The only way to gather the right data is to invest in website analytics. The only way to get into your customers’ minds is by using that data. The key is to know what you want to measure, and how you’re going to measure it before you make it a benchmark in your actions. Your website analytics can be measured using the right analytics software.
We’ve compared 5 of the top analytics programs, so you can decide which one is right for you. From the old standard of Google Analytics to Kissmetrics, there is something for everyone. In the end, all that matters is that you’re tracking your results, so you can grow them and grow your business. Because Google provides such a robust program and it’s free, many online business owners decide to use that.
Clicky
Nothing is done until you do analytics. You have no idea if a campaign worked the way you wanted it to, nor whether any content you publish is getting the results you want. You don’t even know if your recent uptick in sales is because you ran ads unless you study your numbers.
Being able to look at the metrics of your work is important because you can improve with the right information. Clicky has an enormous list of features, some of which Google doesn’t have that will help in your business.
Detailed information, customizable tracking, heat maps, on-site real-time analytics, details of segments that you set up, spam and bot filtering, uptime monitoring, split testing, funnel path analytics and more.
This is an “all-in-one” analytics system. You can get alerts to your phone or email about your site being down and other issues that you set up. In addition, you get a built-in URL shortener.
If you want an inclusive analytics program, you must try out Clicky, which is priced from free to $79.99 you can’t go wrong.
Google Analytics
Often thought of as the gold standard for analytics you can use this service completely free. You’ll just need to sign into Google Analytics and add your website, then add some code to your website (you can use a plugin if you use WordPress) and wait for a bit and you’ll start seeing what’s happening in real time.
Since Google Search is the standard for those who want traffic and Google Analytics is owned by Google it makes sense to use their information to help you get better search results from their product. Plus, it’s the most advanced free service.
You can track your AdWords, AdSense, and other ads, plus you can track things like real time traffic to your website, where they’re coming from, and what they’re doing after they get there.
You can set goals for different things so you can track and measure what you need to. If you want your audience to conduct a specific action, such as buying a product, signing up for a newsletter, or taking another action — you can set a goal for that.
Whether you use another analytics tool, you must use Google Analytics. You can even hire experts, who have a Google Analytics certification, so you can ensure that you track what’s important.
OWA
You can get this open-source software completely free. However, you can also pay for a pro version. Open Web Analytics gives you the ability to study the numbers using your own native system, which you install on your server. It supports WordPress as well.
It’s a non-commercial option for you to get analytics that will help you improve your website and business. It uses PHP, MySQL, and JavaScript instead of proprietary systems to test your analytics. Plus, if you happen to be good at coding, you can customize your system or hire someone to do it for you, so the system can meet your unique needs.
Track multiple websites without limits. Set goals, set up funnels and more. It works with e-commerce goals and tracking so, you can track events, as well as set up customized variables. This makes it easy to compare results. Use heat maps to track mouse movements and more.
The fact that it’s open-source software is a great thing because you won’t be limited by what a business thinks you should track. You can customize this system the way you need it to work.
Since it’s a free option, you should most certainly try it. You’ll need some technical knowledge but their instructions are understandable.
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PIWIK
This leading open-source, analytic software can be customized and extended to meet your needs. You own all of your data, and you can use this software completely free on your own server. Alternatively, you can use the free software, but use it on a hosted server, for a small monthly price.
You want to find ways to study the metrics of your business and this is a great option that a lot of people use successfully. The hosted and self-hosted versions are worthwhile to try.
Real-time stats include visitors during a specific period and where they came from with the map. You can find out how they’re engaging, and more. Set up custom variables, and use the heat map to figure out what your visitors really do when they get there.
This full featured, option is totally free unless you choose to use the hosted version. The hosted version is often updated, while you’ll need to check for updates to the downloadable version and install them yourself. Both are good options for most sizes of businesses.
There is a lot of information you can glean from the right type of analytics such as actions, engagement, sales, keywords and more. That information can mean the difference in succeeding and failing.
Kissmetrics
If you want to optimize your marketing, you’ll want to try this is the analytics platform. To see everything it offers you can schedule a demo. They tout their ability to be able to connect your data to the people you serve across all platforms so that you can ensure the actions you take get the results you want.
They have features that help you track your customer’s journey from the first time they visit your page, sign up for your email list, and buy a product or engage on social media. If you’re a customer-centric business, the tools in this platform will be exciting for you. It’s often rated in the top five business-intelligence software options.
You can set up funnel reports, cohort reports, retention reports, customer profiles, group content lists, A/B testing, conversion periods, email support, testing and staging, data segmentation, real-time monitoring all cross platform.
Because it is a paid platform, you’ll have the advantage of customer service. You can link Kissmetrics to your email marketing, in addition to using it to ensure that your content is getting the results you want. The only con is that there is a lot to learn about this software.
As they say, nothing is done until the paperwork is finished. The paperwork, in this case, consists of analytics. If you don’t study your metrics you have no idea how your efforts affect your bottom line. Instead of guessing, study the numbers and find out what really plays a role in your success or failure.
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