13 User Engagement Metrics to Track in 2024

Want to know if people actually use and like your product? Here are the 13 key metrics you need to track in 2024, plus how to measure them.

Quick Overview: The 13 Essential Metrics

Category	Metrics
User Activity	• Daily Active Users (DAU) • Monthly Active Users (MAU) • DAU/MAU Ratio
Time & Usage	• Session Duration • Pages Per Visit • Time on Page
User Actions	• Click-through Rate • Conversion Rate • Event Completion
Loyalty	• Retention Rate • Churn Rate • Customer Lifetime Value
Feedback	• Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Why These Matter:

Track how people use your product
Spot problems before users leave
See which features work (and which don’t)
Link user behavior to revenue

Key Stats:

52% of customers leave after one bad experience
Sites with good UX see 400% higher conversion rates
Companies tracking multi-channel feedback keep 89% of customers

Tools You’ll Need:

Tool	Best For
Google Analytics 4	Basic website tracking
Mixpanel	User behavior analysis
Heap	Event tracking
UXCam	Mobile app analytics

This guide shows you exactly how to track these metrics, what numbers to aim for, and how to fix common problems. You’ll learn which tools to use and how to turn data into actions that keep users coming back.

How Users Engage With Content

Here’s what happens when people interact with your content (based on 2024 data):

Action	User Behavior	Result
Direct Actions	Clicks, comments, shares	Shows if content connects
Time on Page	Reading, watching, listening	Tells you if it’s good
Social Activity	Likes, follows, mentions	Grows your audience
User Input	Reviews, ratings, surveys	Helps you improve

The numbers tell an interesting story:

51% of people find content through Google
78% discover brands on social media
74% of new leads come from content
Interactive content converts 2X better than static pages

Let me show you what this means for business:

What We Measure	What We Found
Money Made	Content marketing hit $600B in 2024
New Leads	74% of businesses got more leads
Marketing Plans	90% of companies now do content marketing
Where Money Goes	78% of teams put money into video

Here’s a real example:

Under Armour‘s Connected Fitness team changed their race training plans based on what users actually did. The results?

More free users became paying customers
People used the training features 3X more
Users stuck around longer

And check this out:

Babbel‘s team built dashboards to watch how people used their app. This helped them roll out better features, faster.

The bottom line? When you pay attention to how people use your content, you can make it better. And better content = better business results.

13 Key Metrics to Track

Here’s what you need to measure in 2024:

User Activity Metrics

Metric	What It Shows	How to Calculate
Daily Active Users (DAU)	Users taking action each day	Count unique users per day
Monthly Active Users (MAU)	Total monthly users	Count unique users per month
DAU/MAU Ratio	How often people come back	DAU ÷ MAU × 100

Time-Based Metrics

Metric	Industry Average	What to Track
Session Duration	2-3 minutes	Time per visit
Pages Per Visit	2.5 pages	Pages viewed
Time on Page	52 seconds	Reading time

Three numbers that REALLY matter:

Click-through Rate = Clicks ÷ Impressions × 100
Conversion Rate = Conversions ÷ Total Visitors × 100
Event Completion = Finished Actions ÷ Started Actions × 100

User Loyalty

Metric	Formula	Target Range
Retention Rate	(End Users – New Users) ÷ Start Users × 100	25-35%
Churn Rate	Lost Customers ÷ Total Customers × 100	5-7%
Customer Lifetime Value	Avg Revenue Per User × Avg Customer Lifespan	Industry specific

User Feedback

Here’s something scary: 52% of customers leave after ONE bad experience (Zendesk data).

Feedback Type	Scale	When to Collect
NPS Score	0-10	After key interactions
CSAT	1-5	Post-purchase
Support Tickets	Volume trends	Daily monitoring

Teams use tools like BugSmash to track feedback across platforms. The numbers don’t lie:

Companies with multi-channel tracking: 89% customer retention
Companies without it: 33% retention
Average cart abandonment: 69.23%

Here’s what to do:

1. Start with Google Analytics

It’s free and covers the basics.

2. Add specialized tools

Pick tools that match your needs.

3. Check your numbers

Look at your metrics daily or weekly.

