Top 5 Alternatives to Google Analytics

Web analytics is the process of measuring, analyzing, and reporting on internet data to understand and optimize web usage. In order to gauge the performance of a website, data tracking tools are essential. By monitoring metrics such as page views, unique visitors, and bounce rate, website owners and administrators can get a clear picture of how their site is performing. They can also use these insights to make beneficial changes and look for any technical issues.

Google Analytics is a powerful tool for tracking website traffic and measuring engagement. Although it’s the most well-known, Google Analytics is not the only tool out there that can do this. There are several other data insight tools available, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. In this blog, we are going to discuss some alternatives to Google Analytics and why the switch might be worth it.

Why should you invest in other sources of analytics?

We've all come to see Google as a reliable and free platform with plenty of useful tools. However, Analytics comes with its own flaws that have convinced many people to find data tools elsewhere. Some of these reasons lie in the data that’s presented by the tool and others are concerning for both users and those being tracked. If you are considering finding another tool, here are some reasons why others made the switch:

Ease of Use

Google Analytics is limited in what it can do for you. You not only can't see raw data but there is a limit to the number of customer interactions that are tracked every month. Every interaction is what's called a hit and there can only be 10 million accurately recorded every month. Overall, many limitations and restrictions are presented by the software involving data usage and API. To top things off, you may receive little help from customer service and will likely rely on their forums as your only assistance.

Privacy

As a form of protection for users, General Data Protection Regulations (GDPRs) are in place that dictates how our personal data should be handled. The GDPR limits how collected data can be used and the rules that should be followed regarding it. Google Analytics has stirred up plenty of controversies, especially in Europe, over the way it stores personal information. Many organizations from European countries have decided to use other tools entirely due to questionable data usage. Although you may be able to modify some settings to make Google Analytics more GDPR friendly, the regular tool is believed to create violations through excessive data collection and storage.

Ethics

Google seems to always have new efforts when it comes to banning offensive content or eliminating false information off the internet. However, they don’t first take care of the ethics battle happening through their own services. Google is known for collecting completely unnecessary information about the people it tracks. Though Google claims to want to “create new technologies that solve important problems and help people in their daily lives,” is aggressively tracking people the best way to do this? 

Google as a company has made many questionable decisions over the past years. AI is prominent in Google Analytics and the company began researching AI ethics back in 2018. The research was meant to ensure that the growing AI was being used responsibly and in line with the company’s moral principles. After criticizing some of the technology that Google was using, two of the top researchers and AI ethics leaders were swiftly fired. The incident is a permanent scar on Google’s AI ethics that raises red flags for users.



Accuracy

You may have believed that Google kept track of every single visitor that has come to your site in order to let you know how much traffic you received. However, Google Analytics actually uses data sampling. They analyze only a portion of your traffic to predict the number of visitors as a whole. On some reports, the sampling starts as low as 100,000 sessions and varies based on a number of factors. 

It’s also uncertain how many people are actually being tracked through Google Analytics. Not every visitor may be appearing in the reported results if the tool is blocked by computer security software. Information about a user may also be unavailable or inaccurate if cookies are not enabled. It’s possible that the data is also being skewed by many non-Google browsers.

Google Analytics Alternatives

As you’ve read, there are many reasons why Google Analytics may not be the ideal tool for you including inaccurate data and privacy violations. Because Google Analytics is so widely used, it’s likely that you have never heard of the other available tools. However, there are many more choices in web tracking available today which come without all the negatives. Here are some of the best Google Analytics alternatives that are worth considering:

Adobe Analytics

Adobe Analytics is a comprehensive web analytics tool that provides businesses with valuable insights into their website traffic. It offers a wide range of features, including page views, unique visitors, time on site, bounce rate, and conversion rate. Adobe Analytics also allows businesses to segment their website traffic by location, device, browser, and more. This granular level of data helps businesses to better understand their website visitors and how they interact with their website. 

