Top 12 UX KPIs for CMOs to Track

User experience (UX) has become crucial in driving business success in today's digital landscape. 

As a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), it's implicit that you’re focused on key performance indicators (KPIs) linked to the user experience. These KPIs provide data-driven insights that help you fine-tune your digital footprint and guide customers to take important actions on your website or app. 

Regularly checking and improving these metrics is more than just a requirement; it's a careful balancing act and a strategic endeavour.

If you want to enhance your UX and ensure your organisation stays ahead of the competition, this blog post is for you. 

We've compiled a list of the top 12 UX KPIs that every CMO should be tracking. These KPIs will help you assess your current user experience, identify areas for improvement, and ultimately drive higher customer satisfaction, engagement, and conversions. 

Let's dive in and explore these vital KPI UX metrics that are pivotal in elevating your digital marketing strategy.

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What are UX KPIs?

User Experience (UX) Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are quantifiable metrics that help businesses evaluate the quality of their digital platforms from a user's perspective. These metrics enable organisations to gauge how effectively their websites or applications meet users' needs and expectations and identify areas needing improvement.

"UX KPIs offer the opportunity to identify errors, discern specific user behaviours, and discover unexpected scenarios that may not have been considered in initial plans. These insights could lead to vital implementations or expansions of our scope for future developments. The key is to always shape our strategies based on real user behaviours and needs rather than mere assumptions."

- Marta, Creative Lead, RCCO

UX KPIs are an important part of any web analytics tool, but they're especially useful with UX tools like usability testing or A/B testing. When you use these tools together, you get a complete picture of how users interact with your site and what changes must be made for the best results.

Why Should You Measure UX KPIs?

There are several reasons why tracking your KPIs is important:

1 - Track Progress

Measuring UX KPIs allows businesses to track progress in improving the valuable user experience. Establishing benchmarks and monitoring changes can help you assess the impact of design and content updates and validate the success of new features or initiatives.

2 - Identifying Issues Early

Monitoring UX KPIs can help you identify potential issues or areas for improvement at an early stage. Using these metrics, you can quickly spot trends or anomalies indicating usability problems, bottlenecks, or other challenges hindering user engagement. Early detection enables you to proactively address these concerns and prevent them from escalating into larger, more costly issues.

3 - Stakeholder Engagement

UX KPIs provide a common language for stakeholders across various departments, such as design, development, and marketing, to better understand and communicate the importance of user experience. Sharing these metrics can create greater alignment and collaboration among team members. It fosters a shared commitment to enhance the user experience and drive better business outcomes.

Top 12 UX KPIs for CMOs to Track

This section will explore the top 12 UX KPIs CMOs should track to optimise their digital presence. These KPIs are divided into two categories: behavioural and attitudinal. 

Behavioural UX KPIs measure users' actions and interactions with your digital platform, while attitudinal UX KPIs concern users' perceptions, emotions, and attitudes toward your brand and platform.

Behavioural UX KPIs

Behavioural UX KPIs provide insights into how users interact with your website or app, highlighting areas where improvements can be made to enhance usability and efficiency.

1 - Task success rate

The task success rate is a critical key performance indicator for measuring the effectiveness of a user interface. 

Task success rate represents how many users successfully complete a particular task within an application or website as a percentage. 

A high task success rate indicates that users can accomplish their goals easily, while a low rate may indicate issues with usability or design. CMOs should calculate their task success rate to optimise their user experience and provide a better customer experience.

2 - Time-on-task

Time-on-task measures the average time it takes for a user to complete a specific task. This KPI helps identify potential areas of difficulty within the user experience, as longer times spent on tasks may indicate confusion or inefficiency. 

CMOs should monitor this metric to ensure users can complete tasks quickly and efficiently, leading to a more satisfying experience.

3 - Search VS. navigation

Search VS. navigation is a KPI that compares the use of a website's search function against its navigation menus. Many users relying on search may suggest that the site's navigation is not intuitive or user-friendly. Tracking this metric enables CMOs to identify opportunities for improving site navigation and organisation, ultimately enhancing the user experience.

4 - User Error Rate

User error rate helps assess the effectiveness of a UX design. It provides insight into the usability of a product or service by measuring the multiple errors users make while interacting with it. 

Tracking the user error rate enables CMOs to identify customer pain points and areas of confusion within the UX, informing design improvements and optimisation efforts.

