Not everyone has the money for premium e-commerce analytics so this guide is going to focus on finding the best ones that you can use for free, read on for more.
Keeping an eye on your analytics is one of the most critical parts of e-commerce thanks to the less hands-on nature of selling things over the internet. While a business owner could traditionally keep track of how many people visited their store daily by simply being there, things get a little more complicated with a website.
If you want to keep your eyes on your engagement, how many visitors you get in the first place, or any other set of metrics, you’ll need a way to decipher your analytics. There are many choices available, but a lot of them aren’t free, so we’ll be going over the best ecommerce analytics tools that you don’t have to pay for.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics is one of the best options on the market because of its level of customization, the way it interacts with the sites you’re working on, and much more. Some will argue that Google Analytics is the de facto analytics tool that every business should start off with thanks to its user-friendliness.
One of the best parts of Google Analytics is that you can configure it to provide the data that you need. If you’re just getting started, it can just give you a simple representation of the required info without needing to get into the nitty-gritty details. On the other hand, things can also get more advanced.
If you’ve been working with analytics for a while and you know what you’re looking for, you can just switch Google Analytics over to advanced mode so that you can see everything else. One of the only downsides to Google Analytics is that it doesn’t provide the data in real time, but it’s a worthwhile trade-off.
Piwik
If you prefer open-source software when it comes to determining your site’s analytics, then you’ll love Piwik. Since this program can be modified by anyone, you’ll find so many different plugins that you can integrate to improve your experience. Unlike some other free programs, you can focus on several websites at once using Piwik.
Another advantage to Piwik over many other free options is that it will provide you with exact data instead of extrapolating it, making it the right choice for those who need precision. Piwik can even provide you with that data in real time, so you’ll be able to see changes in traffic as they occur.
If you’re looking to save money without giving up too many additional features, Piwik is likely the best choice on the market. Even though they may not have some of the premium capabilities you would expect from paid alternatives, the value you get out of this free software is immense.
Conclusion
Saving money wherever possible is key to the survival of any business. As this guide has shown, you don’t need to pay outrageous yearly subscriptions for e-commerce analytics to get useful information.
