What to change
Define the question before calculating the rate. A visitor, session and page view are different units, and repeat activity changes each differently. Ask the analyst to show the numerator and denominator side by side with their exact definitions and exclusions. Choose a denominator that answers the stated question, then retain the component counts so a rate change can be understood rather than simply celebrated or blamed on the website.
A worked example
Illustrative example
Fictional calculation: one observed visitor has one session, views three pages and sends one accepted request. Requests divided by page views is 1 ÷ 3 = 33.3%; requests divided by sessions is 1 ÷ 1 = 100%. Those percentages answer different questions. Neither alone establishes the proportion of unique patients who enquired, and one person could submit more than once. Ask the analyst to display the component counts and choose a label matching the actual units. This tiny example explains the arithmetic; it is not an expected conversion rate.
What this means for your practice
A percentage depends on what is counted above and below the dividing line. One person viewing three pages and sending one enquiry creates different rates depending on whether the denominator is people, visits or page views. Ask your analyst to name both components in plain language and show their counts beside the percentage. Then decide which calculation answers the practice's question. Retain any exclusions with the definition so later comparisons remain fair. This also helps explain movement: the rate might change because enquiries changed, because the audience changed, or because the unit being counted changed. A clear label is more useful than a precise-looking percentage whose meaning nobody can reproduce.
How to check the result
The stated rate can be reproduced from clearly named component counts.
A mistake to avoid
A percentage without its counting units can sound more meaningful than it is.
Turn reading into a next step
Your action checklist
Work through these checks with your team or supplier. Tick the ones you have resolved and leave unknowns open.
Record what you know, what is still missing and the answer you need from your team or supplier.
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Further reading
These sources provide background for the topic. The practice examples and checklist are illustrative planning suggestions from Kay & Co.
Related guides
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