How to Choose a Web Analytics Tool

Web analytics is very crucial for the success of any business that has a website. It provides important data can be used to evaluate the progress of a business and thus make appropriate improvements. However, this requires choosing the right web analytics software for your business. With the numerous solutions in the market, choosing one can be a very daunting task.

Here are some of the things you need to consider when choosing a web analytics tool:

1. Define your business needs

The first thing you need to do is determine what your business needs are. Decide what exactly it is you want to track and improve in your business. Some of the metrics you might want to measure include website traffic, online sales, SEO ranking, sales lead quality, customer engagement, subscriber growth, inbound links and time spent on site. Be sure to choose a web analytics software that can provide the data you need for your business. In addition, the solution should be scalable to accommodate the future growth and expansion of your business.

2. Ease of use

Find web analytics software that comes with an easy-to-use interface. Make sure the reports generated are easy to read and interpret. To save time, find a solution that allows you to capture all the vital analytics data in one dashboard. This way, you will be able to analyze your results at a glance. Look for a web analytics solution that requires little user customization and minimal start-up training. In addition, it should easily integrate with other existing applications such as CRM.

3. Technical support

You need to look for a web analytics provider that will provide reliable support during the process of setting up and even after. Here are some of the questions you need to ask when it comes to support:

• On what hours or days is live support accessible?
• What support channels are available (email, telephone, live chat)?
• Is there any documentation provided in your language?
• Does the vendor provide any kind of product training?

4. Price and ongoing costs

Different web analytic solutions some with different prices. Take time to compare the costs and identify one which is within your budget. In addition, you need to find out if there any ongoing costs after purchase. For instance, some solutions require add-ons which come at an extra cost. Therefore, be sure to get a full breakdown of all the costs before signing on the dotted line.

5. Vendor credibility

It would be advisable to work with a web analytics vendor that has been in business for several years and is sound financially. You can get such information from their website’s ‘About Page’ and by reading news items online. In addition, visit relevant forums to find out what past customers are saying about the vendor. If most people are not happy with their services, then it would be advisable to look elsewhere.

6. Test, test, test

Don’t buy any web analytics software before you have tested it first. Most vendors offer a free trial version which you can use to try out the solution. Does the solution have an appealing touch and feel? Is it intuitive enough? Does it provide all the metrics your business requires? Consider such questions before making a decision.

Charles Mburugu is a professional blogger who writes for TechBlogKe. You can follow him on Twitter @techblogke