Are you tracking more data than you know what to do with? Most teams are not short on data.
There’s no shortage of metrics to look at: traffic, engagement, conversions. But when it comes time to make a decision, things often get hazy.
Which metrics actually matter? What changed? What should we do next? This is where many teams get stuck.
See what Concrete CMS can do for your team. No setup headaches, no commitment — just a real look at the platform.
So the issue is not a lack of data. It's a lack of focus. Too many KPIs, and not enough connection between those KPIs and real actions.
As a result, teams spend time reviewing numbers without changing much. Timely reporting and meets happen, but the business itself stays the same.
A good KPI should do more than describe what's happening. It should help you decide what to do next. That's what this playbook is about.
In this post, we'll look at what to track, how to choose the right KPIs, and how to turn them into clear actions your team can actually follow.
Some KPIs only look good in reports but don't lead to any real action. Others get tracked out of habit, without anyone questioning why they matter.
A useful KPI helps you make a decision. Here are a few simple ways to tell if a KPI is worth tracking.
Every KPI should connect to something specific you're trying to achieve.
If the goal is to increase demo requests, then tracking overall traffic is not enough. You need metrics that relate directly to that outcome.
When there's no clear goal, KPIs become noise. This is especially true for public sector sites — if you're managing a government website, choosing the right KPIs looks a little different.
If a metric needs a long explanation, it's harder to use.
Your team should be able to look at a KPI and quickly understand what it means and why it matters. This makes it easier to discuss and act on.
Simple metrics often work better than complex ones.
A good KPI answers a question and points to a next step.
If a number changes, your team should know what to do. If there's no clear action, the KPI is just descriptive.
This is a common issue across teams. According to OKRs Tool, tracking activity is easy, but measuring outcomes is what actually drives decisions. The same applies to KPIs. If a metric doesn't help you decide what to do next, it's not doing much for you.
For example, a drop in conversion rate should trigger a review of the page or flow. Not just a note in a report.
Some metrics are useful for context, but not for action.
A KPI should be something your team can actually improve. If you can't influence it, it's not a strong candidate for regular tracking.
Changing KPIs too often makes it hard to track progress.
You don't need a large set of metrics. A small, stable set that you review regularly is more useful.
When you apply these filters, most KPIs drop off quickly. Then, what's left is a smaller set of metrics that your team can really use to make better decisions.
Once you filter out the noise, most KPIs fall into a few clear groups.
You don't need dozens of metrics. You need coverage across the areas that affect how your website performs.
This is about how people find your site. Common metrics include sessions or users, and traffic by source (search, social, direct, referral).
But the focus should not just be volume. It should be quality.
Are the right people landing on your site? Are certain channels bringing in visitors who engage or convert?
More traffic is not always better if it doesn't lead anywhere.
Once people arrive, what do they do?
Look at metrics like time on page, scroll depth, and pages per session. These give you a sense of whether your content is holding attention.
If people leave quickly or don't scroll, it's usually a sign that the content is not meeting expectations.
This is where impact becomes visible.
Depending on your site, this could include form submissions, signups, downloads, or purchases.
The key question here is simple. Are visitors taking the action you want them to take?
If not, something in the journey needs attention.
Even strong content won't perform well if the experience is poor.
Track things like page load time, broken pages or errors, and mobile usability. Small issues here can have a big effect on engagement and conversion.
This is often overlooked, but it matters.
Examples include time to publish content, number of review cycles, and delays in approvals.
If your process is slow, it affects how quickly you can respond and improve. Tracking workflow-related KPIs helps you spot where those bottlenecks are happening.
These categories give you a simple way to organise your KPIs. Instead of tracking everything, you can focus on a few metrics in each area and get a clearer picture of what's working and what needs attention.
Choosing KPIs doesn't have to be tortuous.
Most teams overthink this step. They try to cover everything, and end up tracking too much. A simpler approach works better.
Pick a single goal for the page or project you're working on.
For example: a landing page to increase signups; a blog post to drive qualified traffic; an intranet page to improve usage.
When the goal is clear, choosing KPIs becomes easier.
You don't need ten metrics for one goal. A small set forces you to focus. It also makes it easier for your team to follow and discuss.
Because if everything is important, nothing is.
Each KPI should tell you something useful about how you're moving toward your goal.
For example, if your goal is more signups: conversion rate and page speed are directly relevant; time on page might give context; total pageviews alone won't tell you much.
Pick metrics that show movement, not just activity.
Some metrics look good but don't help you decide anything.
High traffic without engagement. Lots of impressions without clicks. These can be misleading if viewed in isolation.
If a KPI doesn't lead to a clear question or action, it's probably not needed.
Once you've chosen your KPIs, stick with them for a while.
Frequent changes make it hard to see trends or measure improvement. Review your set occasionally, but avoid constant switching.
A simple rule helps here: if your team can't explain why a KPI matters in one sentence, it probably doesn't belong in your core set.
Tracking KPIs is one part of the job. Acting on them is where the real value comes from.
Before you pick a KPI, ask what decision you need to make. For example: Should we invest more in this channel? Should we redesign this page? Is this content worth updating?
This keeps your focus on outcomes, not numbers.
Once the decision is clear, pick the metric that helps you answer it.
If you're deciding whether a page is working, conversion rate is more useful than total visits. If you're evaluating content quality, engagement metrics matter more.
Match the KPI to the question.
You need to know what "normal" looks like.
Look at recent performance and define a baseline. This gives you context when numbers go up or down.
Without a baseline, every change would feel random.
Decide in advance what change will require action. For example: conversion rate drops by 20%; bounce rate increases significantly; traffic from a key channel declines.
This removes guesswork. You don't have to debate whether something is worth attention.
Every KPI should have someone responsible for it.
If no one owns it, no one acts on it. Ownership makes follow-up more consistent.
Set a simple review rhythm. Weekly works for fast-moving areas. Monthly works for longer cycles. The key is consistency.
Use these reviews to decide what needs to change, not just to report numbers.
This simple process keeps KPIs tied to real decisions. Instead of collecting data, your team starts using it to guide what happens next.
See what Concrete CMS can do for your team. No setup headaches, no commitment — just a real look at the platform.
You don't need a complex setup to make KPIs useful. Most teams already have the tools they need. The issue is usually how those tools are used.
Pick a main tool for tracking performance.
For most teams, this is something like Google Analytics or a similar platform. This is where your traffic, engagement, and conversion data lives.
Avoid jumping between multiple tools for the same data. It creates confusion.
Your CMS plays a bigger role than just publishing content. It helps you track what's live, manage updates, and reduce delays in publishing.
For example, a platform like Concrete CMS can make it easier for teams to collaborate, publish faster, and keep content organised. This directly affects how quickly you can act on what your KPIs are telling you.
You don't need detailed reports for every stakeholder.
A short, focused view works better: key KPIs, current performance, what changed, and what action is needed. This keeps discussions clear and avoids unnecessary detail.
If you can automate data collection or reporting, do it.
This saves time and reduces manual errors. But don't over-automate. The goal is to make data easier to review, not harder to understand.
A perfect dashboard is not the goal. What matters is whether your team looks at the data, understands it, and acts on it.
A simple setup that gets used regularly is far more effective than a complex one that gets ignored.
You don't need more data. You need a clearer way to use the data you already have.
Most teams track too many metrics and still struggle to decide what to do next. A smaller set of well-chosen KPIs is far more useful. It keeps your focus on what matters and makes it easier to act.
The goal is simple. Each KPI should help answer a question and guide a decision.
When you set clear goals, limit your metrics, and build a simple review process, things start to improve. Your team spends less time looking at numbers and more time making changes that matter.
