the information they need. Generally, aiming for a bounce rate below 50% on most pages is a solid goal, while keeping key pages (like Services or Home) closer to the 40%-50% range is ideal.
Improving Bounce Rate:
Tip 1: Add clear navigation links and internal links to encourage visitors to explore more pages.
Tip 2: Include engaging calls to action (like “Learn More” or “Book a Consultation”) to guide visitors to other parts of the site.
Tip 3: Don’t clog your pages up with too much content. This overwhelms visitors, causing them to click away quickly.
Pageviews
What It Is: The total number of times pages on your site are viewed.
Why It Matters: This shows you which content is popular and which pages draw visitors in.
Improving Pageviews:
Tip 1: Link to related pages within your content (like adding a “Related Services” section on your Services page) to encourage more exploration.
Tip 2: Publish relevant blog posts on common client questions, then link those back to your main pages.
2. ENGAGEMENT
Site Content (Top Page Views)
What It Is: Lists the pages with the highest number of views.
Why It Matters: Identifying popular pages lets you know what interests visitors most, helping you expand on valuable topics.
Improving Site Content Engagement:
Tip 1: Create additional content around your top-performing pages, like blog posts on similar topics.
Tip 2: Use internal links to point visitors to popular pages throughout your site.
Tip 3: To get more attention on the pages you want potential clients paying attention to, omit the pages you don’t want them getting distracted by, such as a Resources page.
Form & Button Conversions
What They Are: The percentage of form submissions and button clicks out of the total views.
Why They Matter: High conversion rates show that visitors are taking action, like contacting you or booking an appointment.
A note about HIPAA-Compliant Forms: When using Squarespace for your therapy website, it’s important to know that Squarespace forms are not HIPAA-compliant. To ensure client privacy, you’ll want to use a HIPAA-compliant form provider. You can follow this guide to learn more: How to Add a HIPAA-Compliant Contact Form to Your Squarespace Website.
However, you can still make use of button conversions in Squarespace Analytics. By linking a HIPAA-compliant Google Form or similar to a contact button on your website, you can track how many visitors click that button (an indicator of intent) versus how many complete and submit the form. This data helps you understand if potential clients may be hesitating and gives you valuable insights into your contact page’s effectiveness.
Improving Conversion Rates:
Tip 1: Make sure buttons are clearly labeled, like “Contact Us” or “Book Now,” and place them in easy-to-find spots on your page.
Tip 2: Keep forms short and to the point; ask only essential questions to encourage more submissions.
Average Time on Page
What It Is: The average amount of time visitors spend on a particular page.
Why It Matters: Longer time on a page suggests visitors are engaged with your content.
Improving Average Time on Page:
Tip 1: Add engaging, easy-to-read content (like brief, scannable paragraphs and lists) to keep visitors interested.
Tip 2: Incorporate videos, downloadable resources, or FAQs on high-traffic pages to provide more value and extend time spent.
RSS Subscribers
What It Is: Tracks the number of views on your site’s RSS feed.
An RSS feed (Really Simple Syndication) is a tool that automatically shares updates from a website, such as new blog posts or articles, with subscribers. When you publish a new post, the RSS feed allows readers who subscribe to automatically receive that content in their feed readers or email inboxes without needing to visit your website directly.
When It Matters: RSS feeds can be beneficial if you regularly publish helpful blog content aimed at clients or other therapists. For example, if you blog about mental health tips, coping strategies, or therapeutic insights, an RSS feed can keep interested readers updated on your latest posts, encouraging ongoing engagement with your content.
An RSS feed is also helpful if you’re actively building a subscriber base of clients or peers who want to follow your content for professional or personal growth. It’s a good way to keep your audience engaged and coming back for new content without additional effort on your part.
When It Might Not Be Necessary: If you don’t plan to publish content regularly, an RSS feed may not add much value. Infrequent posts mean there’s less need for an automatic update system, as subscribers may lose interest between posts. It’s also less relevant if your website’s primary goal is to provide straightforward information on your services rather than maintain a blog. In these cases, clients will more likely visit your site directly when they’re ready to inquire about services, rather than subscribing to receive content updates.
Improving RSS Subscribers:
Tip 1: Encourage visitors to subscribe to your blog for updates if you publish frequently.
Tip 2: Make your blog visible and accessible, especially if you’re active with content creation.
Using These Metrics to Make Improvements
Identify Content to Improve or Expand: Use your most-viewed pages as guides for creating new content. Look at popular topics and expand with blog posts or add more in-depth information.
Optimize CTAs and Forms: If conversion rates are low, review your CTAs and forms to make sure they’re clear and straightforward. Keep text simple, like “Get Started” or “Contact Us,” and use prominent, easy-to-click buttons.
Lower Bounce Rate on Important Pages: If you notice high bounce rates on key pages (like your Services page), double-check that each page has internal links to guide visitors to other content, along with a clear call to action.
Track Progress Over Time: Keep an eye on visits and unique visitors month over month to measure growth. If numbers dip, consider refreshing or promoting content to regain momentum.
Metrics That Matter Less for Beginners
If you’re new to analytics, it’s okay to skip some of the more advanced metrics until you’re comfortable. Here are a few you can ignore for now:
Exit Rate: More helpful for advanced users.
RSS Individual Views: Only important if you publish blogs frequently.
Sales and Revenue Metrics: Mainly for eCommerce, so not relevant for most therapy practices.
Analytics offer valuable insights that can guide you in improving your site. By focusing on a few essential metrics, you can keep track of what’s working without getting bogged down in data. Remember, analytics are about spotting trends and making improvements—there’s no need to aim for perfection. Regularly check your Squarespace Analytics, make small changes, and watch your site start to align even better with your goals and client needs.
Key Takeaways
Website analytics help you understand how visitors interact with your site, track growth, and improve client engagement.
Focus on key metrics in Squarespace Analytics: Visits, Unique Visitors, Traffic Sources, Bounce Rate, Pageviews, Top Page Views, Form & Button Conversions, and Average Time on Page.
Visits & Unique Visitors: Track growth over time and gauge your audience size.
Traffic Sources: Identify where visitors come from (like search engines or social media) to see which marketing efforts work best.
Bounce Rate: Lower bounce rates mean better engagement; aim for under 50% on most pages.
Pageviews: Shows which pages are popular and may be worth expanding or optimizing for SEO.
Top Page Views: Find your most-visited pages to understand client interests and create relevant content.
Form & Button Conversions: Track how many visitors take actions like clicking contact buttons or submitting forms.
Average Time on Page: Longer times indicate engaged visitors; keep content scannable and relevant to hold attention.
Use analytics to make improvements by adding internal links, simplifying forms, and focusing on pages with higher bounce rates.
Don’t stress over advanced metrics; focus on tracking trends and making small changes to support client engagement.
If you’re new to Squarespace Analytics, this video overview is a great place to start!
Squarespace’s team walks you through each feature in the analytics dashboard, showing you where to find key metrics like traffic sources, bounce rate, and page views. Watching this quick tutorial can help you feel more familiar with the layout and get comfortable navigating your own analytics before diving in. It’s a helpful intro to understanding how your site is performing!
