Stop donating your customers' data to Google Analytics

#1

Post by bakztfuture » Wed, Jan 22, 2020, 10:53 AM UTC

Stop donating your customers' data to Google Analytics
dev.to

Re: Stop donating your customers' data to Google Analytics

#2

Post by lbrito » Wed, Jan 22, 2020, 12:55 PM UTC

So the solution is to use Amazon's tracker?

I appreciate the problem and I would like to stop using GA in my static pages as well, but trading one privately-owned software from a tech giant for another privately-owned software from a different tech giant seems a bit ludicrous. I would readily swap GA for some decent open-source solution though.

Re: Stop donating your customers' data to Google Analytics

#3

Post by tmikaeld » Wed, Jan 22, 2020, 1:06 PM UTC

The problem is usually competing with "free" and Google knows this, there are privacy respecting alternatives like https://www.visitor-analytics.io though.

Re: Stop donating your customers' data to Google Analytics

#4

Post by akie » Wed, Jan 22, 2020, 1:06 PM UTC

lbrito wrote: post #2

So the solution is to use Amazon's tracker? I appreciate the problem and I would like to stop using GA in my static pages as well, but trading one privately-owned software from a tech giant for another privately-owned software from a different tech giant seems a bit ludicrous. I would readily swap GA for some decent open-source solution though.

I'm only aware of https://matomo.org/ (formerly Piwik) as a good open source alternative to Google Analytics. Are there others?

Re: Stop donating your customers' data to Google Analytics

#5

Post by clarry » Wed, Jan 22, 2020, 1:13 PM UTC

lbrito wrote: post #2

So the solution is to use Amazon's tracker? I appreciate the problem and I would like to stop using GA in my static pages as well, but trading one privately-owned software from a tech giant for another privately-owned software from a different tech giant seems a bit ludicrous. I would readily swap GA for some decent open-source solution though.

> I would like to stop using GA in my static pages

Why don't you? Do you really need this tracking at all?

Re: Stop donating your customers' data to Google Analytics

#6

Post by coldcode » Wed, Jan 22, 2020, 1:15 PM UTC

It would be handy if people listed here all the alternatives that don't steal your customer info.

Re: Stop donating your customers' data to Google Analytics

#7

Post by lgrebe » Wed, Jan 22, 2020, 1:17 PM UTC

lbrito wrote: post #2

So the solution is to use Amazon's tracker? I appreciate the problem and I would like to stop using GA in my static pages as well, but trading one privately-owned software from a tech giant for another privately-owned software from a different tech giant seems a bit ludicrous. I would readily swap GA for some decent open-source solution though.

Check out https://simpleanalytics.com/

Re: Stop donating your customers' data to Google Analytics

#8

Post by lgrebe » Wed, Jan 22, 2020, 1:17 PM UTC

coldcode wrote: post #6

It would be handy if people listed here all the alternatives that don't steal your customer info.

https://simpleanalytics.com/

Re: Stop donating your customers' data to Google Analytics

#9

Post by rapnie » Wed, Jan 22, 2020, 1:20 PM UTC

coldcode wrote: post #6

It would be handy if people listed here all the alternatives that don't steal your customer info.

https://usefathom.com/

https://goaccess.io/

https://github.com/NYPL/google-analytics-proxy

http://matomo.org/

https://ackee.electerious.com/

https://www.goatcounter.com/

https://count.ly/

Re: Stop donating your customers' data to Google Analytics

#10

Post by exotree » Wed, Jan 22, 2020, 1:36 PM UTC

clarry wrote: post #5

lbrito wrote: post #2

So the solution is to use Amazon's tracker? I appreciate the problem and I would like to stop using GA in my static pages as well, but trading one privately-owned software from a tech giant for another privately-owned software from a different tech giant seems a bit ludicrous. I would readily swap GA for some decent open-source solution though.

> I would like to stop using GA in my static pages Why don't you? Do you really need this tracking at all?

Depends on the job, purpose of site, and goals being accomplished. Hard to demonstrate value and improve digital business outcomes without GA (and other tools like HEAP Analytics).