Benchmarking lets you see how your website is performing compared to other businesses in your industry. Instead of guessing whether your numbers are good or not, you can see where you sit alongside similar businesses and understand what "good" actually looks like.
Rocketspark compares your website across four key metrics: website traffic (sessions), mobile calls, form submissions, and online sales. Each month, your performance is measured against other Rocketspark websites in the same industry category, so you get a fair and relevant comparison.
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Good to know Benchmarking is available on Website Builder Pro and Ecommerce Grow/Pro plans. If you're on a base plan (Website Builder or Ecommerce lite), you'll need to upgrade first to view full benchmarking. Benchmarking is also only availble for certain industries to begin with, aswell. You can contact support@rocketspark.com first to double-check if you will have access to benchmarking before upgrading plans. |
How benchmarking works
Every Rocketspark website is assigned an industry category. We group all the websites in the same industry together into what we call a cohort. Your website's performance is then compared against the other websites in your cohort.
What we measure
Benchmarking covers four metrics that matter most to small businesses:
| Metric | What it means |
| Website traffic | The total number of visits to your website (sessions). Requires Google Analytics to be connected. |
| Mobile calls | Phone calls made directly from someone tapping your number on your website. |
| Form submissions | The number of contact form or enquiry form submissions you receive. |
| Online sales | Total revenue from online orders (ecommerce websites only). |
How we compare you to your industry
We use the median to calculate industry benchmarks. The median is the middle value when you line up all the results from lowest to highest. Unlike a simple average, the median is not thrown off by one really high or really low result, so it gives a more reliable picture of what is typical for your industry.
On the dashboard graph, you will see two things when you toggle on "Compare to industry":
- A median line showing the typical performance for your industry
- A shaded band showing the middle 50% of websites (between the 25th and 75th percentile)
This gives you a clear picture of where you sit. If your line is above the band, you are outperforming most businesses in your industry. If it is within the band, you are right in the mix. And if it is below, there might be some opportunities to improve.
Your benchmarking ranking
In your monthly performance report, you will see a ranking label for each metric that tells you how you compare:
| Ranking | What it means |
| Top 25% | You are in the top quarter of websites in your industry for this metric. Great work! |
| Above average | You are performing above the industry median. Things are going well. |
| Middle 50% | You are sitting within the middle range. Solid, with room to grow. |
| Below average | You are performing below the industry median. There may be opportunities to improve. |
| Bottom 25% | You are in the lower quarter. Some focused effort could help lift your results. |
| Not enough data | There are not enough websites in your industry yet for a fair comparison. We are collecting data and it will appear once we have enough. |
Where you will see benchmarking
In your monthly performance report
Each month, you receive a performance report email showing your key metrics. If you are on a Pro or Ecommerce Grow plan, your report will include benchmarking rankings for each metric, showing how you compare to your industry.
On the dashboard graph
On your Rocketspark dashboard, there is a "Compare to industry" toggle on the analytics graph. When you switch this on, you will see the industry median line and the shaded band representing the middle 50% of websites (this shaded area will only appear if there are enough websites in that industry).
Privacy and your data
We take your privacy seriously. Here is how we handle benchmarking data:
- All data is aggregated at the industry level. No one can see your individual website data within the benchmarking results.
- We only show benchmarking comparisons when there are enough websites in your industry to make the comparison fair and anonymous.
- Your website needs at least 20 active days of data in a month to be included in benchmarking calculations.
- There are minimum activity thresholds for each metric to make sure comparisons are meaningful.
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Your data is always private Benchmarking only ever shows you how your site compares to industry-level statistics. There is no way for anyone to identify individual websites from the benchmarking data. |
Frequently asked questions
General
What metrics are included in benchmarking?
Benchmarking covers four key metrics: website traffic (sessions), mobile calls, form submissions, and online sales. These are the metrics that matter most to small businesses and where we have reliable data for comparison.
Which plans include benchmarking?
Full benchmarking (including the "Compare to industry" toggle on the graph and detailed rankings in your report) is available on Pro and Ecommerce Grow plans.
How often is benchmarking data updated?
Benchmarking data is refreshed monthly. Each month, we recalculate the industry medians and percentile bands using the latest data from all eligible websites.
What does "median" mean?
The median is the middle value when you line up all the results from lowest to highest. Unlike a simple average (which can be thrown off by one really high or really low result), the median gives a more reliable picture of what is typical for your industry.
Your industry and cohort
How is my industry category determined?
Your industry category is set when your website is created. It is based on the type of business your website represents. If you think your industry category is incorrect, here is how to update your industry.
Can I change my industry category?
Yes, here is How to update your website’s industry for benchmark reporting
Please note that there is a 28-day stand-down period after a change. During this time, your website is temporarily excluded from industry benchmarks. This is to make sure the data stays fair and accurate.
What if my industry does not have enough data?
If there are not enough websites in your industry category to make a fair comparison, benchmarking will not be shown. You will see a friendly message letting you know. We continue collecting data in the background and benchmarking will appear automatically once we have enough websites.
How many websites need to be in my industry before I see benchmarking?
We need a minimum number of websites in your industry before showing any benchmarking data. This is to make sure comparisons are meaningful and that no individual website can be identified from the data.
Reports and emails
Where do I see my benchmarking results?
Benchmarking results appear in two places: your monthly performance report email, and on the analytics graph on your Rocketspark dashboard (via the "Compare to industry" toggle).
When do monthly reports arrive?
Monthly performance reports are sent at the beginning of each month. The exact day depends on your plan type, with reports sent in batches over the first few business days of the month.
Can I add other people to receive my report?
Yes. You can add additional email addresses through your account settings so other team members or stakeholders can also receive the monthly report. How to add another user
Can I unsubscribe from the monthly report?
Yes. There is a toggle in your account settings (My Account) that lets you unsubscribe from the monthly performance report. How to unsubscribe
Dashboard graph
How do I see industry benchmarking on my graph?
On your dashboard, look for the "Compare to industry" toggle above the graph. Switch it on and you will see the industry median line and shaded band. This feature is available on Pro and Ecommerce Grow plans.
What does the shaded band on the graph mean?
The shaded band represents the middle 50% of websites in your industry (the range between the 25th and 75th percentile). If your line is within the band, you are performing similarly to most businesses. Above the band means you are outperforming, and below means there is room to improve.
Data and privacy
Can other people see my website data?
No. All benchmarking data is aggregated at the industry level. No one can see your individual website's performance within the benchmarking results. You only ever see your own data compared to industry-level statistics.
Why is my benchmarking data not showing for some metrics?
There are a few reasons this might happen. Your website might not have had enough activity for a particular metric (for example, fewer than 5 mobile calls). Your website might not have been active for enough days during the month. Or there might not be enough websites in your industry yet for that metric.
I connected Google Analytics through Google Tag Manager. Will my traffic show in benchmarking?
Analytics connected via Google Tag Manager will not show on the Rocketspark dashboard graph or in benchmarking. To see your traffic data, you will need to connect Google Analytics directly through Rocketspark. You can still keep your GTM connection running separately if needed.
Getting help
I want advice on how to improve my metrics. What should I do?
Your monthly performance report includes a "Get advice" button. Tap this and our support team will be notified. They will review your website's performance and send you personalised advice on how to improve.
I think my benchmarking data looks wrong. Who do I contact?
If something does not look right, get in touch with our support team at support@rocketspark.com. We are happy to take a look and make sure everything is working correctly.
Still have questions? Our support team is always here to help. Get in touch at support@rocketspark.com.