4. Take action

Data without action = waste of time.

Bottom line: These metrics work as a team. Bad engagement? Your retention will tank. Happy customers? Watch your conversion rates climb.

How to Track and Study Metrics

Here’s what you need to know about tracking and measuring your site’s performance:

Tracking Tools

Tool Type	Best For	Key Features
Google Analytics 4	Basic website metrics	User flows, engagement rate, conversion tracking
Mixpanel	In-depth behavior analysis	User segmentation, funnel analysis, retention tracking
Heap	Automatic event capture	Digital journey mapping, conversion optimization
UXCam	Mobile app analytics	Session recording, heatmaps (up to 10,000 free sessions)
BugSmash	User feedback	Multi-platform feedback tracking, annotation tools

Getting Data

You can collect engagement data in 3 main ways:

1. Automatic tracking

Google Tag Manager helps you track:

Page views
Click events
Form submissions
Video plays

2. Manual collection

Get direct user input through:

In-app surveys
NPS scores
Support tickets
User interviews

3. Combined analysis

Data Source	What to Track	How Often
Analytics	DAU, MAU, time on site	Daily
Surveys	CSAT, NPS	Monthly
Support	Ticket volume, response time	Weekly
Feedback	Bug reports, feature requests	Daily

Working with Asset Management

Here’s how to track content across different platforms:

Asset Type	Key Metrics	Tools
Website	Pages/session, scroll depth	GA4
Mobile App	Screen flow, tap targets	UXCam
Videos	Play rate, drop-off points	Mixpanel
Documents	Time spent, completion rate	Heap

Here’s something that might shock you:

"Between 60 percent and 73 percent of all data within an enterprise goes unused for analytics." – Jeff Barrett, CEO of Barrett Digital

To put that data to work:

Connect your tracking tools to your CMS
Set up automatic reports for key metrics
Look at your data every week
Act on what you learn within 48 hours

Bottom line? Sites with good UX see 400% higher conversion rates. Pick the metrics that match YOUR goals and track those.

Metrics Across Different Teams

Here’s how different teams track their success with numbers that matter:

Design Teams

Design teams zero in on how users actually use their work:

Metric Type	What to Track	Why It Matters
User Flow	Task success rate, drop-off points	Shows if users get stuck
Visual Impact	Time on page, scroll depth	Tells if designs grab attention
Feature Usage	Adoption rate, interaction time	Proves if new beats old

"Designers need feedback on designs. Every designer desires to improve the customer experience." – Ricky Johnston, UXR @ Microsoft

Product Teams

Product teams keep their eyes on these numbers:

Focus Area	Core Metrics	Goal
User Growth	DAU/MAU ratio, stickiness	Shows who comes back
Feature Success	Adoption rate, time to value	Spots winning features
User Journey	Session depth, conversion points	Finds user roadblocks

Here’s proof it works: Housing.com‘s team spotted search problems through event tracking. By adding multi-city search, they got 20% more people using the feature.

Marketing Teams

Marketing teams focus on these stats:

Channel	Key Metrics	Target
Social Media	Reach, clicks, shares	Measures spread
Email	Open rate, click rate	Shows who reads
Video	Play time, completion rate	Tracks engagement

Want a win? Mercedes-Benz Finance hit 96% video completion rates by targeting end-of-contract customers with the right content.

Content Teams

Content teams watch these numbers:

Content Type	Main Metrics	Purpose
Blog Posts	Time on page, shares	Shows what works
Downloads	Completion rate, usage	Measures value
Support Docs	Search hits, feedback	Spots gaps

Fun fact: Google Ads average a 6.42% click rate. But smart content teams look past clicks to see what happens next.

BugSmash puts all these metrics in one place, so teams can work together to boost user engagement.

