Common metrics by revenue model

  • Updated
This topic describes how to:
  • Decide which primary and secondary metrics to use in an experiment
  • See how other businesses in your space set experiment goals

Setting the right primary, secondary, and monitoring goals helps you design a successful experiment. They also help keep the bigger picture—your overall business goals—in view. Mature testing programs often strategically diversify their secondary and monitoring goals to gather different kinds of data at different stages of the funnel.

Remember to check back in on your secondary and monitoring goals when you interpret your results!

If you use Optimizely Web Experimentation to test on a checkout page, you might need to configure your site for PCI compliance.

E-Commerce funnel 

  Home Page Category Page Product Page Shopping Cart Checkout Page
Primary and Secondary Goals
  • Product Page views
  • Searches submitted
  • Product views
  • Subcategory page views
  • Filter use
  • Searches
  • Add-to-Cart
  • Quantity selection
  • More info
  • Tabs
  • Continue clicks
  • Checkout pageviews
  • Payment type chosen
  • All Checkout funnel steps
  • Payment Page views
  • Conversion rate
Monitoring Goals
  • Search bar opened
  • Top menu clicks
  • Home Page clicks
  • Menu interactions
  • Searches submitted
  • Home Page clicks
  • Menu interactions
  • Searches submitted
  • Home page clicks
  • Back button clicks
  • Shopping Cart Page views
  • Home Page clicks

Travel funnel 

  Home Page Flight Results Book Flight Passenger Details Flight Options
Primary and Secondary Goals
  • Searches submitted
  • Category tabs
  • Deals
  • Frequent Flyer
  • Flight selection
  • Filter Usage
  • Refine Search
  • Sort Order
  • Continue button
  • Edit search
  • Upsells
  • Field completion rate
  • Continue button
  • Continue button
  • Upsells
  • Seat selection
Monitoring Goals
  • Checkbox
  • Flight tracker
  • Home Page clicks
  • Menu interactions
  • Site search
  • Home Page clicks
  • Menu interactions
  • Site search
  • Field error rate
  • Home Page clicks
  • Menu interactions
  • Site search
  • Shopping Cart Page views
  • Home Page clicks

B2B and lead generation 

B2B and lead generation sites have variable pathways as visitors research products and services, and eventually navigate to the leadgen form. 

  Content page Lead generation page Product page Home page
Primary and Secondary Goals
  • Video plays
    and lead generation pageviews
  • Case study clicks
  • Contact us clicks
  • Time > 30 seconds
  • Form conversion rate
  • Form error rate
  • Per form field
    • Attempt rate
    • Successful completion
  • Testimonial clicks and expands
  • Knowledge base pageviews
  • Product feature clicks or interactions
  • Contact us clicks
  • Time > 30 seconds
  • Product pageviews
  • Contact pageviews
  • Contact us clicks
  • Searches submitted
  • Menu interactions
  • Sign ups
  • Logins
Monitoring Goals
  • Menu interactions
  • Home icon clicks
  • Scrolled down
  • Menu interactions
  • Home icon clicks
  • Scrolled down
  • Menu interactions
  • Home icon clicks
  • Scrolled down
  • Menu interactions
  • Home icon clicks
  • Scrolled down

Media funnel 

Notice that the Media funnel is inverted, and starts with the Article or Content page (rather than the Home page). The majority of visitors arrive on the site directly from search or social links. In this case, the primary goal often tracks content link clicks pageviews or sessions.

  Content page Category Page Home Page
Primary and Secondary Goals
  • Pageviews per session
  • Video completions per session
  • Global navigation engagement
  • Search engagement
  • Global navigation engagement
  • Search engagement
Monitoring Goals
  • Content link clicks
  • Ad viewability
  • Scroll depth
  • Social shares
  • Video adroll completions
  • Video completions
  • Content link clicks
  • Ad viewability
  • Scroll depth
  • Social follow clicks