Key digital marketing metrics every business should track

Digital marketing without measurement is guesswork. For small UK businesses, tracking the right numbers shows what’s working, where to invest, and how to grow sustainably. Here are the essential metrics every business should follow.

The must-track metrics

Website Traffic & Sources	Shows how many people visit and where they come from (organic, paid, social, direct).	73% of UK small businesses have a website, and most use it for traffic monitoring. Source: colorlib.com
Conversion Rate	Percentage of visitors who take action (purchase, signup, enquiry).	A top success metric in UK businesses. Source: localiq.co.uk
Cost per Acquisition (CPA) / Lead (CPL)	How much you spend to acquire a customer/lead.	Used to keep ROI in check. Source: siteground.com
ROI / ROAS	Measures profitability of campaigns.	50% of UK businesses list ROI as their primary marketing measure. Source: localiq.co.uk
Engagement Rate	Likes, comments, shares, and content interaction.	UK SMBs rate social engagement as a key success metric. Source: localiq.co.uk
Bounce Rate & Session Duration	Indicates whether visitors find your content relevant.	High bounce = misaligned content or UX issues.

How often & how to use these metrics

• Weekly: Campaign performance (ads, social engagement, website traffic).

• Monthly: Conversion rates, CPA/CPL, bounce rate.

• Quarterly: ROI and retention rates.

• Best practice: Compare against previous periods and industry benchmarks, then reallocate resources to top-performing channels.

Common pitfalls to avoid

• Tracking too many vanity metrics (likes without conversions).

• Ignoring attribution (customers often interact with multiple touch points before buying).

• Not aligning metrics with goals (e.g. tracking clicks when the goal is sales).

• Failing to act on data (measurement is only useful if you adjust strategy).

Conclusion

Focusing on metrics like traffic, conversions, CPA, ROI, engagement, and retention gives you a clear picture of performance. For small businesses, it’s not about tracking everything it’s about tracking what truly impacts growth.