Best Web Analytic Tools

Best Web Analytic Tools

For deep insights into how users interact with your website or app, look no further than these affordable tools

Analytics tools have evolved considerably since the early days of the internet, when web developers had little more than hit counters to work with. And as the internet continues to evolve, analytics tools will continue to change, giving us greater insight into how our audience uses and interacts with our apps and websites.

Google Analytics :

The grande dame of web analytics tools, Google Analytics is good for both casual and intricate analysis. As you might expect, Google Analytics integrates easily with other Google properties such as AdWords, Search Console, the Google Display Network, DoubleClick, and more recently, Firebase. Although the free version of Google Analytics has some limitations, it's powerful enough to address the needs of small and medium-size businesses.

For basic reporting, Google Analytics works straight out of the box. You have access to analytics data within hours of adding a property—either a website or an app—and the relevant tracking code.

Kissmetrics :

Kissmetrics offers two products, Analyze and Engage, and while you might be most interested in Analyze, some of the insights it reveals could be addressed using Engage. Unlike Google Analytics, Kissmetrics is a premium product, with pricing from $220 per month, depending on the features and level of support you require.

What previously set Kissmetrics apart from Google Analytics was the fact that Google’s data was largely anonymous, while Kissmetrics tied every action on your website to a person, allowing you to track every aspect of a user’s journey. The introduction of User Explorer in Google Analytics changes this equation, but Kissmetrics is no less worth considering.

Mixpanel :

Like Segment and Google Analytics, Mixpanel allows you to track and analyze users across websites and apps, with a focus on tracking actions taken, rather than only views. Additionally, Mixpanel offers instant, real-time data analysis.

Mixpanel connects analysis to marketing. The analysis part looks at tracking, engagement, retention, and drop-offs, while marketing uses notifications (to users), A/B testing, and a customer profile database built using data from the analytics tool set.

Localytics :

Whereas Google Analytics, Kissmetrics, and Mixpanel mainly focus on web analytics, with some ability to integrate app analytics, Localytics is all about mobile app analytics. Because sometimes you need a box cutter, not a Swiss Army knife.

Localytics is perfect for when you want better insights into how users are interacting with your app. It can tell you how frequently each user opens your app, how much time they spend using it, and what activities or content in the app attract the most attention.

Segment :

Segment differs from the other analytics tools discussed here in that it only collects, translates, and stores data. You can then integrate Segment with your preferred third-party tools, and the translated data is sent directly to these, ready for you to analyze further.

It might seem a bit counterintuitive to use an analytics tools that only collects data, but as Segment points out, it makes it easier to implement in your various properties, and for you to switch to using or trying other tools. For example, if you are currently using Google Analytics, but want to try Kissmetrics, without Segment you would first have to update code on all of your properties, repeating the whole process if you decide to go back to Google Analytics.

Spring Metrics :

Spring Metrics has taken the analytics tool and made it simpler. You don’t have to be a professional data-miner to get the answers to your questions. You get real-time conversion analytics, top converting sources, keyword analytics, landing-page analysis, e-mail performance reports and simple point-and-click configuration. Unlike Google Analytics, Spring Metrics tracks a visitor’s path through your website from the time he landed to the time he left. All of this is included in Spring Metrics’ Standard Plan for $49 a month. When you first sign up, you get to try it free for 14 days. The simplicity of this tool has a lot of website owners switching over from Google Analytics.

Woopra :

Woopra is another tool that offers real-time analytics tracking, whereas Google Analytics can take hours to update. It is a desktop application that feeds you live visitor stats, including where they live, what pages they are on now, where they’ve been on your site and their Web browser. You also have the ability to chat live with individual site visitors. This can be a great feature for your e-commerce site to interact with customers. Woopra offers a limited freebie plan as well as several paid options.

Clicky :

Clicky also offers a free service if you have only one website and a Pro account for a monthly fee. You get real-time analytics, including Spy View, which lets you observe what current visitors are doing on your site. Clicky's dashboard is simple to use and presents all the information you want to see clearly. They also have a mobile version that makes it easy for you to check your stats anywhere.

Mint :

Mint is an analytics tool that is self-hosted and costs $30 per website. You get the benefit of real-time stats, which you don’t get with the free Google Analytics. You can track site visitors, where they are coming from and what pages they are viewing. And Peppermill, a part of Mint, lets you make any adjustments to make it more compatible for your use with tons of free add-ons.

Chartbeat :

Chartbeat. lets users get the most from their data with instant information. They keep constant watch on your visitors and what they are doing on your website. This gives you the information you need in order to make the adjustments necessary to your content or design. You get a free month when you sign up and after that plans start at $9.95 per month.

UserTesting :

UserTesting.com is a unique way to gather information about site users. You are paying for a group of participants of your choosing to perform a set of tasks on your site. The user and his activity will be recorded on video. In about an hour, you will have your feedback. You get to hear the actual thoughts of users in your target demographic. The cost is $39 per participant you choose. You may choose anywhere from 1 to 100 testers.

Crazy Egg :

Crazy Egg uses the power of Heatmap technology to give you a visual picture of what site visitors are doing on your Web pages. It shows you where people are moving their mouse on the page and where they click. There is a link between where people put the mouse and where they are moving their eyes. So, this kind of tracking helps you see what areas are catching the most attention and interaction from users. There is a free one-month trial with this service, and prices start at $9 month for 10 Heatmaps.

Mouseflow :

Mouseflow is somewhat of a combination of UserTesting and Crazy Egg. You can see video of users interacting with your website, including every mouse click and movement, scrolling and keystrokes. You also get to view heat maps from different time periods so that you can see the effect of changes that you make on your page. Pricing varies depending on how many sites you want to cover and how many sessions you want. For a single site and up to 100 recorded sessions, there is no cost. Over that, prices start at $13 a month.