It's really tough to read this with any sense of sincerity when it uses Google fonts and "feeds the beast" that is Cloudflare.
Disqus has just been switched off!
Google Analytics: Stop feeding the beast
51–60 of 401 posts
Re: Google Analytics: Stop feeding the beast
#52I really didn't want to use Google Analytics for a personal site (details in bio), but because it's a non-monetised personal site I really didn't want to spend money to know how many visitors I had, but because I'm trying to learn about content I really did want to know how many visitors I had, because that's a good way of discovering what content resonates etc. I tried PanelBear, but because I briefly hit the front…
I am currently working on exactly this! I have always been dreaming of a low-cost, zero-effort web analytics.
So far I have made an open source library/service, I've been using it for my blog and a few other sites for over two months. It is available at https://github.com/nullitics/nullitics. You can see the example dashboard (fed with real data) at https://nullitics.com/dashboard/zserge.com. I'm now collecting all sorts of feedback from the early adoperts.
For the cloud version I decided to go with 1€/month, and I have often been criticised for choosing such a low price. However, I believe that I would rather be at a lower profit, but help bloggers, hackers and other who want such a tool.
Re: Google Analytics: Stop feeding the beast
#53I've had so many clients from small companies to hobbyists convinced it's critical that Google Analytics be installed on their websites. Some even horrified when suggesting they don't need it.
In most cases, the results aren't even looked at or acted upon, so this bloat is just sitting there and feeding Google data with little in return.
Re: Google Analytics: Stop feeding the beast
#54google analytics, and doubleclick, are two locations that have permanent, global, block rules in uBlock Origin on my browser.
Re: Google Analytics: Stop feeding the beast
#55I have high confidence that Google does not dip into Analytics data for its own uses without permission. I am an analytics consultant by profession, so this opinion is colored by the old adage about not understanding something that prevents your paycheck. But it is also colored by a decade of experience with the technical and organizational capabilities and limitations of the tool. Let me lay out my reasoning. 1. Leg…
Well, it's all speculation in the end, because Google is silent about it.
BUT: the costs of running and maintaining Google Analytics must be significant. There must be some strategic reason for Google to continue to do so (look at the way they deal with products that are not working for them, remember Google Reader?).
So what is that strategic reason?
Re: Google Analytics: Stop feeding the beast
#56Parse your server's access log file. The way it had been done for decades. "Analog" was popular then, Should be better options now.
I have been using this for a while, GoAccess is a wonderful little tool to automate the parsing. Highly recommend to those who prefer the old-school approach towards web analytics.
Re: Google Analytics: Stop feeding the beast
#57Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Here's a crazy idea: Don't use analytics at all but focus on your product. If your success relies solely on "improving conversions" by tracking your users and then changing the position and color of your "Checkout" button then maybe try setting yourself apart I am very much onboard with this idea. The notion that it is a requirement that businesses track individual customers’ actions in order to succeed is pervasiv…
Disclaimer: I hate Google Analytics because I hate Google, I hate monopolies, and I hate excessive hoarding of user data. I think the necessary aspects of tracking can be maintained without having all the bad aspects, but we need to break up the ad companies first. > without watching exactly how every customer looks at shelves This is absolutely not true. Do you have experience with managing brick and mortar stores?…
"about: smt88hn@gmail.com"
You clearly don't "hate" Google enough to stop using their ad-supported free services. Try again.
Re: Google Analytics: Stop feeding the beast
#58I have high confidence that Google does not dip into Analytics data for its own uses without permission. I am an analytics consultant by profession, so this opinion is colored by the old adage about not understanding something that prevents your paycheck. But it is also colored by a decade of experience with the technical and organizational capabilities and limitations of the tool. Let me lay out my reasoning. 1. Leg…
Well, it's all speculation in the end, because Google is silent about it. BUT: the costs of running and maintaining Google Analytics must be significant. There must be some strategic reason for Google to continue to do so (look at the way they deal with products that are not working for them, remember Google Reader?). So what is that strategic reason?
I address that in point 5. Analytics is a strategic compliment to advertising. When people can measure the revenue resulting from online ads, they buy more online ads. And at the margin, when people can optimize the return on online channels to make them more efficient, they spend even more on online ads.
Re: Google Analytics: Stop feeding the beast
#59Here's a crazy idea: Don't use analytics at all but focus on your product. If your success relies solely on "improving conversions" by tracking your users and then changing the position and color of your "Checkout" button then maybe try setting yourself apart such that customers want to buy your product even despite an obnoxious purchasing flow. Only then start optimizing it. More serious thoughts: Google Analytics i…
One sentence has decimated my digital marketing career and I honestly couldn't agree more. I think this has something to do with more than just Google itself though and good old capitalism.
There are heaps of SaaS platforms out there (from my last point of reference there were 2000+ MarTech companies, I would guess double that now) that focuses on; A/B testing, email marketing automation, customer success tools, heat mapping and much more. They have funders who want their returns, one way or another. Which then leads the marketing team of the SaaS to develop growth hacking articles which startups tend to absorb.
As a marketer you are backed into a corner of having to test everything because there are so many articles out there showing us how A/B testing a button from 17px to 18px increased sales by 50%. Or this genius new AI content tool that can swap things around for each and every user to match up with their purchase intent. It's gambling. There is data and some poor calculations that lead you astray hoping for that quick win. You will also find that one 'unicorn' SaaS will also dictate the UI/UX for the vast majority of others out there, look at Intercom which basically has been cloned in design across the board.
Re: Google Analytics: Stop feeding the beast
#60I've had so many clients from small companies to hobbyists convinced it's critical that Google Analytics be installed on their websites. Some even horrified when suggesting they don't need it. In most cases, the results aren't even looked at or acted upon, so this bloat is just sitting there and feeding Google data with little in return.
you could use analytics such as https://splitbee.io :) ux is great and you can use it without being a data scientist