How Much Web Traffic Does The Average Business Get?

This is the sixty-four dollar question for all businesses who are already online, or planning to set up an online presence. Fortunately the traffic can be tracked using Google Analytics. Google analytics is a great tool, and at the same time, can be quite confusing. I found the most challenging part to be associated with the properties, but managed to get the G/A tracking code on all the pages.

A techie by the name of Matt Southern from the website searchenginejournal.com wrote an article about the average web traffic for small businesses. This analysis was based on researching the traffic of over 11,000 websites.

The average turned out to be 414 visits per month. A quote from the article “On the lower end of the spectrum – 13% of local businesses receive fewer than 100 visitors to their sites each month, while 55% receive fewer than 500. On the higher end, 20% of businesses receive more than 1500 monthly visitors to their site, and 15% receive over 2500 visitors.”

Interesting to note, they found that less than 5% of traffic comes through social media. I can attest to that because I do not use social media, and removed the social media buttons long ago, yet I have reached the 20% higher end with over 1600 sessions. My goal when I started the website was to reach the top 10% which is going to be a challenge, since even the 1500 benchmark is most common to companies with at least fifty employees.

Page views is another measurement of value to the web developers and business owners. The average page views is two, and slightly lower for mobile users. This means the average website gets around 1000 page views per month. More page views indicates a higher level of customer engagement or interest.

Another coveted traffic report is the percentage of organic searches. The organic search represents a users specific intent, or reason for visiting your site. It represents traffic that is earned, not paid for. My website has 80-90% organic search. For example a recent check showed 3342 visitors out of 3756 as coming from organic searches. Apparently the average organic search is around 50%

The sites with the highest organic search metrics are usually medical, educational, real estate, car dealerships and hotels. Apparently, the lowest are cleaning, marketing, and alternative therapies. The website analysis, and subsequent article was written at the end of 2019, so things may change in this regard.

The notion that a website can be built in a few minutes and get thousands of hits, is not the least bit realistic. People can create content that attracts attention, but it might be short-lived. Some people have the idea that if you put in the right key words and tags, it will automatically attract traffic. The Internet has become increasingly sophisticated and competitive. There is no quick and easy way to attract traffic without putting the effort into creating content.

Likewise, it is far too early for me to boast success, since the conversion rates, shipping zones, and several other things must be put into place. International shipping poses some challenges, as it can be very expensive.

One of the ways to reduce International shipping charges, is to send the item without a tracking number, and take a photo of it at the post office once all the airmail stickers have been applied. The photo is then emailed to the customer as proof of mailing. This works best for the lower cost items, otherwise the shipping ends up costing more than the purchased item.

For example, just recently, the cost of shipping a small parcel to Europe International Air Tracked Packet, would have been $56.00, slightly more than the cost of the item that was ordered. If it is sent Small Packet Air without a tracking number, it gets there in the same amount of time, yet the cost is $13.50.

In my opinion it is a good idea to be flexible (and prudent) when it comes to shipping. There are cases where you have to add the tracking number, and insure the item for the full cost of the sale.

In another recent transaction, it was an expensive (over $500.00) and hard to find top. The buyer had been searching for that specific designer top since it first came out on the runway at a fashion show ten years ago. She said she had been scouring the Internet for the past ten years, to find that particular top. So, with more expensive items that cannot be replaced, the tracking number and insurance is important.

Since I embarked on this web development journey without any knowledge of web development, and have been at it for a few years now, it seems like a good idea to share the experiences.

In addition, my objective is to get things to the people who want them. In my customer transactions thus far, all of them have been fantastic. The idea of collaborating with, and keeping customers happy, is an integral part of any business.

The exchange with the customers has been very positive and heart-warming. They often share their reasons for ordering the item, and have readily shown their appreciation. It is a pleasant, and intriguing surprise to find out why someone really wants a vintage frog skin bag. It expands my own horizons to sell a kimono to a woman in Ireland who owns a cycling company. I really enjoyed visiting her website. Another woman who is the offspring of one of the mid-century designers, sent me images of her own artwork. The customers have been my greatest source of encouragement.

I hope to pass on the good will, and encourage others, especially women in business. Web development, and the creation of an online business presence, opens some doors for us – that were not there in the past. It also makes for more happy surfing. And if we are going to plumb the depths of the Internet – we might as well do a swan dive!