Visits to Purchase Metric

Visits to Purchase

A potential customer rarely makes a purchase on their first visit to your website. The Visits to Purchase KPI tracks the average number of sessions a user has on your site before they complete a transaction. It’s a key metric for understanding the length and complexity of your sales cycle.

Tracking this KPI helps you identify how many touchpoints are typically needed to secure a sale. A lower number of visits suggests an efficient, compelling sales funnel, while a higher number may indicate friction in the customer journey or that you sell high-consideration products that require more research.

How to calculate Visits to Purchase

Visits to Purchase Formula

(Total number of sessions by Customer A before purchasing + Total number of sessions by Customer B before purchasing + ... + Total number of sessions by Customer N before purchasing) / Total number of orders

A note on calculation and tools

Most e-commerce and web analytics platforms can track this metric automatically, saving you from manual calculations. For example, Google Analytics tracks "Sessions to Transaction" which provides this data directly. When using a tool like Klips, you can pull this data from its source and display it on a dashboard for continuous monitoring and reporting.

Reporting frequency

For most e-commerce businesses, monthly reporting is a good starting point. However, if you are running frequent, short-term marketing campaigns, you may want to track this on a weekly basis to gauge the immediate impact of your efforts on the sales cycle.

Example of a KPI target

The ideal target for Visits to Purchase is 1. However, this is a highly ambitious goal for most businesses. A realistic target depends heavily on your industry, price point, and product complexity. A low-cost, simple product may have a target of 1-2 visits, while a complex, high-value B2B product could have a target of 5 or more. The key is to benchmark your current performance and aim for continuous improvement.

Audience

E-commerce Manager, Marketing Manager, Store Owner

How to improve your Visits to Purchase

A high number of visits before a purchase isn't always a bad thing—it can be typical for expensive or complex products that require more consideration. However, if your goal is to shorten the sales cycle, here are a few strategies:

• Optimize your landing pages: Ensure your product pages are clear, convincing, and have strong calls to action.
• Use retargeting campaigns: Remind visitors of the products they viewed using targeted ads on other platforms.
• Leverage email marketing: Create automated email flows for abandoned carts or to nurture leads who have shown interest.
• Build trust and credibility: Display customer reviews, testimonials, and security badges prominently.
• Simplify the checkout process: Remove any unnecessary steps or friction points from your checkout flow.

For more e-commerce metrics that can contribute to the growth and success of your business, explore our resources on e-commerce KPIs.