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When it comes to running a WordPress website, speed matters. Website speed can impact user experience, search rankings and even conversion rates. But how do you keep track of site speed and ensure your website’s performance is up to par? The answer lies in adding a site speed report to your WordPress dashboard. 

By incorporating site speed reporting in WordPress dashboard, you can track core web vitals and quickly identify any performance issues. Whether you’re managing a blog post, an online store or a business site, having these insights at your fingertips can help you boost website speed. Also, it will improve your site’s overall performance. 

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to add a site speed report directly to your WordPress dashboard. With this, you can easily monitor and enhance your WordPress website’s performance. 

How do you add a site speed reporting WordPress dashboard 

Your website is like a storefront on a busy street. You’ve put in the effort to make it look great, filled it with everything visitors need, but what if it takes too long to load? They’ll leave before they even step inside. Frustrating, right? 

Many website owners face a similar frustration: traffic starts to drop and the reason isn’t immediately clear. More often than not, the culprit is a slow-loading website, especially on mobile devices. But there’s a solution—a site speed reporting dashboard in WordPress. With this tool in place, you can identify what’s slowing your site down and take quick action to fix it. The result? A faster website, happier visitors and traffic that’s back on track. 

If you’ve been facing the same struggle, don’t worry—you can do this too. Setting up a site speed reporting dashboard isn’t just simple, it’s a total game-changer for improving your site’s performance. Let’s get started and make your website as fast and seamless as you’ve always wanted it to be. 

Step 1: Choose a plugin to add stats 

The first step in adding a site speed report to your dashboard is choosing the right plugin. There are several WordPress analytics plugins available. But MonsterInsights is one of the best options for integrating site speed reporting with your dashboard. 

MonsterInsights is a powerful tool that connects your Google Analytics account to your WordPress site. It provides a detailed breakdown of your site’s performance, including core web vitals, load times, First Contentful Paint and more—all in an easy-to-understand format. 

How to install MonsterInsights: 

  1. Install and activate MonsterInsights
  • Go to your WordPress admin area, then navigate to Plugins > Add New. 
  • Search for MonsterInsights in the plugin directory. 
  • Click Install Now and then Activate. 
  1. Connect MonsterInsights to Google Analytics
  • After activation, go to the MonsterInsights settings page. 
  • Click on Authenticate with Google to link your Google Analytics account to your WordPress site. 
  • Once connected, MonsterInsights will automatically start pulling data from Google Analytics, including your site speed report, right into your WordPress dashboard. 

After the plugin is installed and connected, you’ll be able to access your website’s performance metrics.  You can do this directly from the WordPress dashboard.  

Step 2: Customize your stats dashboard 

Once you’ve set up MonsterInsights, it’s time to customize your site speed reporting in the WordPress dashboard. This step allows you to decide which specific metrics you want to track. Moreover, it tells you about how you want them to appear on your WordPress dashboard.  

Here’s how to customize your dashboard: 

  1. Navigate to the MonsterInsights dashboard
  • In your WordPress admin area, go to Insights and then choose Reports. 
  • This will open the overview report, where you can view key metrics, such as load times, page views and user interactions. 
  1. Select the performance data you need
  • MonsterInsights provides several data points, including core web vitals, First Contentful Paint, page load time and bounce rates. 
  • Use the drop-down menu to select the data points you want to track. 
  1. Customize your report
  • Customize your WordPress website speed test report to show the metrics that matter most to you. They can be the site’s performance, the score or website speed. 
  • You can also toggle between mobile and desktop data to see how your WordPress site performs on different devices. 

By tailoring your WordPress dashboard to display the most relevant performance metrics, you’ll have a clear and accessible view of how your site loads and where you might need to improve. 

Step 3: Understand your stats 

Now that you’ve set up your site speed report, it’s important to understand what the data means. The site speed metrics provided by MonsterInsights and Google Analytics give you valuable insight into how your site is performing in terms of speed and user experience. 

Key metrics to track: 

  1. Google Core web vitals: These are a set of performance metrics used by Google to assess website performance. They include the First Contentful Paint, Largest Contentful Paint and cumulative layout shift. These indicators directly affect your rankings in Google search. 
  • First Contentful Paint: This measures the time it takes for the first piece of content to appear on the screen when a user visits your website. 
  • Largest Contentful Paint: Tracks the time it takes for the largest visible element (usually an image or text block) to load on your web page. 
  • Cumulative layout shift: Measures the visual stability of the page. If elements move around as the page loads, it can lead to a bad user experience. 
  • Page load time: The time it takes for your entire web page to load fully. A slow load time can result in a high bounce rate, affecting website traffic and user engagement. 

By understanding these metrics, you can make informed decisions about how to optimize your WordPress site speed and improve your website’s performance. 

Step 4: Track conversions 

Beyond just tracking site speed, MonsterInsights also allows you to track conversions directly from your WordPress dashboard. This is especially useful for online business owners who need to monitor the performance of their landing pages, forms and eCommerce reports. 

Tracking conversions lets you see how website speed influences your conversion rates. For example, you can compare the site’s speed during peak traffic times and identify if slow load times correlate with a drop in conversion rates. 

How to track conversions: 

  1. Set up eCommerce tracking
  • If you have an online store, MonsterInsights can track eCommerce tracking and provide reports on product performance and the online store’s performance. 
  • The eCommerce add on allows you to view key metrics like sales, revenue and top-selling products in your WordPress dashboard. 
  1. Track forms and lead generation
  • Monitor how forms (like contact forms or newsletter sign-ups) are performing. The forms report will tell you how many users interacted with your forms and submitted them. 