A lower user error rate signifies a more intuitive and user-friendly design, increasing user satisfaction and retention. By closely monitoring the user error rate, CMOs can ensure their marketing strategies are built upon a solid foundation of user-centric design principles.

5 - Conversion Rate

Conversion rate refers to the percentage of users who complete a desired action, such as purchasing or signing up for a newsletter. This KPI is essential for CMOs to track, as it directly relates to a website's or application's overall effectiveness in meeting business objectives. A high conversion rate suggests that the user experience is optimised and effective, while a low rate may indicate opportunities for improvement.

6 - Number of recommendations

The number of recommendations is a KPI that measures the number of suggestions provided by users or user-generated content platforms. This metric can indicate user satisfaction and engagement, as a higher number of recommendations often suggests that users find the product or service valuable. CMOs should track this KPI to gauge the impact of their UX improvements and marketing efforts on user engagement.

7 - Drop-Off Rates

Drop-off rates measure the percentage of users who abandon a website or application at different stages of the user journey. High drop-off rates may indicate usability issues, confusing navigation, or a lack of compelling content. Tracking drop-off rates helps CMOs identify areas of the user experience that need improvement, ultimately reducing user frustration and increasing engagement.

Attitudinal UX KPIs

Attitudinal UX metrics help you understand users’ opinions, emotions, and satisfaction levels, which can be used to improve user experiences and build brand loyalty.

8 - Feature Adoption Rate

The feature adoption rate is a KPI that assesses the percentage of users who use a specific feature or functionality within an application or website. 

Suppose a SaaS company has launched a new analytics dashboard feature in its software. The feature adoption rate would measure how many users are using this new feature. If they have 1000 users and 250 have started using the analytics dashboard, the feature adoption rate would be 25%.

This metric is important for CMOs to track, as it provides insight into the usefulness and discoverability of features. A low feature adoption rate may indicate the need for better feature promotion, improved usability, or even the removal of underutilised features.

9 - Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)

Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) is a KPI that measures users’ overall satisfaction with a product or service. It is typically determined through surveys or other feedback mechanisms, with users rating their satisfaction on a scale. 

10 - Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a KPI that measures user loyalty and their likelihood of recommending a product or service to others. 

To calculate the net promoter score, we ask people to rate how likely they are to recommend the product or service on a scale from 0 to 10. Then, we subtract the percentage of people who wouldn't recommend it (detractors - 0-6) from the percentage of people who would highly recommend it (promoters - 9-10).

A high net promoter score indicates strong customer loyalty and advocacy, while a low score suggests room for improvement in the user experience. CMOs should track NPS to gauge the effectiveness of their UX strategies and make data-driven decisions to improve customer loyalty.

11 - System Usability Scale (SUS)

System Usability Scale (SUS) is a KPI that measures the perceived usability of a website or application. It consists of a 10-item questionnaire that assesses users' attitudes toward the system's ease of use, efficiency, and learnability. 

System usability scale (SUS) scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better usability. Monitoring the system usability scale can help CMOs identify areas of the user experience that need improvement and prioritise UX enhancements accordingly.

12 - Customer Retention Rate

Customer retention rate is a metric used to determine how many customers keep using a product or service during a certain time frame. It is expressed as a percentage.

A high retention rate indicates that users are satisfied with the user experience and find value in the product or service. In contrast, a low rate may signify issues with usability, customer support, or other factors that impact customer loyalty. 

Tracking the customer retention rate enables CMOs to assess the long-term success of their UX strategies and make informed decisions to maintain and improve user satisfaction.

Tools to Measure UX KPIs

To effectively measure user experience KPIs, having the right tools in your arsenal is essential. The following tools can help you gather valuable insights about user behaviour, satisfaction, and engagement, enabling you to make data-driven decisions and optimise your digital platform's user experience.

1 - Google Analytics – for quantifying the user and website data

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Google Analytics is a powerful, free tool that provides businesses and website owners with valuable data on user behaviour and website performance. It allows you to quantify important UX KPIs such as bounce rate, average time during sessions, and page load time. 

With the advanced reporting features in Google Analytics, you can also analyse user flow, segment your audience based on various criteria, and monitor conversion rates. Integrating Google Analytics into your website helps you make data-driven decisions and optimise your site to improve the overall user experience.

