If you have an online shop you would probably like to know how users navigate your website and how they arrived at it. With the help of web analytics tools, you can observe the behaviour of your customers.
The best known is, of course, Google Analytics, which has ruled undividedly for many years. GA is so popular that some people think it is the only option available - but this is not true!
What exactly is all this analytics for?
Often our Wholesale customers ask, why actually analyse all this data? What difference does it make to our shop? Well, it makes a huge difference!
Using the information and reports available in Google Analytics, you are able to draw a great deal of conclusions about user behaviour on your website.
Above all, you can measure the effectiveness of your marketing activities and, as a result, optimise them effectively.
Is Google Analytics the best choice?
If Google Analytics is fine then why look for an alternative? In fact, most websites use GA primarily for two reasons: because it's popular (and doesn't know the alternatives) and because it's mostly free.
And in the meantime, there are many quite attractive analytics tools to choose from.
Alternatives to Google Analytics
Despite its evident dominance in the market, Google Analytics has lived to see quite a bit of competition. Website owners can choose between free and paid tools and even plug-ins for data analysis. Let's take a look at a few of them.
Matomo
Matomo (previously known as Piwik) is one of the most popular alternatives to Google Analytics. It is open source software that can be downloaded for free and implemented on your website. This is a huge advantage as it keeps all the data you collect on your server (in the case of the tool from Google, the data lands on their server).
Matomo's functions are very similar to those you will find in GA. The only downside is the rather complex process of setting up the tool.
Piwik Pro
Don't let the name fool you - Piwik PRO and Piwik (now Matomo) are 2 different tools (although they share a common history)! Piwik PRO is an analytics platform with a primary focus on data privacy and security. There you have access to full user flow paths, conversion funnel analysis, conversion attribution, integration with Google Ads and Google Search Console, among others. A dedicated account manager and team support for migration from GA is also a plus.
Open Web Analytics
A tool very similar to Google Analytics both in terms of features and design. At the moment it is also completely free. It is open source, so you store all your data on your own server.
Adobe Analytics
Adobe Analytics is a tool with a very large number of functions - in addition to classic shop or website analysis, you also have access here to social analytics or content and campaign management.
Adobe Analytics is clear and intuitive, but unfortunately it is a paid tool - price is only available on request.
eTracker
eTracker is a great alternative even for beginners - the interface is very intuitive. Among other things, you will find live tracking or analysis of the user's click path. eTracker's servers are located in Germany, which is very important information for some people, as this ensures that the app operates in accordance with European data protection regulations.
Clicky
Clicky is a free data analysis software, but it will only work well for small websites - the tracking functions are limited to only 3,000 page views per day. For larger sites, a paid plan must be selected.
Clicky is also available as a plug-in for Wordpress. Once implemented on your site, the tool automatically adds a tracking code to every subpage of your site, allowing you to keep an eye on your users' activities.
You are not doomed to Google Analytics! Although it is the most popular analytics tool in the e-commerce world, it must be admitted that it is neither very intuitive nor easy to use. Often, in order to access detailed reports, you have to go through additional training or seek advice from a web analyst first. Therefore, it is worth testing alternatives to Google Analytics and choosing which option is best for you and your business,