Setting Up Metrics Right

Here’s what you need to know about picking and tracking the RIGHT metrics for your product:

Core Metrics That Matter

Different goals need different metrics. Here’s what to track:

Goal	Primary Metrics	Secondary Metrics
Growth	DAU/MAU ratio	New user conversion
Revenue	Customer lifetime value	Feature usage
Product fit	Time in app	Feature adoption rate
User success	Task completion	Support tickets

Smart Goal Setting

Want to know what "good" looks like? Here are the numbers:

Metric Type	Average	Top 25%	Goal Setting Tips
Email CTR	2.6%	4.5%	Start 0.5% above current
Push CTR	7.8%	13.6%	Aim for 2% monthly growth
SMS CVR	19.3%	29.8%	Target 25% improvement

Making It Happen

1. Get Your Baseline

Track your numbers for 30 days. You can’t improve what you don’t measure.

2. Set Check-in Points

Time Frame	Actions	Focus Areas
Daily	Check core metrics	Spot issues fast
Weekly	Review trends	Adjust tactics
Monthly	Deep analysis	Plan improvements

3. Pick Your Stack

Start with Google Analytics. Add specific tools when you need more detail.

Dashboard Setup

Here’s how BugSmash tracks what matters:

Dashboard Section	What to Track	Why It Matters
File Activity	Views, comments	Shows engagement
Team Input	Response time	Measures collaboration
Version Updates	Implementation speed	Tracks progress

"A 5% improvement in customer retention can increase profits by 25-95%." – Bain & Company

Bottom line? Focus on numbers that drive decisions. Skip the metrics that just look pretty on paper.

Problems and Fixes

Here’s what breaks your data – and how to fix it:

Data Quality

Bad data = bad decisions. Let’s look at the main problems:

Issue	Impact	Solution
Duplicate data	Numbers look bigger than reality	Use tools to spot and delete copies
Bot traffic	Fake engagement numbers	Block non-human visitors
QA data mixing	Test data messes up real numbers	Keep testing separate from live data
Missing tracking	Can’t see full user behavior	Check tracking code weekly

Reading the Data

Most teams look at the WRONG numbers. Here’s what to focus on instead:

Metric	What People Get Wrong	What to Do Instead
DAUs	Just counting who logs in	Track who actually DOES something
Bounce Rate	Thinking all bounces are bad	Look at visits over 30 seconds
Session Duration	Thinking longer = better	Match time to completed actions
Page Views	Chasing higher numbers	Focus on pages that drive sales

Connecting Tools

When tools don’t talk to each other, you miss the big picture:

Tool Type	How to Connect	Main Benefit
Analytics	Connect through API	See data as it happens
CRM	Set up two-way sync	Get the full user story
Feedback	Use BugSmash	Keep all feedback in one place
Testing	Stream events live	Know what works right away

Team Communication

Different teams often work with different numbers. Here’s how to get everyone on the same page:

Team	What They Track	What to Show Them
Product	How features get used	Daily feature activity
Marketing	New user numbers	Channel results
Support	Customer happiness	Time to fix problems
Design	How users move around	Success rate on key paths

"Bad data costs companies $15 million every year." – Appcues Blog

Fix These Common Problems:

1. Broken Tracking

Check your data collection daily. Set up alerts for drops.

2. Marketing Events

Use a shared calendar to track all marketing. It explains traffic spikes.

3. Data Validation

Do these checks weekly:

Find empty data spots
Look for weird numbers
Spot pattern changes
Check for gaps

4. Tool Integration

Keep it simple:

Start with Google Analytics
Only add what you need
Test connections monthly
Write everything down

Deep Data Study Methods

Here’s how to break down your data to find what ACTUALLY works:

User Group Analysis

You need to split users into groups. Here’s what the top companies track:

Group Type	What to Track	Why It Matters
New vs Old	First 30-day actions	Shows if your onboarding works or fails
Power Users	Daily feature use	Points out what keeps people coming back
At-Risk	Drop in usage	Helps you spot who’s about to leave
Free vs Paid	Feature adoption	Shows what makes people pull out their wallet

Data Groups

Let’s break this down into 4 main parts:

Data Type	What to Look For	Key Metrics
Usage Data	Features people actually use	Daily/weekly use counts
Time Data	Peak activity periods	When users show up most
Flow Data	User navigation patterns	Most common paths
Drop-off Data	Exit points	Where users give up

Finding Trends

Here’s what to check every week:

