What is time on site?
Time on site refers to the total amount of time a user spends on a website during a single visit. It is calculated from the moment a user lands on the site to the moment they leave, and is often used as a metric for gauging user engagement.
Different types of time on site:
– Average time on site – The average duration of time spent on a site per user session. Provides insight into overall site engagement.
– Time on page – The amount of time spent on a specific page. Useful for analyzing engagement with key pages.
– Time on site by segment – Time on site broken down by user attributes like location, device, etc. Reveals engagement differences among segments.
Three examples of time on site in an analogy using everyday language:
– Reading an article in a magazine – You pick up a magazine, start reading an interesting article, and don’t put the magazine down until you’ve finished reading it. The time between picking up and finishing the article is like the time on site.
– Watching a TV show – You turn on the TV, start watching your favorite show, and keep watching until the episode ends. The duration of the TV show is analogous to the time on site.
– Shopping in a store – You enter a clothing store, browse different sections, try on items, and eventually leave after an hour. Your total time spent shopping is similar to the concept of time on site.
Why is time on site important?
Time on site is an important metric because it indicates how engaging and interesting a website’s content and features are to users. Longer time on site generally signals users are finding value in the experience. It can identify pages and sections that resonate well with users.
Benefits of time on site:
– Understand user engagement and site stickiness
– Identify high and low interest areas of a site
– Benchmark and optimize user experience
– Correlate with other success metrics like conversions
– Set goals around user engagement
Systems and software related to time on site:
– Google Analytics
– Adobe Analytics
– Kissmetrics
– Mixpanel
– CrazyEgg
– UserTesting
– SessionCam
– Hotjar
These tools help collect, analyze and report on time on site data, enabling deeper understanding of user behavior. The insights gained can be used to enhance website design and content.