Delete Google AnalyticsHere is a Crazy Idea

First, a Sanity Check

Yes, Google Analytics has many advantages

● It is an incredibly easy option

● It is the most widely used analytics package

● It integrates superbly with AdWords

● Its FREE!

The Easy Option Because:

● It is easy to install on-site

● It is easy to share access to

● It is easy to convince clients to use

● There are free articles helping you use it better

● Like IBM, nobody gets fired for suggesting it

Some Equally Sane Counter-Points

These factual downsides won’t make you swap...

● The most common is the most blocked

● Your data has value you should not give away

● Javascript based tracking is the worst

● Javascript is especially poor on mobile

Prepare for the insane reasons

Since I already know that the sane, rational, factual

counter-points never convince anyone to change…

… it is time for the crazy ideas

By crazy, I mean insanely smart!

Google Analytics is Hurting You

Using G.A. is bad for your business

GA is easy

● In business, the easy way is usually ‘bodging’

● Clients pay you to do good work, not easy

● Business value is in doing the hard things well. You make it easy for the client, not yourself.

● GA being ‘easy’ is Google’s advantage, not yours.

GA is widely used

● Widely used is the first to be blocked

● Mass market product

● There is no USP in being/doing the same

● By using defaults, you lose having an edge

GA is not actually a great product

● Log-files are better, but clunky

● Many other tracking solutions had better features:

○ Crazy Egg

○ Click Tracks

○ Nedstat / Digital Analytix®

○ Server Mods to write logs to database

GA is not really free

● Google is buying your data

● The real cost is an opportunity cost

○ It costs you a USP opportunity

○ It costs you a value opportunity

○ It costs you a learning opportunity

But deleting GA is insane!

1. Do I know what I’m asking?

2. Do I know what it costs?

3. Am I totally insane?

Yes, No, and what does that matter as long as I’m right?

What I am Asking

Mostly, I am asking you to think.

Think about USP, about Value

Don’t use Google Analytics only because you have never properly evaluated alternatives

Think about what you could do

● Full data warehousing

● Smarter information capturing

● Sites that can react to data

● Better data and analytics

● Client lock-in through superior stats

What will it cost?

● I don’t know, but neither do you.

● It will cost time and effort (But not as much as you’d fear)

● It is a very, very justifiable investment

● If you are not willing to invest time and effort in your business, how long will you have one?

Am I insane?

No, I’m eccentric…

That’s a term applied to those of us who may be crazy, but are highly and enviably successful with it.

The thing is, the idea is not insane. It is one of those big ideas that is scary because it involves stepping off the well trodden path and being creative and innovative.

Flaws in Analytics Need Thought

Tracking visits is simply tracking hits on pages

You should be tracking, measuring and managing things relating to engagement.

This part is where javascript excels - adding depth of data

Track who scrolled your page past X point

Track who had your page have tab focus for 60 seconds

GIGO - analytics needs thought

● How are you tracking people without cookies?

● How are you tracking cross-device usage?

● How are you tracking repeat customers?

● How are you tracking referrals?

There are many questions you need to be asking and by accepting Google’s definition of ‘analytics’ you fail to find or devise your own definitions.

Reasons to Delete GA

● You can have a much better solution

● You can unleash your creativity

● You can have a USP with client lock-in

● You can help remind Google who’s boss

● You can have a better, stronger business

Thanks for Listening

Let’s discuss it!

Questions and Comments Please

Ammon Johns, Internet Marketing Consultant

Twitter: @Ammon_Johns

Web: www.ammonjohns.com