Reviewing the Pros and Cons of Google Analytics
What is Google Analytics?
Google Analytics is a freemium web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic.
What does Web Analytics mean?
Web analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of web data for purposes of understanding and optimizing web usage. In addition to Web analytics being a process that measures web traffic, it can also be used as a tool for business and market research, and to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of a website. Web analytics applications can also assist small businesses and large corporations measure the results of advertising campaigns. Web analytics provides information about the number of visitors that visit a website and the number of page views.
How does Google Analytics track data?
Google Analytics tracks all of its data by using a distinctive tracking code that you install on every page of your website. This code is typically a snippet of JavaScript that runs in the viewers’ browser when they visit the designated pages. The JavaScript code works with a larger JavaScript file on the Google server to collect information on the user’s activity on the website. The code tracks information regarding their visit each time the user visits the website. The code also sets a cookie on each visitor’s computer, which provides anonymous information to create user IDs.
What does Google Analytics measure?
Google Analytics measures the dimensions and metrics. Dimensions include the attributes of your data, the page you are assessing, or the social network channel you are evaluating. Metrics are the quantitative measurements for those dimensions.
What can you do with Google Analytics?
The main thing Google Analytics can do for you is help you make decisions based on the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the collected data. You can find out whether it is a good idea to continue investing money on advertising. In addition, you can discover where you should be advertising in regard to geographic location.
What are the Pros and Cons of Google Analytics?
Pros
(1) The free component of Google Analytics’ freemium based model allows you to utilize the basics of the application for free.
(2) Google Analytics allows you to determine the conversion rate of your online web store. Google Analytics is a revolutionary tool business owners can utilize in order to figure out where the traffic is originating. In addition, it allows business owners to find out what keyword terms were used to be directed to the web page.
(3) Google Analytics allows you to analyze your content performance and monitor the performance of your advertisements.
(4) The usage of Google Analytics is not restricted to your computer. You can use Google Analytics on mobile devices including Androids and iPhones.
Cons
(1) The premium component of Google Analytics’ freemium based model requires users to subscribe to the premium version if their traffic volume is high. The premium version costs $150,000/year (USD).
(2) Cookie manipulation is an infamous con when it comes to Google Analytics. Google Analytics’ data is processed remotely. Users that have subscribed to Google Analytics’ free or premium component of the freemium based model cannot control when the data is processed. The data that has been processed cannot be reprocessed. This is a problem when the data that has been processed is incorrect.
(3) The usage of Google Analytics requires constant training because the user interface is constantly being updated. The changes are sometimes fairly substantial as new features are being introduced and old features are either being combined or completely discarded. Users are required to keep up with Google Analytics’ constant updates.
(4) All visits to a website must execute a JavaScript file. Visits that do not execute a JavaScript file do not get counted.
Google Analytics is a revolutionary tool for tracking and reporting traffic. Business owners can use Google Analytics to help them improve the effectiveness of their website. It is up to the potential Google Analytics user to decide whether he or she weighs the pros heavier than the cons when considering whether to sign up for Google Analytics.