Integrating conversion tracking into your site speed report, you can directly link website performance to key business goals like more conversions, boost sales and organic traffic. 

Step 5: Use your stats to improve your site 

Now that you’re tracking the performance of your WordPress website, it’s time to take action on the data. The real value of site speed reporting lies in using those insights to improve your site’s performance over time. 

Therefore, here are a few ways you can use your site speed report to enhance WordPress website performance: 

  • Optimize images: Large images are often the main reason for slow website load times. Use a caching plugin and optimize your media reports to ensure images are compressed and load faster. 
  • Improve your caching: Implementing a caching plugin is an effective way to speed up your site. By storing a static version of your web pages, you reduce the time it takes to generate content for returning visitors. 
  • Use a content delivery network (CDN): A Content Delivery Network can drastically improve site speed by distributing your content across multiple servers around the world, reducing load time for visitors.  This reduces load time for visitors. 
  • Reduce third-party scripts: Track third-party scripts, such as social media widgets, advertising or embedded content, that could slow down your site’s performance. Removing unnecessary scripts can improve the site’s speed. 
  • Minimize HTTP requests: Keep track of the site’s performance by reducing the number of HTTP requests. This means fewer files being requested when a web page loads, resulting in faster load times. 

By using the insights, you get from site speed reporting on your WordPress dashboard, you can continuously tweak your website’s performance for better results. 

Step 6: Keep your stats dashboard fresh 

Furthermore, your site speed dashboard is only as good as the effort you put into keeping it updated. Regularly maintaining it ensures you’re always equipped with accurate insights to optimize your WordPress site. Here’s how you can stay fresh: 

  • Update your plugin regularly: Make sure to install and activate updates for MonsterInsights and any other WordPress plugin you use to track site performance. 
  • Check your performance scores regularly: Track your performance score regularly to see if there are any sudden changes in your site’s speed. Even small drops in performance scores can have a big impact on website traffic reports. 
  • Check for new core web vitals updates: Google’s core web vitals scores can change over time as new best practices emerge. Stay on top of any updates to these metrics to ensure your WordPress website remains fast and competitive. 

By keeping your site speed report up to date, you’ll have the tools to optimize your website for faster load times. Also, you get improved user experience and ultimately, better website performance. 

With these steps, you’re on your way to easily tracking and improving your website’s site speed right from your WordPress dashboard. MonsterInsights offers an easy-to-use solution for integrating Google Analytics data and site speed reporting into your workflow. Hence, it makes it simple to stay on top of your website’s performance. By consistently monitoring site speed and leveraging the insights gained, you can ensure that your WordPress website performs at its best, offering a seamless experience for your visitors. 

Final thoughts 

Therefore, tracking site speed reporting in the WordPress dashboard is essential for maintaining a fast, high-performing WordPress website. With tools like MonsterInsights, you can easily access your site’s performance data and use it to make informed decisions about optimization. By following the steps outlined, you’ll not only be able to monitor your site’s speed but also improve your website’s performance over time.  
 
Ready to take your WordPress site’s performance to the next level? With Bluehost, you get more than just hosting—you get a foundation built for speed, reliability, and seamless integration with the best tools for site speed reporting in your WordPress dashboard. Discover how our tailored solutions can transform your website into a high-performing powerhouse that keeps visitors coming back for more. Curious to see the difference? Click now to explore Bluehost’s hosting plans

FAQs 

What is site speed reporting in the WordPress dashboard? 

Site speed reporting in WordPress dashboard allows you to track and measure how fast your website loads. By using the best WordPress analytics plugin, like MonsterInsights, you can view key performance indicators such as load times, First Contentful Paint and core web vitals without needing to run an external website speed test. 

How does site speed affect my WordPress website? 

Site speed directly impacts your website’s performance in several ways. A slow site can frustrate visitors, leading to a higher bounce rate, reduced organic traffic and lower conversion rates. Additionally, Google uses core web vitals like load time as a ranking factor, so improving site speed can help boost your SEO and visibility in search results. 

Can I use MonsterInsights for tracking my site’s performance? 

Yes, MonsterInsights is one of the best WordPress analytics plugins for tracking your WordPress website’s speed and performance. After connecting your Google Analytics account, it integrates seamlessly into your WordPress dashboard, giving you insights into metrics like page load time, mobile vs. desktop performance and other core web vitals. It’s a powerful tool for understanding and improving your site’s speed and overall performance score. 

What are core web vitals and why do they matter? 

Core web vitals are a set of metrics that measure the user experience of your site, focusing on aspects like load times, interactivity and visual stability. These include metrics like First Contentful Paint (FCP) and Largest Contentful Paint (LCP). Google has made these vitals important for ranking. So monitoring them using site speed reports can help improve both user experience and SEO. 

How often should I check my WordPress site speed? 

It’s a good idea to regularly monitor your WordPress website speed to catch any performance issues early. Use site speed reports from your WordPress dashboard at least once a month. Do this, especially after making changes to your site (like adding new plugins or content). Also, after major updates or optimizations, run a WordPress website speed test. Thies confirms that the changes have had a positive impact on your site’s speed and core web vitals scores. 

  • Sonali Sinha is a versatile writer with experience across diverse niches, including education, health, aviation, digital marketing, web development, and technology. She excels at transforming complex concepts into engaging, accessible content that resonates with a broad audience. Her ability to adapt to different subjects while maintaining clarity and impact makes her a go-to for crafting compelling articles, guides, and tutorials.

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