If you want to monitor my website, you need a plan that captures speed, uptime, security, and authority, and then turns that raw data into a single score you can track and act on. This guide shows how to track my website score, what to measure, how often to check, and how to turn results into client reports that win work. If you want a managed path, TheWebBooster bundles monitoring, alerts, and white label reports, so you can scale performance as a product.
Table of contents
- Short answer, what to do first
- What is a website score, and why it matters
- Key metrics to monitor, explained simply
- Monitoring methods, RUM vs synthetic vs uptime checks
- How often to monitor, and alert thresholds
- How to build a repeatable test plan
- How to interpret the score, and map actions to ranges
- Comparison table, TheWebBooster vs other tools
- Sample case study and downloadable proof kit idea
- Implementation checklist and next steps
- FAQ
Short answer, what to do first
To monitor my website, pick these first three actions. 1. Run a baseline test and save the raw results. 2. Turn on Real User Monitoring to collect field data. 3. Set automated synthetic checks for uptime and performance, and configure alerts. From there, map a single website score from the key metrics and track it daily.
What is a website score, and why it matters
A website score is a single number that summarizes the health of a site across performance, availability, security, and authority. It makes complex data easy to read. For teams and clients, a score is a communication tool. It shows trends over time, it highlights regressions, and it makes value visible after an optimization. A good score is also a product you can sell to clients, with a monthly report and a plan to improve it.
Key metrics to monitor, explained simply
A strong website score combines several metric groups. Track each group separately, then combine them into a weighted score.
Performance metrics
- LCP, largest contentful paint. Measures when the main content appears, aim for under 2.5 seconds.
- FCP, first contentful paint. Shows when the first paint happens, it matters for perceived load.
- TBT, total blocking time. Captures main thread blocking that delays interaction.
- CLS, cumulative layout shift. Tracks visual stability, aim for under 0.1.
Availability and reliability
- Uptime percent. Typical targets are 99.9 percent or higher for production sites.
- Response time. Server response for the first byte, lower is better.
Security signals
- SSL health. Valid certificate and proper chain.
- Basic vulnerability checks. Known plugin or CMS issues, and basic headers such as HSTS.
Authority and SEO health
- Indexability checks. Is the site crawlable and not blocked by robots.txt.
- Backlink health and domain signals. Track growth or loss of authority.
Business signals
- Conversion tracking. If performance drops and conversions drop, the score ties to business value.
- Page weight and key requests. Monitoring payload size helps root cause regressions.
Collect each metric and store the raw data. Scores without raw data are a guess, and raw data lets you prove results.
Monitoring methods, RUM vs synthetic vs uptime checks
You need three monitoring layers. Each layer captures different truths.
Real User Monitoring, RUM
RUM captures what real visitors see. It collects field LCP, CLS, FCP and device and network data. RUM shows the true user experience, and it highlights geographic or device specific issues.
Synthetic testing
Synthetic tests run lab style audits, for example Lighthouse or WebPageTest. These tests are repeatable and ideal for controlled comparisons. Synthetic monitoring is great for catching regressions after a deploy.
Uptime checks
Uptime monitors ping pages or endpoints every minute or five minutes, and alert on downtime or error codes. Uptime checks protect availability, and they are the fastest way to spot outages.
Use all three, and correlate the data. For example, an uptime spike with no RUM drop suggests a partial outage. A RUM LCP regression with synthetic green checks suggests a third party or intermittent device issue.
How often to monitor, and alert thresholds
Monitoring cadence depends on the site and SLA. Here are sensible defaults.
- Uptime checks. Every 1 to 5 minutes. Alert on any 500 or repeated 4xx errors.
- Synthetic performance tests. Every 1 to 6 hours for high traffic pages, daily for lower traffic. Run a small suite of tests that include home, product and checkout pages.
- RUM. Continuous. Aggregate hourly and daily. Alert when the median LCP jumps above target thresholds.
Suggested alert thresholds you can use.
- LCP. Alert if median LCP goes above 2.5 seconds on important pages.
- CLS. Alert if CLS exceeds 0.1.
- Uptime. Alert if availability drops below 99.9 percent in a 24 hour window.
- TTFB. Alert if median TTFB increases by more than 50 percent over baseline.
