Using a web analytics tool is essential for businesses that want to understand the traffic of their website and its users. At the same time, measurement of results and conversion tracking are also possible. There are several analytics tools on the market, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.
We jumped into the intricacies of web analytics to compare four tools Google Analytics, Piwik Pro, Matomo Cloud and Leadoo Website Analytics so you don't have to. Capture the main points of our comparison to support your choice.
For some time now, there has been a cloud of threats hovering over the monitoring of marketing data, which bears the letters GDPR. From the user's point of view, the realization of data protection is certainly more an opportunity than a threat and absolutely important. However, the data protection regulation protecting the user's personal data has made many familiar service providers problematic. For example, one of the most popular web analytics tools, Google Analytics (or GA4), is not entirely without problems for GDPR, as its servers are located in the United States. This means that using Google Analytics may result in the transfer of personal data outside the EU, which is in violation of the GDPR. Published in July Data Privacy Framework has provided at least a temporary solution to the problem, promising that DPF service providers (such as Google) will ensure adequate data protection.
However, there are alternatives to Google Analytics — and best of all, some of them only run their data in the EU. Matomo, Piwik Pro and Leadoo Website Analyticss are all web analytics tools located in the EU. Using them is a more secure option for GDPR than using Google Analytics because we cannot predict the future of DPF.
We compared the pricing, usability, scope of data and reports available, and other pluses and minuses of these four tools. We have used all of these tools to monitor sites and they all have their sides.
In Finland, the most common and familiar analytics tool is still Google Analytics, which works smoothly with other Google advertising and tracking tools. The feel and possibilities of the operating system familiar from the world of Google, in our opinion, are best emulated by Piwik Pro, which is available in a free version. It is a good option if you need extensive opportunities cost-effectively while playing it safe with GDPR. Piwik Pro also manages cookies directly through the system. Both Piwik Pro, Matomo and Leadoo Website Analytics are fully GDPR compliant and provide control over data collection and sharing.
Competitor Matomo is more alien in terms of its operating system to those accustomed to the world of Google. The possibilities are extensive and cover even sophisticated analytics needs, but it is worth noting that there is no free version of Matomo and the program imports data from Google Analytics anyway. We categorise Leadoo Website Analytics as a basic secure hair cap model. It works well when the need is for basic stuff and clear, simple reports.
The figure below lists the most important considerations for comparing tools.
Ultimately, choosing the best web analytics tool depends on the individual needs and budget of the company. If necessary, we will help you define a plan to utilize analytics tools and set up the tracking for you. Contact us and let's talk more!
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