After working with hundreds of B2B companies on website visitor identification strategies, I have noticed a pattern: most teams track too few metrics and, most often, not the right ones. Let me share what I've learned about the metrics that actually matter.
TL;DR
- Focus on identifying actual companies, not ISPs, and prioritize traffic that matches your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).
- Analyze traffic by segments like industry, company size, and engagement to ensure you’re attracting the right audience.
- Track re-engagement opportunities like closed-lost accounts or returning prospects.
- Use engagement tiers and trend analysis to prioritize high-value leads and refine strategies for better conversions.
1. Quality of Identification
First things first: you need to know if your website visitor identification solution is actually working. But here's the catch - it’s not just about how much of your traffic is being identified. Let me break this down into what you should be measuring:
- Raw identification rate: What percentage of total traffic is being identified?
- Clean identification rate: What percentage of that identified traffic is actual companies, not ISPs like Verizon or AT&T?
Why does this matter? If your solution tells you it's identifying 50% of your traffic, but half of those are ISPs like Verizon or AT&T, you're only getting 25% useful data. You want the end company, not the internet service provider they use.
2. Traffic Quality by Segment
Here’s where things get interesting. Don’t just focus on overall numbers—break down your identified traffic by:
- Industry
- Employee range (company size)
- Average time on site per segment
- Average pages viewed per segment
This segmentation helps you understand if you're attracting the right audience. For instance, are you mainly getting SMB traffic when you're targeting enterprises? Are mid-market companies spending more time on your site than enterprise ones? These insights are invaluable for fine-tuning your marketing strategy.
3. Qualified Traffic Metrics
Here's something that often gets overlooked: the difference between identified traffic and qualified traffic. Let me give you an example:
Say you're identifying 30% of your website traffic - sounds impressive, right? But if only 5% of that traffic matches your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), the other 25% is just noise. I see this often when companies focus on high identification rates without assessing traffic quality.
For instance, if a significant portion of your traffic comes from universities, but your product isn’t tailored for the education sector, that data won’t drive meaningful results. Identification without relevance doesn’t help your bottom line.
4. Target Account Engagement
For those running ABM programs, you need to track:
- Percentage of target accounts identified on the website
- Engagement levels of those target accounts.
- Trends in target account visits over time to identify patterns and growth.
See how website visitor identification enhances ABM strategies by engaging high-intent accounts in our guide: Why Website Visitor Identification is Critical for ABM Success.
5. The ‘Second Chance’ Metrics
This is my favorite set of metrics because they’re often overlooked gems. Keep an eye on:
- Closed-lost accounts that become active again.
- Dropped pipeline opportunities returning to your website.
- Previous demo requests that are showing new engagement.
These are your second-chance opportunities. If an account you lost last quarter is now spending time on your pricing page, that’s a signal you can’t afford to miss.
6. Conversion Rate Comparisons
Here’s where you demonstrate the value of your identification efforts. Focus on tracking:
- Conversion rates from website visits to inbound inquiries, comparing qualified vs. unqualified traffic.
- Conversion rates by employee range and industry to spot patterns and refine targeting.
For example, I’ve seen qualified traffic convert at 12% while unqualified traffic lags at 2%. This kind of data makes a strong case for investing in more targeted marketing strategies.
7. Engagement Levels
Don't treat all identified accounts equally. I recommend creating a four-tier classification:
- Hot (highly engaged)
- Warm (showing interest)
- Cool (minimal engagement)
- Ice (single touch)
This helps you prioritize follow-ups and assess the quality of your identified traffic. For example, hot accounts might average 3+ page views per visit, while ice accounts bounce after viewing just one page.
8. Trend Analysis
Finally, don't view these metrics in isolation. Track how they evolve over time to uncover meaningful insights:
- Month-over-month changes in identification rates.
- Trends in traffic quality among identified accounts.
- Shifts in engagement patterns across different segments.
This ongoing analysis helps you spot opportunities, adjust strategies, and stay ahead of changes.
Making This Actionable
Here's how to put this into practice:
- Start by setting up proper tracking for all these metrics (Factors makes it easier)
- Create a weekly or monthly dashboard to monitor trends over time.
- Set benchmarks for each metric based on your first month's data.
- Review and adjust your targets quarterly to align with evolving goals and insights.
Wrapping Up
The key isn't just collecting this data - it's using it to make better decisions. For example, if you see qualified traffic converting at 6x the rate of unqualified traffic, it’s time to double down on targeted campaigns. If closed-lost accounts are returning to your site, it’s your signal to re-engage.
Remember, the goal of tracking these metrics isn’t to create pretty charts—it’s to uncover the signals that help you convert the right traffic into revenue.
Do you have thoughts on these metrics or others? Let’s discuss them on Linkedin.
Related Reads: Website Visitor Identification, Intent Scoring & LinkedIn Ads
Explore more about website visitor identification, intent scoring, and LinkedIn Ads with these guides:
Website Visitor Identification
- How Website Visitor Identification Works – Understanding how it helps track anonymous visitors.
- Website Visitor Identification & Privacy – Compliance with GDPR, CCPA, and data security.
- How to Choose a Website Visitor Identification Tool – Comparing tools to find the right fit.
- Implementation Guide – Steps to set up visitor identification.
CRM & ROI Optimization
- Integrating Website Visitor Identification with CRM – Connecting visitor insights with sales and marketing.
- ROI of Website Visitor Identification – Measuring impact and justifying investment.
- Website Visitor Identification for ABM – How it supports Account-Based Marketing.
Intent Scoring & LinkedIn Ads
- Intent Scoring Using Website Visitor Identification – Ranking accounts based on website activity.
- Using LinkedIn Ads for B2B Intent Targeting – Aligning ad strategy with buyer intent.
