{"id":196480,"date":"2021-04-07T02:18:30","date_gmt":"2021-04-07T02:18:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/?p=196480"},"modified":"2021-04-07T00:14:25","modified_gmt":"2021-04-07T00:14:25","slug":"data-analytic-tools-wordpress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpmudev.com\/blog\/data-analytic-tools-wordpress\/","title":{"rendered":"What Kind of Analytics Tools Should You Use For Your WordPress Site (And How Many Is Too Many)?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to WordPress analytics, you have a ton of options to choose from. What data analytic tools you use will make a huge difference — because the data you need and the way you view it is different for everyone.<\/p>\n

Analytic companies and plugins have distinct differences and are not all the same. They all have a niche that can be compatible with your site — and you may end up using several methods to measure analytics that works best for you.<\/p>\n

For example, do you want to track user flow and funnels? There is Woopra<\/a> for that. What about tracking every single referrer and knowing what kind of things visitors are interested in buying or searching? Google Analytics<\/a> works well. How about checking the number of clicks on your site? Even if it didn\u2019t even load on their computer? Cloudflare<\/a> analytics can help.<\/p>\n

Plus, we have to mention our very own Hub Analytics<\/a> for WPMU DEV members, where you can monitor your analytics all in one place.<\/p>\n

This article will look at various popular analytics tools with different focuses. Some of them are geared towards ease and simplicity, while others focus on eCommerce and sales funnels.<\/p>\n

\"Dev
Like to monitor traffic reports from above? There might be a plugin for that.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Additionally, we\u2019ll look at whether it\u2019s okay to use several different methods of tracking analytics. “But…<\/em>won’t that slow down my site?”<\/em> All will be revealed!<\/p>\n

<\/a>Advantage of Multiple Analytics Tools<\/h2>\n

Having options is usually a good thing, and that rings true with analytic tools. It\u2019s okay to use more than one.<\/p>\n

For example, you can utilize a weighted formula to calculate the actual number of page views or unique visits from several tools. From there, you can simply determine how likely each tool is at capturing data and assign each reported number a weight when averaging.<\/p>\n

That leads to a better understanding of your website users. You can also learn how to improve your site, products, or layout. Plus, you\u2019ll better understand just how many users and pageviews you are getting.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, as long as the data is clear and concise and you can utilize it in a way that\u2019s beneficial for your WordPress site, that\u2019s what\u2019s important.<\/p>\n

Different Niche Analytics Tools<\/strong><\/p>\n

We\u2019re going to check out nine niche providers that each offer a unique, out-of-the-box perspective on WordPress analytics. I\u2019m sure some of them you\u2019re familiar with (Google Analytics, anyone?) and some might be new for you (Clarity is who again?).<\/p>\n

They\u2019re all rated high or have a solid reputation, and you\u2019ll be in good hands with any of them if they perform the analytics functions desired. Some are free, some cost. At the end of the day, they all have unique features that you may find very useful.<\/p>\n

In this article, we cover the following data analytics tools:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Beehive<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Woopra<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Microsoft Clarity<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Cloudflare<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Mixpanel<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. Google Analytics<\/a><\/li>\n
  7. Simple Analytics<\/a><\/li>\n
  8. Koko Analytics<\/a><\/li>\n
  9. WooCommerce Google Analytics<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Let\u2019s get to it!<\/p>\n

    1. <\/a>Beehive<\/h2>\n
    \"Image
    Beehive is our own answer to analytics.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Our very own analytics plugin, Beehive<\/a>, offers a simple solution to gathering Google Analytics data from single and Multisite WordPress installations. Easily track your stats right from your WordPress dashboard to stay on top of your marketing game.<\/p>\n

    You\u2019ll need a Google Analytics account<\/a> to get Beehive to work. Once you have an account, there are several ways to connect, including Tracking ID only, Connecting with Google<\/strong>, and API Project<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    \"Example
    Beehive analytics are very clear and precise — all in your dashboard!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    She has a Dashboard Widget<\/strong> that runs a detailed summary of your Google Analytics stats through your main dashboard. Plus, you can view detailed reports.<\/p>\n

    You’re able to switch the main graph to display the number of sessions, users, page views, average session time<\/strong>, and bounce rates<\/strong>. You can even enable Beehive to see your current analytics in real-time<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

