Am I doing anything right?
Why Asking This Question Matters
Digital efforts can sometimes feel overwhelming. Campaigns, websites, ads, and content all take time and investment. Without clear indicators of success, it’s easy to wonder, “Am I doing anything right?”
Recognizing wins, even small ones, builds confidence and provides a foundation for growth. Understanding what works means you can double down on the right efforts while adjusting the rest.
Signs You’re Doing Things Right
When asking, “Am I doing anything right?”, it’s tempting to look only at raw numbers. Real insights come from context, trends, and consistent tracking. Here’s a detailed look at the five key indicators and how to measure them effectively.
1. Consistent Website Traffic
Why it matters: Traffic is the first signal that your visibility and reach are working. But one-off spikes aren’t enough. Consistency over time shows that your marketing, SEO, and referral channels are effective.
Building Benchmarks:
Establish a baseline for traffic using tools like Google Analytics (GA4) or Adobe Analytics. Track weekly and monthly averages.
Compare traffic trends year-over-year (YoY) to account for seasonality. For example, an e-commerce site may naturally get higher traffic during holiday months.
Break traffic down by channel:
Organic search → Are your SEO efforts paying off?
Paid campaigns → Which campaigns are driving the most visitors?
Referral traffic → Are partnerships or backlinks generating interest?
Direct traffic → Indicates brand recognition.
Dashboard Idea:
Create a weekly snapshot dashboard in GA4 or a BI tool like Data Studio or Looker Studio, showing:
Sessions over time
Top-performing pages
Traffic sources breakdown
YoY or MoM percentage change
This gives a clear visual cue if your traffic is steadily growing or stagnating.
2. Engagement Growth
Why it matters: Traffic alone isn’t enough. Engagement metrics show whether visitors are actually interacting with your content.
Key Metrics to Track:
Time on site / session duration → Higher time indicates content is compelling.
Pages per session → Shows visitors exploring your site rather than bouncing after landing on a single page.
Bounce rate / engagement rate → High bounce may signal irrelevant landing pages or poor UX.
Where to Find This Information:
Google Analytics / GA4: Under “Engagement” you’ll find session metrics.
Hotjar / Crazy Egg / Microsoft Clarity: Heatmaps and session recordings show how users navigate and interact visually.
Google Search Console: Check which pages users land on from search and how long they engage.
Benchmarks and Trends:
Track weekly and monthly averages to identify growth trends.
Compare engagement across content types to see what resonates.
Use cohort analysis: Are visitors from social campaigns behaving differently than organic search visitors?
3. Positive Customer Feedback
Why it matters: Feedback validates that your website or content is helpful. It also influences SEO and credibility.
Where to Look:
Local Listings: Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business), Yelp, TripAdvisor, and industry-specific directories often have reviews and Q&A sections.
Social Media Mentions: Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn comments, or Facebook posts can reveal user sentiment.
Website Comments / Feedback Widgets: Blogs, forums, or embedded review tools give direct insights.
Real-World Example:
A local plumbing company may notice a spike in Google reviews mentioning the “appointment booking page,” indicating that the website is effectively serving customers.
Tracking Tips:
Create a spreadsheet or dashboard with:
Number of new reviews per month
Average rating
Common themes in feedback
Identify trends: Are reviews improving after site updates? Which pages are being praised or criticized?
4. Conversions and Inquiries
Why it matters: These are the ultimate proof that your site is delivering value. Form fills, newsletter sign-ups, and purchases show that users are taking meaningful actions.
Tracking Sources:
Google Analytics / GA4:
Set up events to track form submissions, button clicks, downloads, or sign-ups.
Use conversion goals to monitor sales or lead generation.
CRM Integration: Tools like HubSpot, Salesforce, or Zoho allow you to tie inquiries back to website sessions.
Analyzing Conversion Data:
Identify which pages or campaigns drive the most conversions.
Segment by traffic source: Did organic search or a paid ad lead to more inquiries?
Check funnel metrics: Are people dropping off at a particular step? This informs UX improvements.
Benchmarks:
Compare monthly conversion rates to previous periods.
Segment by new vs returning users to see if first-time visitors are converting.
5. Repeat Visitors
Why it matters: Repeat traffic indicates satisfaction and ongoing engagement. People returning to your site are more likely to convert, subscribe, or advocate.
Where to Track Repeat Visitors:
GA4 / Universal Analytics: Look at the “New vs Returning” report. Track repeat users over weeks and months.
Behavioral Cohorts: Tools like Mixpanel allow you to create cohorts of repeat visitors and track their actions over time.
Email Subscribers: Engagement with newsletters can be a proxy for repeat visitation.
Using This Data:
Identify pages that encourage repeat visits. Blog series, resources, or product updates often drive recurring traffic.
Monitor trends: Are repeat visits increasing or decreasing after design or content changes?
Segment by device, location, or referral source to identify patterns.
Dashboard Recommendations
For a single go-to dashboard to track whether you’re doing anything right:
Traffic Overview: Sessions, unique visitors, and sources.
Engagement Metrics: Time on site, pages per session, bounce rate.
Conversions & Inquiries: Total leads, purchases, form submissions.
Repeat Visitors: New vs returning traffic.
Customer Feedback Snapshot: Recent reviews, average rating, and common themes.
Tip: Use tools like Google Data Studio, Looker Studio, Hotjar, or even Excel / Google Sheets to visualize trends over weeks, months, and years. Color-code metrics to highlight growth, stagnation, or decline.
Putting It All Together
Traffic shows reach.
Engagement shows interest.
Feedback shows satisfaction.
Conversions show value delivered.
Repeat visitors show lasting impact.
By combining all these metrics into a dashboard, you can answer “Am I doing anything right?” with confidence—not just by guessing or reacting to spikes, but by following data-driven trends over time.
How to Build on What’s Working
Double down on strengths: Expand efforts in areas that already drive results.
Repurpose content: Turn high-performing blogs into videos, infographics, or social posts.
Expand reach: Use proven strategies to capture similar audiences in new channels.
Refine with data: Track what works and look for patterns you can replicate elsewhere.
Balance wins with fixes: Keep momentum by improving weaker areas without losing sight of what’s already strong.
Connecting It Back to Business Goals
Resolving issues is simply one aspect of success; another is acknowledging advancements. The question, "Am I doing something correctly?” reframes your viewpoint and assists in identifying strengths that merit improvement. Bend's method ensures that victories result in long-term outcomes by integrating strategy, growth planning, and evaluation.
Curious if your strategy is working? Bend helps identify wins, refine performance, and build on strengths to keep your momentum going. Let’s talk about what’s working for you.
