host offering Google Analytics

[kburner]

My host is now offering Google Analytics.

It reads:
Google Analytics is a site traffic monitoring system developed and maintained by Google. Analytics works by adding a few lines of javascript code to all of the pages on your site, to report each hit to Google's analytics server, where you can view detailed graphs and statistics, and see trends in site traffic.

Your cPanel offers seamless integration with Google Analytics by adding this javascript code to your pages for you. Your site's files will not be modified in any way; instead, each time that a page request is made, the javascript code will be dynamically added to the page before it is sent to your visitor.

Is this really needed? Would it slow down my site for visitors? does the current module for Google do the same thing?

Thanks, Kim

[schoolboy]

Your host probably plays host mainly to simple "hobby" websites that comprise a couple of flat HTML pages.

So their GA solution is unlikely to be appropriate for a sophisticated program like zencart.

The "Simple Google Analytics"" add-on is probably what you need.

[kburner]

Your host probably plays host mainly to simple "hobby" websites that comprise a couple of flat HTML pages.

So their GA solution is unlikely to be appropriate for a sophisticated program like zencart.

The "Simple Google Analytics"" add-on is probably what you need.

I am using Google Analytics by Andrew that was installed about 2-3 years ago. I am having a hard time trying to figure out how to get the goal conversions to show. And wondered if this host package would help. Is there a difference between Google Analytics by Andrew and Simple Google Analytics?

Thanks, Kim

[schoolboy]

Google has just launched their "new" interface for GA, and it appears to contain not just a new look, but quite a bit more functionality.

I haven't had time to look at it closely, but when Google does these major revamps, it may help to look at how their GA tracking code may have been altered too.

Google does try to accommodate legacy and redundancy with their tracking code, so someone far brighter than me will have to advise here.

More recently, we have been removing the Google Analytics mod built by Andrew Berezin all those years ago (thanks Andrew for that great mod... this is NOT a criticism of it), and have been trying out the Simple Google Analytics mod.

I am not sure how (or even if) the GA tracking code influences Goal Settings. Up till now we set Goals as specific URL pages - such as Shopping Cart and Checkout Success. We look at the goal results for Shopping Cart and, compare these to goal results for Checkout Success. The RATIO helps us see the abandoned cart rate, and a lot more besides.

[kburner]

Google has just launched their "new" interface for GA, and it appears to contain not just a new look, but quite a bit more functionality.

I haven't had time to look at it closely, but when Google does these major revamps, it may help to look at how their GA tracking code may have been altered too.

Google does try to accommodate legacy and redundancy with their tracking code, so someone far brighter than me will have to advise here.

More recently, we have been removing the Google Analytics mod built by Andrew Berezin all those years ago (thanks Andrew for that great mod... this is NOT a criticism of it), and have been trying out the Simple Google Analytics mod.

I am not sure how (or even if) the GA tracking code influences Goal Settings. Up till now we set Goals as specific URL pages - such as Shopping Cart and Checkout Success. We look at the goal results for Shopping Cart and, compare these to goal results for Checkout Success. The RATIO helps us see the abandoned cart rate, and a lot more besides.

Thank you for the feedback!!

BTW...what url did you use for goal settings? Without giving all your details can you give information. I can not even get the goals to register correctly. What do you have for goal match?

Kim

[schoolboy]

Thank you for the feedback!!

BTW...what url did you use for goal settings? Without giving all your details can you give information. I can not even get the goals to register correctly. What do you have for goal match?

Kim

You can set just about any definitive URL as a "goal". To us, the most important Goals are:

1. Has something been added to the shopping cart? If so, give us 1 goal point.
2. Has the customer navigated to CHECKOUT_SHIPPING? (first step of the checkout process and will require login or register first, so if they get to checkout_shipping, it means they are registered an logged in - give us 1 goal point).
3. Has the customer reached CHECKOUT_SUCCESS? If they have, it means they have placed an order, and we have received that order. Give us 1 goal point.

Then... we could use this data analytically...

If we get 20 points for CHECKOUT-SHIPPING, but only get 5 points for CHECKOUT-SUCCESS, it means that while 20 logged-in customers got to the first step of checkout, only FIVE ended up completing their purchase - an "abandoned cart" rate of 75%.

This would encourage us to look at why so many customers are adding stuff to the cart, but not completing the purchase. It may prompt us to install the FEC module (Fast & Easy Checkout), or look at our pricing structures. A LOT of people visit several sites at the same time - keeping each one open in a browser tab. They bounce to-and-fro between the sites, adding products as they go... Then they compare BASKET TOTALS... In many cases, PRICE is the deciding factor, and they will buy from another site. After they have made a purchase, it's unlikely they will come back to our site and formally log-off, so their session expires and we have an abandoned cart.

There are user and cart tracking modules that will allow you to recall cart history - so you can use these data to give you even greater analysis of your overall competitiveness in the marketplace.