2 - Hotjar – for session recordings

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Hotjar is a user experience tool that enables you to better understand how visitors interact with your website through session recordings. By capturing mouse movements, clicks, and scrolling behaviour, Hotjar helps you identify user pain points and areas for improvement in your website's user experience.  

Hotjar also offers heatmaps, which visually represent user engagement on your pages, and conversion funnel analysis to optimise your site's conversion rates. Analysing session recordings and other Hotjar insights can help you create a more seamless and enjoyable experience for your users.

3 - Userpilot – for in-app surveys and feature usage tracking

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Userpilot is a user experience tool designed to help you optimise in-app experiences for your software or web application. With its feature usage tracking, you can monitor user engagement and understand which features are most valuable to your users. 

You can create personalised in-app surveys to collect feedback and gain valuable insights about your users' needs and preferences. Then, leveraging Userpilot's analytics and user feedback, you can iterate on your apps design and features, driving user satisfaction and retention.

4 - UserZoom – for usability testing

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UserZoom is a comprehensive usability testing platform that enables you to conduct remote, unmoderated user tests to evaluate the effectiveness and user-friendliness of your website or app. 

With its diverse range of testing methods, including task completion, card sorting, and tree testing, UserZoom helps you identify areas for improvement and create a more intuitive user experience. 

UserZoom also offers quantitative and qualitative UX data analysis of your users' behaviour, enabling you to uncover insights and optimise your product. Incorporating UserZoom into your UX process will help you ensure that your digital experiences meet users' needs and expectations.

In addition to these tools, consider exploring other options, such as FullStory, Crazy Egg, and Qualtrics, depending on your specific needs and objectives. The key is to select the tools that best align with your UX KPI measurement goals and provide actionable insights for continuous improvement.

How to Report UX KPIs?

Effectively reporting UX KPIs is crucial for communicating the value of your UX efforts to stakeholders and driving improvements in your digital platform. Here are a few tips to help you create clear, concise and impactful reports that resonate with your audience:

1 - Always Provide Context

When presenting UX KPIs, it's essential to provide context to help stakeholders understand the significance of the UX metrics. This includes explaining the purpose of each KPI, how it was measured, and any relevant benchmarks or industry standards. 

Here’s how you can provide context accurately: 

• Explain the purpose of each KPI and how it relates to the overall user experience
• Offer insights into the methods used to collect data and analyse it
• List down any limitations or external factors that may have influenced the results

By providing context, you can ensure stakeholders have a comprehensive understanding of the data, enabling them to make informed decisions.

2 - Align your Work to Your Business Goals

To demonstrate the value of UX initiatives, it's important to align your work with the broader business goals of your organisation. When reporting UX KPIs, showcase how improvements in the user experience contribute to meeting these objectives, such as increasing revenue, reducing churn, or enhancing customer satisfaction. 

Emphasise how your UX work ties into the company's strategic priorities, and provide quantifiable evidence to support your claims. This alignment will help justify the investment in UX and foster a better understanding of its importance among stakeholders.

3 - Keep it simple

When reporting UX KPIs, simplicity is key. Present your findings clearly and concisely, avoiding unnecessary jargon and complex data visualisations. Focus on the most relevant and impactful UX metrics that tell a compelling story about your UX efforts. 

Use visuals such as charts, graphs, or infographics to illustrate your data and make it easily digestible for stakeholders with varying levels of expertise. If you keep your reports focused and straightforward, you can effectively communicate the value of your UX work and facilitate decision-making based on the insights provided.

By following these tips, you can create effective UX KPI reports that foster stakeholder engagement, promote data-driven decision-making, and improve your organisation's digital user experience.

Final Thoughts

Tracking UX KPIs is crucial for CMOs seeking to optimise their digital platforms and drive better business results. By focusing on both behavioural and attitudinal KPIs, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of user interactions, satisfaction levels and areas for improvement. 

With the right tools, you can gather valuable insights and make data-driven decisions to enhance the user experience.

As you continue to monitor and report on these KPIs, always provide context, align your work with your organisation's business goals, and keep your presentations straightforward. Doing so will ensure that your UX efforts are recognised and appreciated by stakeholders, ultimately leading to a more engaging, satisfying, and successful digital presence.

For more information on optimising your digital platform and driving better user experiences, explore our range of services at RCCO. Our expert team can help you identify and track the right UX KPIs, implement best practices, and achieve your business objectives.