Tune thresholds to avoid alert fatigue. Use rolling windows and require sustained deviations for automatic alerts.
How to build a repeatable test plan
A repeatable plan makes audits fair and defensible.
- Pick pages. Home, product or landing pages, and any checkout funnels.
- Define devices and network profiles. Mobile 4G, Desktop fast connection. Use the same configuration for baseline and follow ups.
- Run multiple runs. For lab tests, run five times and take the median. For RUM, use daily medians.
- Save the raw results. Store Lighthouse JSON, WebPageTest outputs, and RUM exports in a timestamped folder.
- Annotate changes. Every deploy that touches speed must include a changelog entry that links to the test runs.
- Report. Produce a short PDF for stakeholders, with the before and after metrics, a short explanation, and recommended next steps.
This plan avoids noisy comparisons, and it builds trust with clients because you can show proof.
How to interpret the score, and map actions to ranges
A useful score maps to action, and it is easy to read.
- 0 to 49, poor. Immediate fixes required. Focus on images, caching and blocking JS.
- 50 to 79, needs work. Tackle intermediate tasks, such as server caching and critical CSS.
- 80 to 100, good. Maintain with monitoring, and focus on margins, like reducing third party impacts.
When the score moves, always show the raw metrics behind the change. Scores without context lead to arguments, raw data avoids that.
Comparison table, TheWebBooster vs other tools
Use this table in your content and in sales materials. It highlights what TheWebBooster monitors, and where it adds agency value.
| Feature | TheWebBooster | YourWebsiteScore | GTmetrix / WebPageTest |
|---|---|---|---|
| RUM field data | Yes, continuous | No, snapshot only | Optional or with add on |
| Synthetic scheduled tests | Yes, hourly to daily | Yes, but basic | Yes, deep testing |
| Uptime monitoring | Yes, 1 to 5 minute checks | Basic | Optional |
| Security checks | Yes, cert and basic vuln checks | No | Limited |
| Authority / SEO signals | Yes, indexability and backlinks | No | No |
| White label PDF reports | Yes | No | No |
| Managed alerts and escalation | Yes | No | No |
| Agency seat pricing | Yes, bulk seats | No | No |
This table is a template. Adjust the feature list to match your exact product feature set, and add links to proof pages and case studies.
Sample case study and downloadable proof kit idea
When you publish monitoring results, include a proof kit with raw data. A typical kit includes Lighthouse JSON, WebPageTest HAR, RUM exported CSV, and a one page audit PDF.
Sample summary, top line only.
- Before. LCP 4.8 seconds, uptime 99.92 percent, conversion rate 1.8 percent.
- After. LCP 1.7 seconds, uptime 99.99 percent, conversion rate 2.3 percent.
- Result. Net lift in bookings, plus a lower support load due to fewer speed incidents.
Offer the downloadable proof kit to prospects, it works as a lead magnet and it proves your claims.
Implementation checklist and next steps
Use this checklist to get started.
- Run a baseline full audit and save raw outputs.
- Turn on RUM and confirm data is flowing.
- Enable synthetic checks for key pages.
- Add uptime checks at 1 to 5 minute frequency.
- Create a simple weighted score rule set and apply it.
- Configure alerts and test them with a simulated incident.
- Create a branded monthly PDF audit template.
- Set a review cadence, weekly for active clients, monthly for maintenance.
If you want a managed option, TheWebBooster offers monitoring, automated reports, and white label PDFs, and it can save you the time of building and maintaining the stack.
FAQ
How quickly will I see the monitoring data?
RUM data appears as users visit the site, often within minutes for active pages. Synthetic and uptime checks begin on the schedule you set, and initial trends are visible after a few runs.
What is the difference between RUM and synthetic tests?
RUM captures real visitor experience, synthetic tests run repeatable lab audits. Use both to get the full picture.
How do I avoid alert fatigue?
Set sensible thresholds, require sustained deviations before alerting, and group related alerts into incidents. Test your alert rules before relying on them.
Can I white label the reports for clients?
Yes, if you use a tool that supports white label PDFs, you can brand the monthly audit and hand it to clients as your deliverable.
How do I prove the results to stakeholders?
Save and publish the raw Lighthouse JSON, WebPageTest outputs, and RUM exports. A downloadable proof kit beats a screenshot.
