Web Analytics Fundamentals

Core concepts and terminology you need before reading any other report. Start here, then drill into the specifics.

Core Metrics

Users and Sessions

• Unique Visitors: distinct users who visited the site
• Sessions: grouped interactions inside a time window
• User & Session: how the two relate

Views and Interactions

• Pageviews: number of page loads
• Pageview & Screenview: web pageviews vs. mobile screenviews

Behavior Metrics

Moved to User Behavior & Engagement.

Data Structure

Core Concepts

• Metric vs Dimension: quantitative vs. qualitative data
• Event Parameters: context attached to events

Technical Aspects

• Viewport: visible area on the visitor's screen
• Real-time Analytics: live activity monitoring

Strategic Metrics

• KPI (Key Performance Indicators): metrics tied to business outcomes
• Conversion Rate: share of visitors who complete a target action

Marketing Analytics

• Traffic Sources: where visitors come from
• UTM Parameters: campaign tracking parameters
• A/B Testing: comparing variants with traffic split

---

Recommended reading order

1. Users and sessions
2. Metrics vs. dimensions
3. Behavior metrics
4. KPIs

Practical examples

Each article includes formulas, examples, and Statable-specific notes.