mediasalt

Most web hosts including my side-project, BigHypeMedia.com, provide traffic history for websites through programs such as Webalizer or AWStats. However, these options are not my preferred choice when it comes to really analyzing website data.

It’s hard for my clients to understand the data they are looking at via Webalizer or AWStats. Most have no idea how to access the data even though I provide instructions. To be all honest, I usually do not tell them that data is being collected for their domain.

Are there any reliable options out there that are far superior to what your web host provider offers?

Absolutely!

Here are four options that I have personally tried and tested in the past and quite possibly use present day.

1. Google Analytics

Google Analytics is the enterprise-class web analytics solution that gives you rich insights into your website traffic and marketing effectiveness. Powerful, flexible and easy-to-use features now let you see and analyze your traffic data in an entirely new way. With Google Analytics, you’re more prepared to write better-targeted ads, strengthen your marketing initiatives, and create higher converting websites.

Almost every website at least has this FREE option and the data is straight forward and understandable. Since it is a Google product, you know it is solid; however it does lack in one area - it currently does not offer live stat analysis.

2. Statcounter

A free yet reliable invisible web tracker, highly configurable hit counter and real-time detailed web stats. Insert a simple piece of code on your web page or blog and you will be able to analyse and monitor all the visitors to your website in real-time!

• Free, Fast, Responsive, Quick loading and Reliable Service.
• Invisible Tracking - no ads on your website.
• Accurate real-time website statistics with detailed visitor tracking and analysis.

I have not used this in sometime, but the clear advantage here is it is FREE and you have option to have the counter to display “invisible”. The disadvantage, you are limited to the amount of data collected for solid stats; only 250,000 pageloads per month.

3. Mint

Mint is an extensible, self-hosted web site analytics program. Its interface is an exercise in simplicity. Visits, referrers, popular pages and searches can all be taken in at a glance on Mint’s flexible dashboard. A single site license is an affordable $30. Not exactly the FREE option, but respectable for the mere $30 bucks .. and it is SELF-HOSTED!

4. ChurchAnalytics

Yet another well executed product from John Saddington (Human3rror) of the 8bit Network and MilkEngine. I am currently test driving and kicking the tires a bit as it is still in BETA, but so far it is a SOLID option. Not exactly Google Analytics, but in some ways it is but better. The user interface is simple, understandable, and straight forward. It offers real time stats as it was tested today and performed quite well. Right now, I am getting the use of ChurchAnalytics for free, but once it is released for public consumption next month the price plan is very competitive. It is proposed to only be $5.00 /month per site.

What about you?

Obviously I have others that I do not have room to elaborate on such as the option of HiStats.com.

What do you use?