Understanding the impact of your docs
This article covers how to measure the success of your documentation with a balanced approach, blending quantitative metrics, qualitative feedback, and alignment with business goals.
You can track general metrics such as page views or bounce rates, but you need to assess whether these indicators are meaningful in the context of your goals.
Metrics that work for the sales website, for example, may not translate well for docs: is a high “time spent on page” count actually good? Were they really digging into the content, or were they struggling to find the answers?
- Idan Englander, Manager of Technical Writing at Anaconda
Some more examples:
In general, don’t fall into the trap that a bigger number means better performance.
- Ethan Palm, Senior Manager of Docs at GitHub
The key is to compare these metrics over time or against a baseline to spot trends and understand if they truly align with users achieving their goals.
Add more context to your quantitative metrics with qualitative information such as:
You can measure documentation against broader business objectives.
Some example goals: