Why Time on Site Is the Most Important Metric for a Direct-to-Consumer Site

In this article, we’ll talk about:

• Why Time on Site matters.
• How to measure it properly.
• How to generate high-quality Time on Site for your site.

The first eCom metric we’re taught about is conversion rate. It’s the foundational metric.

In time we learn about Average Order Value and ROAS.

And while these metrics are undoubtedly important, there’s one (that I believe) matters the most: Time on Site (TOS).

Hi, I’m Rishi.

Why Time on Site Matters

TOS matters because it influences all other metrics. Improve Time on Site, and you’ll also see better conversion rates, higher order values, and higher returns on your ad spend (I’ll explain how in the next section.)

It’s the tide that raises all boats.

But what exactly is Time on Site, and how is it measured?

Defining Time on Site

Time on Site (TOS) is the measure of how long visitors linger on a site—from the moment they land to when they leave. However, to make this metric useful, we need to exclude users who left in under 10 seconds and those who stayed over 10 minutes (visits longer than 10 minutes may be inactive sessions, skewing our data.)

How Does TOS Improve Site Conversion Rates?

Imagine a physical retail store like Home Depot.

For Home Depot, getting users to hang out longer means they are more likely to find something, interact with a sales associate, and ultimately make a purchase.

Similarly, in eCom, the more time visitors spend on your site, the higher their engagement, and the more likely they are to convert. Promotions and ads *may* temporarily boost sales, but creating a relaxing environment that encourages visitors to spend more time produces a sustained sales boost.

Note: I’m not suggesting unnatural strategies to drive up TOS. I heard a story of a boat retailer whose CEO was convinced they had to drive up Time on Site, so he asked his marketing team to add a music player to the site so people would stay longer. Don’t do that.

What you’re trying to do is determine the optimal Time on Site for your business.

To do this, ask yourself, “If I were selling in person, how much time would I need with a prospect?” If the current linger time on your site is less than this number, you know you need more time with our online visitors.

Reasoning: The people we sell to in person aren’t different from those visiting us online. If we know we need, say, 4 minutes with an offline prospect, why try and wrap the online visit to 2?

Do you agree? 👍/👎

🙌

Uh oh! Let's get in touch so I can explain this better.

 

no value - error

Δ

We'll talk soon!

Eat Your Veggies Problem

Visitors may not want to spend 4 minutes when they first land. However, they need that much time to understand how your product is better and different from alternatives. At some level, the visitor recognizes this, but their instinct is to leave quickly. So, how do we convince them to linger longer?

I like to do it by inserting a statement like this👇🏼 at the top of their visit. (To make sense of the copy, assume I’m selling a gardening tool):

When I talk about driving up Time on Site, I’m not saying we need to get all visitors to stay longer. Some people are quick shoppers. Let them shop fast. What I’m asking you to do is create an environment for shoppers who need more time.

A bonus benefit of driving up TOS: When shoppers research a new product, they typically explore a few options concurrently. Giving them a compelling reason to stay on your site reduces the time they have left for other sites 🙂

I’ll Die on This Hill

Many marketers don’t believe Time on Site matters much. But I’m convinced it does. Everything I know about conversion optimization comes from the offline world. Any salesperson knows spending quality time with a prospect directly correlates to a closed sale. This idea is self-evident to a salesperson. But for some reason, we don’t think it applies to online purchases.

The Decision Point

At this stage, you have a choice: Do you believe in the importance of Time on Site? Unlike ideas that can be A/B tested, improving Time on Site requires changes that can’t be split-tested. You need to create new content and change the shape of your funnel to some flavor of this:

Welcome. Here’s why you should listen to us —> Here’s why you should trust us —> Here’s what makes our product superior to alternatives —> Here’s proof —> Here’s why our solution is for people like you —> Here’s why you need to reject the old way —> Here’s why it’s good value for money.

Time on Site funnel design:

Conclusion

Time on Site is a critical—yet often overlooked—metric in eCom. While it may require a more complex and long-term strategy, the potential benefits—higher conversion rates, better customer engagement, and a stronger competitive position—make it well worth the effort. For those ready to commit to this journey, the rewards can be substantial.

Are you a marketer? If you are, you’ll like this next section.

Revealing It All

In our marketing lab 🥼, experimenting 🧪 for the last 15 years, we’ve discovered that one reason marketing campaigns fail is because they try to do too much.

Once they’ve consumed your pitch, prospects can be placed in 1 of 3 groups:

— Ready to buy
— Will never buy
— Interested, but need a little more convincing

The 3^rd group has the biggest revenue potential.

Evidence Our Formula Works

This strategy mentioned above isn’t a theoretical framework. It’s the base formula for all our conversion work for clients. This marketing framework can be used to boost sales for sports products. To sell skincare products. Pet products. Consumer electronics. Athletic gear. Back pain solutions. Food items. High-end cooking tools.

Does the sales pitch always need to be shown as a popup? Nope.

It can also convert cold Facebook ad traffic, improve mobile conversion rates, generate calls, optimize your most important landing page, etc.

It can even be used to improve your overall conversion rates.

Converting Interested, but Need a Little More Convincing Group (With Examples)

Explained in this nine truths article.