Google Analytics
The personal webspace of James Dunn
Google Analytics is a great tool that has been around for several months now, providing free web statistics for your website after writing a couple of lines of JavaScript to each page.
One of the coolest features I think is the "Geo Overlay Map". This shows graphically where visitors to your site are coming from, represented on a world map. The larger the dot, the more visitors from that particular place.
Other features of Google Analytics include the ability to view the kinds of web design parameters that visitors have, such as browser, resolution, flash version etc. However where Google Analytics is most effective is the way it displays this data to the viewer. All the result screens are crystal clear, with information represented graphically as well as textually, and in a logical, customizable format. This is extremely refreshing when compared to the default statistics packages that come with many web hosting packages, such as Dreamhost, that uses Analog.
While I don't doubt that there are other, if not superior web stats packages out there (Shaun Inman's "Mint" being a possible example), I can't help but think that Google have got it right with their attempt. Credit must go to 'Urchin' who originally designed and built the package, before being bought out by Google. Although this may be initially perceived as a bad thing, remember that Google have managed to make it free, unlike its previous owners.
You can find out more about Google Analytics on the home page here. You will need a Google account to use Analytics, and currently new accounts are by invitation only. You can apply for an invite online.
Posted on May 02, 2006 18:44 | Add Comment →
Comments
James said:
Hi Adam.
Unfortunately I can't invite people to Google Analytics since invitations are currently only available by applying from this web page:
http://www.google.com/analytics/sign_up.html
I was fortunate enough to sign up for the service last year before the demand for new accounts forced Google to suspend Analytics for new users.
Having just read some forums, looks like you could have to wait for a month or more for Google to send you a key; although apparently they give priority for users in the States so you may be waiting for less time than some!
May 04, 2006 23:14
adam said:
can you invite me? how did long did you have to wait?
May 04, 2006 19:59