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The Realms of The Free Web Analytics Has A New Emperor.
In my years as a digital marketer, I’ve navigated a good variety of analytics platforms, each promising unique advantages. While Google Analytics (GA) has been my long-standing companion, recently I decided to explore new territories – and that’s how I landed on Piwik Pro.
Google Analytics and Piwik Pro: Setting the Stage
GA, the free-to-use service from Google, has always been my go-to for its robust tracking and comprehensive reporting. However, as a privacy-conscious marketer in this day and time of GDPR, I felt a growing pull towards Piwik Pro, an open-source platform that prioritizes user privacy and data ownership.
The Unfolding of Surprises: Embracing Piwik Pro
The first thing that surprised me was the simplicity of the setup process. As someone used to the Google Analytics, I was pleasantly surprised by the user-friendliness of Piwik Pro’s interface. For businesses starting on their analytics journey, Piwik Pro is a welcoming host.
The Good: Why Piwik Pro Wooed Me
1. The Joy of Data Ownership
Having full control over my data is liberating. I’m not just the caretaker of the data anymore; I own it. And, more importantly, Piwik Pro ensures that my data isn’t shared with third parties – a rare commitment in the digital world.
2. Meeting Privacy Compliance: A Cakewalk
I was taken aback by how comprehensively Piwik Pro addresses privacy compliance. With built-in features, it helps businesses adhere to regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, and CCPA. The built-in consent manager simplified the process of obtaining and managing user consent, turning a potential nightmare into a smooth process.
3. Personal Choice of location for Data Storage: The Cherry on Top
With Piwik Pro, you get to choose where your data lives. This is an invaluable advantage, granting you total control of your data storage and protection measures.
4. Customization Galore
What’s more, Piwik Pro offers the flexibility to cater to my unique requirements. I can create custom variables, tweak settings, and even use third-party plugins to extend its functionality.
5. The Cost Factor
Piwik Pro is free, like GA, well at least for up to a monthly 500K actions. After that you are able to buy an extra 1M or even 2M of actions per month if you need it. But, if your website passes 500K of actions per month I reckon you can afford to pay a little something for a very good web analytics tool.
6. Advanced Analysis Features
While you can manage most of your regular analytics tasks effectively with Piwik Pro, it also boasts some more advanced analysis features, like multi-channel attribution reports, calculated metrics, user flow reports, custom reports and custom dashboards. If that’s not enough, you also get a built-in tag manager and consent manager.
The Down-Side of Switching To Piwik Pro?
For me, switching to Piwik Pro from Google Analytics has been like moving to a new home. While I missed some conveniences of my old abode, the exciting features of my new home, especially the data ownership and privacy compliance, were absolute game-changers.
As a marketer, I realize the importance of choosing the right analytics tool, and I’m glad I took this journey with Piwik Pro. The platform has its limitations, but its focus on data ownership, privacy, and user-friendly interface have won me over. If you’re a privacy-conscious business, Piwik Pro may well be your new best friend in the digital landscape
The down-side of switching from Google Analytics to Piwik Pro? I’ll let you know if I find it. Until then I would suggest that you check it out for yourself.