Trend Type	What Changed	What to Do
Usage Spikes	Big 20% shifts	Look at your marketing
Time Shifts	New busy hours	Boost your server power
Feature Changes	Usage swings	Check for technical issues
Path Changes	New user routes	Fix your navigation

Spotting Patterns

Keep an eye out for these behaviors:

Pattern	What It Means	What to Do Next
Morning Rushes	Heavy 9 AM traffic	Speed things up
Feature Chains	Connected features	Put them side by side
Dead Ends	Stuck users	Add quick help tips
Return Points	Re-entry spots	Make them easy to find

"Social media marketing taught us we NEED to know our audience. Breaking customers into groups shows us exactly what each type wants and does." – Adam Wright, Founder of Human Tonik

Do These Now:

Check your numbers daily
Look for big 20% changes
Compare weeks
Watch your top 5 features
Track new user paths

Tools You Need:

Google Analytics: Basic tracking
Hotjar: Watch users live
BugSmash: Get feedback
A/B testing tools: Test changes

What’s Next for Metrics

Let’s look at how data tracking is changing in 2024 and beyond.

New Methods

Method	What It Does	Impact
Real-time Processing	Analyzes data instantly	Shows what users do right now
Predictive Tracking	Finds likely exit points	Stops users from bouncing
Cross-channel Analysis	Connects all platform data	Maps complete user paths
Smart Segmentation	Groups similar users	Makes content more focused

New Tools

Here’s what’s changing the game in 2024:

Tool Type	Main Use	Key Benefit
AI Analytics	Finds hidden patterns	Teams work 54% faster
Smart Dashboards	Shows data clearly	Quick choices made easier
Auto-email Tools	Reaches users	8x better click rates
Behavior Tracking	Shows user moves	More sales from visits

What The Numbers Say

The data points to big shifts:

Trend	Now	Next
Personal Content	91% want it	Going up fast
AI Use	54% use it	Moving to 70%
Cart Problems	69% leave	Dropping to 50%
User Loyalty	60% stay	Rising to 70%

How AI Helps

AI makes data work better:

Task	Job	Output
Data Check	Fixes bad numbers	Better insights
Smart Alerts	Spots problems early	Quick fixes
Auto Reports	Updates daily	Saves 4 hours/day
User Paths	Shows popular routes	Better site flow

"AI is so important because it lets us scale the internet. It lets even a small publisher or a regional app have access to the same intelligence, the same creativity as a super large behemoth and that is a critical function to the way the internet works and the way society works." – Tom Kershaw

Big Changes Coming:

AI spots what humans miss
Tools work together better
Teams get answers faster
Small teams use pro-level tools

"As AI continues to advance, businesses that leverage these tools effectively will gain a significant competitive edge, driving innovation and efficiency across various industries." – Volkan Yolci, Business Developer at Demirören Yatırım Holding

Wrap-Up

Here’s what matters most when tracking your product’s performance:

Area	What to Track	Why It Matters
User Activity	DAU, WAU, MAU	Shows how many people use your product
Session Data	Time on page, scroll depth	Tells you if content keeps users engaged
Customer Health	NPS, CSAT scores	Reveals if users like your product
Business Impact	Retention rate, churn rate	Shows if users stick around

Want to get started? Here’s your game plan:

Step	Action	Expected Result
Set Up Analytics	Install Google Analytics	See who uses your product
Define Goals	Pick key metrics	Know what success looks like
Gather Feedback	Run user surveys	Learn what users think
Monitor Daily	Check dashboards	Fix problems fast

Do These Things Now:

Test different versions of your product
Show users how new features work
Create profiles of your ideal users

Plan These for Later:

Get better tracking tools
Build a system to collect user feedback
Study how different user groups behave

Here’s a real example of what works:

"With Whatfix, Takealot has enabled its sellers to make their first sale with frictionless product-led portal onboarding, keep up with advanced seller portal features and selling techniques with in-app communication, and overcome support issues with self-guided experiences." – Louanne Reynolds, Product Manager

Numbers That Matter:

Keeping 5% more customers = 25-95% more profit (Bain & Company)
94% of happy customers come back
96% of unhappy users stay quiet

Keep Your Eyes On:

How users move through your product
Which features people actually use
How long tasks take to complete
What users say about your product