Website as a sales channel: 5 metrics for SMEs

A website becomes a sales channel, when it measurably generates inquiries. Five metrics show this: visitors from search, visitors on service pages, Inquiries, Inquiry Rate and Source of Inquiries. They can be collected with Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and a simple list of all inquiries.

Many SMEs do not know whether their website is generating customers at all. Inquiries come by phone, email, or form, and no one asks how the customer found the company. Then it is also impossible to decide whether investments in the website are worthwhile.

The five key figures

Metric	What it shows	Source
Visitors from search	Whether the website is found	Search Console: clicks
Visitors on service pages	Whether the right pages are found	Analytics: page views
Inquiries	Forms, calls, appointment bookings, emails	Analytics events and inquiry list
Inquiry rate	Share of visitors who make an inquiry	Inquiries ÷ visitors
Origin of inquiries	Which page or search led to the inquiry	Analytics and demand from the customer

1. Visitors from search

The clicks in Search Console show how many people come via Google. If they do not increase, the problem lies before the website: visibility, titles, content. How to read the report is explained in Search Console for beginners.

2. Visitors on service pages

Many clicks on advisory articles are good for visibility, but they only generate inquiries if readers continue on to your services. Check how many visitors move from articles to service pages. If hardly anyone does, the text is missing links and clear prompts.

3. Capture inquiries

In Google Analytics 4, form submissions, clicks on phone numbers and appointment bookings can be tracked as key events mark. Also record phone calls and emails without a click in a simple list with date and source. Note: Analytics only counts visitors who have consented to statistics, so the figures are likely to be too low.

4. Inquiry rate

The inquiry rate is the share of visitors who submit an inquiry. It is the best indication of whether the website is convincing. If it falls while visitor numbers rise, you may be attracting visitors with the wrong intent, for example through informational queries. Always compare the rate over several months.

5. Source of inquiries

Ask every new customer: “How did you hear about us?” Together with the analytics data, this shows which pages and search terms actually generate revenue. Expand on these topics.

What makes a website a sales channel

One page per service, answering the most important questions.
Contact with one click: clickable phone number, short form, appointment booking.
Evidence: references, figures, contact person with photo.
Interactive offers: calculators, checks or questionnaires that provide prospects with initial value, such as a funding check or an SEO and GEO check.
Continuously new content for the questions customers actually ask, see AI Content Engine.
Local visibility through the Google Business Profile.

At AI visibility by bettersorted we set up this measurement first and connect Search Console, Analytics, and the business profile. After that, the website and AI work hand in hand to turn visitors into inquiries.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good inquiry rate for a B2B website?

There is no reliable general benchmark for this; it depends heavily on the industry, price, and traffic source. It is more useful to track your own rate over several months and compare it by page.

How do I measure calls coming through the website?

Clicks on the phone number can be recorded in Google Analytics as an event, which works especially well on smartphones. In addition, the team should ask new callers where they found you and note it in a list.

Why does my website bring visitors but no inquiries?

Common reasons are visitors with purely informational intent, missing links from advisory pages to the services, cumbersome contact paths, or a lack of proof. Metrics 2 to 5 show where the problem lies.

As of October 2026.