How Do You Measure Website Growth? The Vital Signs Of Life
- Tony Cooper
- May 8
- 10 min read
Your Easy Weekly Check-Up for Online Health
Is your website bringing in all the business you know it could? Or are you hoping it's working, like throwing out your fishing line before testing the depth first?
For many small business owners, especially those who didn't grow up with computers, understanding if their website is truly helping can feel like trying to read a foreign language.
You might think peeking into Google Analytics now and then is enough, seeing who visits and where they arrive from.
But here's the reality: Analytics doesn't show how people find you on Google, the exact words they type, or if Google has found any technical glitches stopping you from appearing in searches.
And let's be honest, that mass of data can be utterly overwhelming!
The great news? You do not need a computer science degree to understand your website's health and growth. By focusing on a few critical 'vital signs,' you can quickly spot problems, see what's working, and make sure your website is a bustling centre for your business, not just a static online brochure.
These 'vital signs' are like the key health indicators your doctor checks during a physical exam, giving you a clear understanding of your website's performance.
I'm going to cut through the tech speak and show you how to:
Understand the essential numbers that matter for your business.
Take a quick, simple look at Google Search Console, a powerful free tool from Google.
See why spending just ten minutes a week on these checks is one of the smartest moves you can make for your business's bottom line.
Ready to take control of your website's health? Let's dive in!
Is Your Website Online? The Absolute Non-Negotiable First Check
Let's start with the basics: the online equivalent of checking if your shop lights are on. You might think your website is always open for business, just like your physical store. But here's a tough truth that surprises many business owners: websites can and do go down without you even realising it!
Think about it: a customer searches for you, finds your listing, clicks, and gets a blank screen or a confusing error message.
They won't call you to let you know; they'll move on to your competitor. That's lost business, pure and simple. Ensuring your website is online is the fundamental pulse check for your entire online operation. A website going offline, even for a short period, can result in potential customers choosing your competitors, leading to a direct loss of business.
The good news? Preventing this is surprisingly easy. You can use a simple, free online service that acts like a watchdog for your website. If it ever goes offline, even for a few minutes, this service immediately sends you an email or text alert.
It's like having a silent alarm system for your most valuable online asset.
Action Step: Getting Your Free Website Alarm System (It's Easier Than You Think!)
Setting up a website monitoring service may sound technical, but it's a breeze. It takes less time than making a cup of tea – seriously, it's under 5 minutes. Here's how using a popular free service like UptimeRobot can help you:
Open your web browser and go to the UptimeRobot website (https://uptimerobot.com/).
Find and click the "Sign Up Free" button.
Pop in your email, create a password you'll remember, and agree to their terms.
Once logged in (it should happen automatically), hit the "Add New Monitor" button.
Under "Monitor Type," choose "HTTP(s)." This is the standard way to check a website's address.
Give it a simple name you'll recognise, like "My [Your Business Name] Website Check".
In the "URL (or IP)" box, carefully type your full website address (for example, https://www.yourbusinessname.com).
Leave the "Monitoring Interval" at 5 minutes. That way, it checks your site every 5 minutes, catching problems quickly.
Under "Alert Contacts," make sure your email address is selected. You can also add your phone number for text alerts (check for extra costs or limits).
Finally, click "Create Monitor."
Once you've set up the monitoring service, you can rest easy knowing that you'll be the first to know if your website ever has a hiccup and goes offline.
That way, you can quickly contact your hosting provider to get it back up and running before you miss out on significant business. A straightforward vital check.
Your Website's Pulse: Tracking the Numbers That Mean Business
Business websites exist for one main reason: to bring in business! Whether it's direct sales (orders), getting new people onto your email list (signups), or encouraging potential customers to get in touch (lead enquiries), these are your website's core functions.
If these vital numbers start to dip or dry up, it's a massive warning sign for your business. It could be that something technical is stopping people from buying or enquiring, or it could be an early indicator that you need to attract new interest with fresh marketing ideas.
