If you’re here, you probably don’t need another fluffy take on “customer engagement.” You want real, actionable ways to track what people actually do inside your product—and make smarter decisions using Empler. This guide is for folks running teams, product managers, or anyone tasked with proving their work actually matters.
Let’s skip the hype and get into how you can track and analyze customer engagement metrics in Empler without turning your day into a spreadsheet nightmare.
Step 1: Get Clear on Why You’re Tracking Engagement (Don’t Skip This)
Before you click anything, know what you’re trying to learn. “Engagement” isn’t a magical number—it's a bundle of behaviors, and not all of them matter to your business.
Start by asking: - What does a “good” customer actually do in Empler? - Are you trying to spot churn early, boost feature adoption, or prove ROI to your boss? - Which actions actually move the needle? (Logging in daily, using a key feature, etc.)
Pro tip:
Don’t try to track everything. The more metrics you chase, the more noise you’ll have to filter out later.
Step 2: Set Up Tracking Inside Empler
Out of the box, Empler offers some built-in engagement analytics. But you’ll need to do a bit of setup to get anything useful.
2.1. Define Your Key Events
These are the specific actions you care about. For example: - First login - Creating a project or workspace - Inviting a teammate - Using a premium feature - Completing a workflow or task
If Empler lets you create custom events (check your plan—some features might be paywalled), take the time to set these up. Generic metrics like “active users” are fine, but they won’t tell you much about whether users are actually getting value.
2.2. Enable Event Tracking
- Go to the Analytics or Engagement section in Empler’s admin dashboard.
- Add or select the events you want to track.
- If needed, use Empler’s integrations or API to log custom events from your app. This might require help from a developer—but it’s worth it if you want to go deeper.
Watch out for:
Automatic event tracking can generate a lot of noise. Review what’s being captured and prune out the junk—nobody cares how many times someone clicks “Help.”
Step 3: Understand the Metrics That Actually Matter
Don’t get distracted by shiny dashboards. Focus on a tight handful of metrics that actually reflect customer behavior and business health:
- Active users: Daily, weekly, or monthly. This is your baseline, but don’t obsess—it’s a lagging indicator.
- Feature adoption: What percentage of users are trying out specific features? This helps you spot what’s sticky or ignored.
- Engagement depth: How many steps do users complete in a session? Are they just logging in, or actually doing meaningful work?
- Retention/churn rate: How many users come back after their first week or month?
- Conversion events: Are trial users becoming paid users? Are free users exploring paid features?
Ignore vanity metrics:
Page views, random button clicks, or total time spent don’t tell you much unless they’re tied to real outcomes.
Step 4: Slice the Data—Don’t Just Look at Averages
Averages can trick you. You need to break things down to see the real story.
- Segment by user type: Compare new vs. returning users, paid vs. free, different company sizes, etc.
- Time-based trends: Did engagement spike after a feature launch? Did things drop off after onboarding?
- Cohort analysis: Track groups of users based on when they signed up. Are newer cohorts more engaged, or less?
Most of this you can do in Empler’s built-in reports, but for more advanced slicing, export the data to a spreadsheet or BI tool. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty.
Step 5: Analyze, Learn, and Actually Do Something
Looking at numbers is pointless if you don’t use them. Here’s how to turn insights into action:
- Spot bottlenecks: If lots of users drop off after step two of onboarding, maybe it’s too complicated—or just boring.
- Test changes: Roll out a tweak (like a new tooltip or email), then check if engagement metrics budge.
- Talk to users: Numbers tell you what’s happening, but not why. Pair your metrics with actual conversations.
- Share simple dashboards: Don’t flood your team with data dumps. Summarize the 2-3 metrics that matter, and explain why.
Be skeptical:
If something looks too good to be true—like a sudden spike in “active users”—dig in and check if it’s just bots, spam accounts, or a weird bug.
Step 6: Automate Reports (But Don’t Drown in Alerts)
Empler lets you schedule regular reports or trigger alerts for certain events. This is handy, but don’t overdo it.
- Set up a weekly summary for the key metrics you care about.
- Avoid daily alerts unless it’s truly urgent—otherwise, you’ll just tune them out.
- If possible, set up thresholds (e.g., if feature adoption drops by 20%, notify the team).
Pro tip:
If you find yourself ignoring reports, it’s a sign your metrics aren’t actionable. Trim the fat.
Step 7: Review and Refine—Metrics Aren’t Set-and-Forget
Your business changes, your product evolves, and so do your users. Set a monthly (or at least quarterly) reminder to: - Review which metrics you’re tracking. - Drop anything that’s no longer useful. - Add new events if you launch new features or change onboarding.
Don’t let your analytics turn into a graveyard of old dashboards nobody checks.
What Actually Works (and What Doesn’t)
Works: - Tracking fewer, more meaningful events. - Segmenting by user type and cohort. - Pairing numbers with real user feedback. - Regularly acting on what you learn.
Doesn’t work: - Tracking every possible click or scroll. - Chasing “active users” without context. - Relying only on built-in dashboards if you need deeper insights—sometimes you’ll need to export and DIY. - Forgetting to question your own numbers.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Don’t Fall for Dashboard Worship
Chasing perfect engagement metrics is a fool’s errand. Start simple, focus on what actually helps you make decisions, and keep adjusting as you go. If you’re spending more time building dashboards than talking to customers or improving the product, something’s off.
Set up tracking in Empler, pay attention to what really matters, and don’t be afraid to kill off metrics that aren’t useful. Engagement metrics are a tool, not the goal. Use them to make your work better—not just to fill a slide deck.