Lesson 6: Measure and Improve

LESSON 06 · TURN SIGNALS INTO DECISIONS

Measurement is useful when it changes a decision. Start with the outcome you care about and select a small number of signals that help you understand progress.

Choose an outcome

• Examples include helping visitors find an answer, receiving relevant inquiries, or improving completion of a key task.
• Define what success would look like in observable terms.

Select a few signals

• Reach: are the right people arriving?
• Engagement: do they read or use the relevant resource?
• Action: do they take the intended next step?
• Quality: are the resulting conversations or outcomes relevant?

Set a baseline

• Write down the time period, source, and definition for each measure.
• Compare similar periods and account for seasonality or campaign changes.
• Do not treat a small change as proof of cause.

Run one small improvement

• Find a likely friction point from the data and user feedback.
• Change one thing you can explain.
• Give the change enough time and traffic to observe.
• Record what changed and what you learned.

Keep the review simple

• Monthly: check key pages, links, and signals.
• Quarterly: revisit goals, audience needs, and channel effort.
• Remove measures that do not inform a decision.