The good news is that you already have access to where these crucial numbers live.
This information isn't usually buried in complex technical reports; it's typically right within your website's administration area (if you have an online shop) or in the tools you use to manage customer contacts and email lists.
Actionable Step: Pinpoint Exactly Where to Find Your Most Important Business Numbers
This step isn't about adding new technology to your plate; it's about knowing exactly where to look in the systems you're likely already using. Think of it like checking your bank balance – you know where to find that, right?
If you have an online shop (like on Shopify, or if your WordPress site uses WooCommerce), log in to the part of your website where you manage products, orders, and settings (often called the "backend" or "admin area"). Look for sections like "Orders," "Sales," or "Reports." Here, you'll see a list of recent activity. Make it a habit to check this daily or weekly – are orders flowing in consistently? If not, it's time to investigate why.
If potential customers contact you using forms on your website (for quotes, questions, etc.), Where do those messages go? Check your email inbox regularly! Are new enquiries landing consistently? Some website builders or form tools also have a dashboard to see a list of form submissions. Find yours.
If you rely on people signing up for your email newsletter, log in to your email marketing service (Mailchimp, Constant Contact, or whichever one you use). They will have a section showing you who has subscribed recently. Are people still interested enough in what you offer to give you their email addresses?
Identify the number (or perhaps two) that matter most for your business (total orders, number of new leads, or new signups).
Ensure you know exactly where to find and check this figure quickly each week. This is your website's core purpose, its true heartbeat—is it beating strong and steady, or showing signs of fading?
Your Website's Grade: Getting a Report Card Straight from Google
We've discussed Google Analytics, which shows you who and where your visitors come from. And this is key. But it doesn't tell the inside story of how people discover your website using Google search.
You won't see the exact search words they typed, or if Google has found any technical hiccups on your site that silently stop you from showing up. Google Search Console (it used to be called Webmaster Tools – maybe a slightly friendlier sounding name!) is built specifically for this, but even "Search Console" can sound a bit technical, can't it?
The simple solution? Access Search Console and quickly find the most important information without getting lost in confusing menus. Think of this as getting a straightforward, easy-to-understand report card directly from Google about how your website is performing in search results!
Actionable Step: Your 5-Minute (Yes, Really, Just 5 Minutes!) Tour of Google Search Console
Getting valuable insights about your website directly from Google is much easier than you might imagine. Here's how to take a quick, helpful look:
Step 1: Sign In to Google Search Console
Head to the Google Search Console website (https://search.google.com/search-console) and sign in using the same Google account you probably use for your business email or other Google services related to your website.
If you haven't used it before, you might need to "add" your website and prove to Google that you own it. Google provides simple, step-by-step instructions for this – please don't panic! It usually involves adding code to your website or confirming it through your domain name provider. Just follow their lead.
Step 2: Access the Dashboard
Once logged in, you'll see a central dashboard. Don't let all the different options overwhelm you! We're only focusing on one or two key areas for our quick weekly check.
Look for the "Performance" report in the menu on the left-hand side. Click on it.
Step 3: Check the Key Metrics
On this Performance report page, you'll see a graph at the top. Below the graph, you'll see some boxes and sections. These are the key pieces of information to glance at:
Total Clicks: This number shows you exactly how many times people clicked on a link to your website from a Google search result during the timeframe you've chosen (you can usually look at the last 7 or 28 days). Is this number generally going up over time? Fantastic! Is it dropping? It's worth noting and might need a closer look later.
Total Impressions: This number tells you how many times a link to your website showed up in Google search results (even if someone didn't click on it). If this number increases, your website appears for more different searches, which is an excellent sign of growing visibility!
Average CTR (Click-Through Rate): This is a percentage. Out of all the times your website appeared in search results (Impressions), this shows how often someone clicked. A higher percentage suggests that the title and little description Google shows for your website are appealing and make people want to click through.