    Beehive is 100% free<\/strong> and comes with a solid 5-star review. If you\u2019re a WPMU DEV member, you get access to Beehive Pro<\/a>. Beehive Pro features a Google Tag Manager<\/strong>, Custom Stats Dashboard<\/strong>, User Roles & Permissions<\/strong>, and more.<\/p>\n

    Additionally, some new features are coming soon (e.g. eCommerce compatibility) as she\u2019s constantly updated with enhancements.<\/p>\n

    Find out more in our article about getting the most out of Beehive<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    2. <\/a>Woopra<\/h2>\n
    \"Image
    Woopra can better help you understand the customers’ journey.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    What\u2019s great about Woopra<\/a> is it\u2019s all about the customers\u2019 journey that\u2019s available in a simple, easy-to-understand format. It can help you better understand your customers through multiple contact points across variable devices. Plus, no SQL is required.<\/p>\n

    Woopra can track every user at every touchpoint in real-time<\/strong> and focus on the data within. With this, you can trigger real-time actions and hence offer a better experience for your users.<\/p>\n

    \"Example
    Example of the journey users takes with Woopra.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    You\u2019re able to create a variety of evidence-based customer reports for your business purposes. Plus, you can easily integrate with a vast amount of third-party tools (e.g. AdWords, Dropbox, and Facebook) to help expand your data analytics information.<\/p>\n

    Get started for free with a 14-day trial<\/a>. Then, several price options range from $349\/mo and up<\/strong> — depending on the amount of traffic your site has and specific needs.<\/p>\n

    3. <\/a>Microsoft Clarity<\/h2>\n
    \"Microsoft
    Microsoft Clarity is a new kid on the block when it comes to data analytics.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Haven\u2019t heard of it? You\u2019re not alone. It\u2019s a new analytics feature from Microsoft that isn\u2019t very publicized or well known (yet).<\/p>\n

    Microsoft Clarity<\/a> can almost make you feel like a Peeping Tom with its ability to record and playback the users\u2019 actions <\/strong>so you can see exactly what they did when they visited your WordPress site. And I\u2019m not saying that in a weird, wrong sort of way. It\u2019s very interesting when you can see what a user does!<\/p>\n

    It also features a personal favorite, Rage Clicks, <\/strong>where users repeatedly click on a section of the page, probably because they think there\u2019s a hyperlink there when there actually isn\u2019t one.<\/p>\n

    These insights are valuable even if you set Clarity to obfuscate all text on your site (which you can do). Because how else would you find out that the page break buttons are too hard to find, or a link is broken and it\u2019s making users angry?<\/p>\n

    It provides engagement metrics<\/strong>, heatmaps<\/strong>, and website performance data<\/strong>. All of this can help provide a good user experience and design for mobile and desktop. Plus, you can get a new site set up in minutes.<\/p>\n

    KAibwlJnx9Y<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    It\u2019s not entirely a Google Analytics replacement, as the analytics are very basic with Clarity. However, it\u2019s great to see where the action is, how users act on your site and discover users\u2019 insights.<\/p>\n

    They have a cool demo page you can check out<\/a>, where you can see exactly what they offer.<\/p>\n

    And one of the significant aspects of Clarity is it\u2019s free<\/strong> to use.<\/p>\n

    4. <\/a>Cloudflare<\/h2>\n
    \"Cloudflare
    If privacy is your thing, Cloudflare might be right for you.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Cloudflare<\/a> offers a way to create custom analytics dashboards, using whatever data you need with the GraphQL Analytics API. Their big goal is to deliver essential web analytics for free without compromising user privacy.<\/p>\n

    It also catches all traffic, even from clients that block JavaScript or don\u2019t load HTML. Cloudflare does this by counting visits semantics, defining a \u201cunique\u201d visit as a successful page view with an HTTP referrer that doesn\u2019t match the hostname of the request.<\/p>\n

    It features a unique perspective with Firewall Analytics<\/strong>, Load Balancing<\/strong>, DNS Insights<\/strong>, and Enterprise Logs<\/strong> (for enterprise customers).<\/p>\n

    \"Example
    Example of Firewall Events analytics.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Existing Cloudflare customers on their Pro<\/a>, Biz<\/a>, and Enterprise<\/a> plans can get started by going to the analytics tab. If you\u2019re not using Cloudflare, you can use their web analytics for free<\/strong> if you add their HTML snippet.<\/p>\n