To improve ease of use, Adobe Analytics integrates with other Adobe products, such as Adobe Experience Manager and Adobe Target. This makes it easy to set up and manage a complete web analytics solution. As a result of the combined features, this competitive Google Analytics alternative can help businesses to increase website traffic and conversions. Adobe uses advanced statistics and machine learning to deliver an in-depth analysis of web traffic.

Clarity by Microsoft

Microsoft Clarity is a web analytics tool that can help you to track and understand your website traffic. It provides detailed reports on user behavior, including session duration, page views, and conversion rates. Additionally, Clarity allows you to segment your data by channels, devices, and geographical locations. This makes it easy to identify which areas of your website are performing well and which need improvement. Best of all, Microsoft Clarity is free to use, making it an affordable option for small businesses and startups.

Microsoft's clarity is a web analytics tool that is gaining popularity due to its ease of use and comprehensive features. Clarify offers users the ability to track website visitor behavior, measure conversions, and track ROI. In addition, it provides detailed insights into what works and what doesn't on your website. This makes it an essential tool for any business that wants to improve its online presence and performance.

Matomo

There are many web analytics tools available today, but Matamo stands out for its ease of use and comprehensive features. Setting up Matamo is a breeze, and the user interface is very intuitive. Once your website is set up, Matamo provides detailed reports on your traffic, including information on unique visitors, page views, and bounce rate. The tool also provides detailed information about website visitors, including their geographical location, referrer, and browser type. 

Matamo can be integrated with other web analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, to provide even more insights into website traffic. It allows you to track keywords and see which search engines are sending you the most traffic. Whether you're just getting started with web analytics or you're a seasoned pro, Matamo is an excellent tool that is sure to meet your needs.

Clicky

Clicky is a web analytics tool that offers several advantages over other similar tools. For starters, it provides real-time data that helps you track how visitors are interacting with your website in real-time. This is invaluable for understanding what content is resonating with your audience and what isn't. Additionally, Clicky allows you to segment your traffic by a variety of criteria, making it easy to identify trends and target specific audiences. Finally, Clicky's price point is very competitive, making it a great option for businesses of all sizes. 

What really makes people a fan of Clicky is the live updates in data. New results are updated every few seconds and show what is currently happening on a site. Also unique to Clicky is the heatmap feature which shows exactly which spots on a page are catching the attention of visitors. 

Woopra

Woopra is a web analytics tool that provides users with valuable insights into their website traffic. One of the key features of Woopra is its real-time tracking capability. This means that users can see how visitors are interacting with their website in real time, making it easy to identify and troubleshoot problems as they arise. Additionally, Woopra's reporting features are both comprehensive and user-friendly. The dashboard gives users an overview of all the most important data, while detailed reports allow for more in-depth analysis. 

Woopra focuses on the customer journey, so users can see not only how customers interact with their site, but also where they go next. This information is essential for understanding how to improve the customer experience and increase conversions. With Woopra, businesses have the tools they need to create a truly customer-centric website.

What is the best Google Analytics alternative?

One of the most controversial aspects of Google Analytics is its data collection practices. The tool collects a massive amount of data, including personal information like IP addresses and details about user activity. This data is then stored by Google, sometimes without the user’s knowledge or consent.  In addition, some users have found that the data presented by Google Analytics is inaccurate or misleading. This is because the tool relies on cookies to track user activity, which can be blocked by browser settings or deleted by users. As a result, the data collected by Google Analytics is not always accurate or representative of the true number of visitors to a website. For these reasons and others, many people are choosing to use other web analytics tools.

There's no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to finding the best Google analytics alternative. The truth is, the best tool for you will be the one that has the features that are most important to your organization. If you're looking for an easy-to-use tool that provides you with the information you need, then you'll have no problem finding your ideal web analyst tool amongst these suggestions.

ClickReady is always ready to help with small business SEO or simply helping your business find an analytics tool that works best for your situation,