Average Position: This number shows your website's average ranking in Google search results across all the searches it appeared for. A lower number (closer to #1) is better, meaning you're generally ranking higher on the search results page – crucial for getting noticed!
Step 4: Explore Queries and Pages
Now, scroll down below those main boxes. This is where you find some real gold! You'll see sections usually called "Queries" and "Pages."
Queries
This is incredibly valuable! It shows the exact words and phrases people typed into Google right before they saw (and hopefully clicked on) your website link.
Are people finding you for the right things related to your business? Are you starting to show up for new, relevant search terms? This is a direct window into what your potential customers are looking for and can give you brilliant ideas for new services, blog posts, or even just how to describe what you do on your website!
Pages
This shows which pages on your website appear most often in search results and get the most clicks. Is it your main homepage, a page for a specific service or product, or a helpful blog post you wrote?
Let Google Do the Heavy Lifting: Automating Your Weekly Website Check
Even with the quick 5-minute tour we just covered, remembering to actually log in to Google Search Console week after week can easily slip down the list when you're busy running your business. We all know how those to-do lists can pile up!
There's a simple fix for this! Google Search Console has a handy feature that automatically sends you a brief weekly summary email with the most relevant information.
This means the key numbers you need to see arrive directly in your email inbox—no need to even remember to log in after the initial setup! It's like getting your website's weekly health report delivered to your digital doorstep.
Actionable Step: Automate Your Search Console Report for Effortless Monitoring
Log back into Google Search Console (https://search.google.com/search-console).
Look in the menu on the left-hand side for "Settings." Click on it.
In the Settings menu, look for "Email settings" or "Performance email notification." Click on that.
You should see a simple switch or checkbox option to turn on or subscribe to the "Performance email notification." Make sure this setting is flipped ON.
Double-check that the email address where you want to receive these reports is correct.
That's it! You're done setting it up. Now, every week, without having to do anything else, Google automatically sends you an email summary.
This report will highlight how your website performed in Google search results, including those vital clicks, impressions, and the popular search terms people used to find you. It's the most straightforward, valuable report card your business will ever receive!
Why This 10 Minutes a Week Matters (More Than You Might Think!)
It might feel like adding just another small task to your already packed week, but consistently spending just ten minutes each week on these simple checks – ensuring your site is live, glancing at your core business numbers, and quickly reviewing that automated Search Console report – can genuinely make a monumental positive difference for your business.
Spot problems before they hit your pocket: If your website suddenly goes offline or those crucial lead enquiries unexpectedly disappear, you'll know almost immediately. This lets you fix it quickly, preventing significant lost business and frustrated customers.
Understand what's bringing people in: That "Queries" report in Search Console is pure gold for showing exactly which search terms lead people to your site and which pages they land on. This insight is invaluable for deciding what new content to create, what services to highlight, or where to focus your online attention.
Identify subtle shifts and trends early: Sometimes, what customers are looking for changes gradually. By keeping a simple eye on your search terms and traffic patterns, you might spot a new wave of interest starting to form. This lets you adjust your offerings or marketing messages to catch that wave and bring new business before your competitors.
Feel confident and in control: You absolutely do not need to understand every technical detail to do this. Knowing these basic metrics gives you a powerful sense of control and confidence over your online presence. You're not just hoping for the best; you're seeing exactly what's happening and can make informed decisions.
Stop Guessing, Start Growing: Why These Simple Checks Are Powerful
Taking just a few minutes each week to perform these simple yet powerful checks is one of the most practical and effective ways to ensure your website isn't just online but a healthy, actively growing asset that consistently brings business through your digital door.
Resolve to start today: set up that simple website monitor, ensure you know exactly where to glance for your core business numbers, enable your automated Google Search Console email reports, and commit to that quick 10-minute check each week.
Your website is far too important to ignore – give it the quick, vital check-up it deserves!