    5. <\/a>Mixpanel<\/h2>\n
    \"Mixpanel
    Mixpanel is here to mix up analytics in a good way.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Mixpanel<\/a> is great for seeing exactly what a user does when visiting your website, how your product is used, where (and why) your users drop off, and more with robust analytics that will help you convert, engage, and retain more users.<\/p>\n

    What makes it great? For example, you can see subscription funnels<\/strong>, view conversions in a given amount of time<\/strong>, gather retention reports<\/strong>, and see numerous other detailed information on how your user interacts with your site.<\/p>\n

    \"Mixpanel
    You can see detailed information about retention, users, and more.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Mixpanel makes it easy to analyze conversion rates and detailed information quickly, without wasting hours writing SQL.<\/p>\n

    The reports are laid out well, without overcomplicating things.<\/p>\n

    \"Another
    You can see, it\u2019s a nicely laid out look at conversions.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Mixpanel has several pricing options<\/a> — from free<\/strong>, $25 per month<\/strong>, and an unspecified price for plans that suit your needs.<\/p>\n

    6. <\/a>Google Analytics<\/h2>\n
    \"Post
    Google Analytics is the most popular and well-known data analytics tool.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Google Analytics<\/a> is no stranger to the analytics world. We\u2019re pretty sure you\u2019ve heard of it. It\u2019s an analytics service offered by Google that reports and tracks web traffic. It\u2019s the most widely used analytics service on the web.<\/p>\n

    It\u2019s used to track session duration<\/strong>, bounce rates<\/strong>, pages per session<\/strong>, and traffic source<\/strong>. You can also incorporate analytics into Google Ads, which will allow you to create and review online campaigns by tracking landing page quality and conversion rates.<\/p>\n

    Along with that, it offers Real-Time analytics<\/strong>, which allows you to have an insight into visitors that are currently on your website.<\/p>\n

    \"Google
    Real-time analytics is a great way to see what\u2019s happening on your site currently.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Google Analytics uses page tags, aka Google Analytics Tracking Code<\/strong>. It consists of a snippet of JavaScript code that website owners add to every page of their website. The code runs in the client browser when the client visits the page, collects visitor information, and sends it to a Google data collection server as part of a request for a web beacon.<\/p>\n

    Google Analytics is free to use<\/strong>; however, if you need an upgrade, it comes at a cost. Google Analytics premium costs $150,000 per year. The premium version lets you hit data volume capacity of more than 10 million hits per month, higher quality data (e.g. 500 million hits per month data capacity), and advanced analytics (e.g. data-driven capabilities).<\/p>\n

    7. <\/a>Simple Analytics<\/h2>\n
    \"Simple
    Simple Analytics makes analytics…simple.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Simple Analytics<\/a> lives up to its name by simplifying analytics in a clean and easy-to-understand dashboard. It\u2019s designed for a site builder that doesn\u2019t want anything complicated when it comes to analytic information.<\/p>\n

    Some of its best features are its email reports <\/strong>(for you and clients), Tweet viewer<\/strong>, ability to bypass ad-blockers<\/strong>, and capability of exporting your raw data into CSV format<\/strong>. Plus, there\u2019s even a Dark Mode <\/strong>when you work at night.<\/p>\n

    They\u2019re keen on showing you the essentials. They also don\u2019t use cookies or collect any personal data (or sell data, either).<\/p>\n

    \"Example
    Some data from Simple Analytics live demo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Pricing varies significantly, depending on your purpose. They have a Starter option for $19<\/strong>, Business for $59<\/strong>, and an Enterprise option where you\u2019ll need to contact them for a price.<\/p>\n

    Check out this live demo<\/a> to see them in action.<\/p>\n

    8. <\/a>Koko Analytics<\/h2>\n
    \"Koko
    Koko Analytics is a free solution that’s ready right after installation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Koko Analytics<\/a> is an open-source analytics plugin that\u2019s ready to start collecting analytics data right out of the box. They\u2019re big on respecting privacy, so personal information or anything that can lead back to a specific visitor is never collected.<\/p>\n

    It\u2019s an easy choice for a simple yet effective analytics solution if you don\u2019t want to work with any of Google\u2019s JavaScript. You install it, and it starts tracking visits. Nice!<\/em><\/p>\n

    Some of its best features are:<\/p>\n