Google Analytics (GA) analyzes traffic to approximately 55% of websites around the world. Dozens of other web-metrics solutions are attempting to chip away at its market share; still, Google Analytics’ closest competitor claims its technology is used by only 5% of global websites (W3Techs, 2016).
Some
Challenges. The popularity of Google Analytics may be owed to the fact that
it produces a wealth of powerful insights at a bargain price – $0. Alas, the
technology’s robust set of features is also its undoing for some users. The
following remark sums up that sentiment (Karr, 2016).
“Let’s face it, Google Analytics is
a mess for the average business…As an agency, we are not the average business, but
even we have issues dissecting the data at times.”
Yes, GA is fairly difficult to learn, never mind to master. It
requires an investment of time and mental energy. In a dynamic industry driven
by deadlines, both can be hard to come by. Under-utilized or inactive GA
accounts in marketing departments are not that uncommon. Fortunately, a variety of free apps ease the pain.
Helper Companies.
GA’s learning-curve challenges have spawned numerous companies that specialize
in user-friendly, web-metrics alternatives. Other providers play the role of interpreters
of Google Analytics. Read on for a discussion of one such company, Whatagraph. Considering the ever-expanding
empire of Google Analytics, these “helper companies” represent a lucrative and
growing international industry.
Google itself connects GA users with “ready-to-use
applications that extend Google Analytics in new and exciting ways.” As of this
writing, approximately 200 approved apps are available through Google
Analytics’ Technology
Partners Gallery (Google, 2016). The apps attend to the needs of marketers
and other business professionals across a range of functions.
Whatagraph. One
noteworthy app offered via Google Analytics’ Technology Partners program is Whatagraph.
Fetching data from Google Analytics, Whatagraph presents the information in a
simple, clear graphical format. The free trial is impressive because it includes
the advanced features of the Pro tier. After the trial ends, the app downgrades
to Whatagraph’s free Basic plan (Whatagraph, 2016).
In contrast to Google Analytics’ discrete audience,
acquisition, behavior and conversion overview reports, Whatagraph consolidates
the data. With one click, users are able to view a snapshot of website activity
rendered as an infographic. Reporting periods include daily, weekly, monthly,
quarterly, and annual.
Trying It Out. The
speed of setup and reporting compares favorably to other GA-focused apps I
tried (for example, one had a two-week lag; another hung so long I thought it
had crashed). The trial-account setup requires only the insertion of a tracking
code on the website. Immediately, data begins populating the account and
reports can be generated quickly.
I established a trial account on Whatagraph to monitor this
blog. Here is a sample of weekly activity on one of my GA account views (the
one with my ISP filtered out). The image below represents approximately 20% of
the total report.
Picture It. The
full report contains numerous GA metrics; segmented data is not available at
this point. In addition to the metrics pictured above, users are also able to
view:
--- Bounce Rate – current week vs. previous week
--- Total Page Views - versus previous week
--- Views Per Session - versus previous week
--- Sessions by Browser
--- Mobile, Desktop, Tablet Sessions - versus
previous week
--- Traffic Sources including Social - versus
previous week
--- Location (Country, City)
--- Pages with Most Increased Bounce Rate
--- Pages with Highest Bounce Rate
--- Pages with Highest Exit Count
--- Trending Pages
--- Descending Pages
--- Channels with Highest Increase Traffic
--- Channels with Highest Decrease in Traffic
--- Channels with Highest Increase in Bounce Rate
--- Channels with Most Improved Bounce Rate
--- Top Complete Goals – rank, trend, count and
value
--- Top Internal Searches
--- Top 5 Pages and Loading Times
Other reports focus on Campaigns
and E-Commerce. Users can also
customize reports by selecting particular data/content. Here is portion of an E-Commerce
report.
Whatagraph reports can be viewed online, shared via email,
or downloaded as a PDF. Here is the full PDF report of this blog’s stats.
How Can Marketers
Leverage the App? Whatagraph’s clean, user-friendly presentation of data
lends itself to a variety of uses. Below are a few ideas.
Within the Marketing Team. Within a marketing team, Whatagraph
reports could be shared frequently (daily, weekly) via email, PDF, or login to
the dashboard. Regular, quick-view reports could help team members keep a
finger on the pulse of marketing efforts, and adjust resources and budgets in
response to positive or negative trends. Whatagraph reports could also be a
simple way to stay apprised of the comprehensive data housed in GA, and prompt
users to perform additional research in Google Analytics as needed. Whatagraph
could be used as a first alert system to identify problems with marketing content
or channels, and stimulate strategic-goal and tactic discussions during
marketing meetings. Also, because Whatagraph pulls in all Google Analytics
views, different filters and views could be developed to narrow the scope of
reports.
Reporting to Internal Stakeholders. Whatagraph infographics could
be included in marketing reports prepared for internal audiences, and might be
especially useful for persuasion. Visual reports facilitate swift consumption,
so they are also ideal for busy C-level executives. Customized reports could be
used to articulate a few key data points and omit extraneous details. For
example, data-supported proof of exemplary marketing initiatives could help
secure additional funding during the budget-allocation process.
Clients. Agencies with a Whatagraph Pro account have the ability to
convey information to clients under the agency brand. Pro users can insert their
logo (or the client’s) into white label reports and customize colors to align
with a brand’s identity. The reports can be shared via email or PDF (electronic
or printed).
Public Relations. Infographics can add depth to press releases,
websites and other public-facing efforts, bringing news, milestones and other
information to life. Whatagraph reports can be distilled into as few as one
infographic, or images can be clipped and saved for other uses.
Final Thoughts.
Like many of the other free apps offered by Google Analytics’ Technology
Partners, Whatagraph seeks to
deliver GA data in a different fashion. The refreshing thing about Whatagraph’s
solution is that the design is contemporary and the information is easy for a
broad audience to understand (not simply a rehash of traditional line graphs
and charts). That said, replacing GA with a bare-bones tool like Whatagraph is
not advisable. But as a companion to Google Analytics, Whatagraph expands
possibilities for marketers. Vividly illustrating the takeaways of a website’s
data, Whatagraph offers a pleasing yang to Google Analytics’ unadorned yin.
References
Google.
(2016). Find a partner or solution. Google Analytics: Partners. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/analytics/partners
Karr,
D. (2016, April 2). Whatagraph: Create beautiful infographics from Google
Analytics. Marketing TechBlog. Retrieved from https://marketingtechblog.com/whatagraph-google-analytics-infographics/
W3Techs.
(2016, November 7). Historical
yearly trends in the usage of traffic analysis tools for websites. W3Techs.
Retrieved from https://w3techs.com/technologies/history_overview/traffic_analysis/all/y
Whatagraph. (2016).
Frequently asked questions. Whatagraph. Retrieved from http://whatagraph.com/support/frequently-asked-questions/
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