Google Analytics

Hi, can anyone help? 

Our website is new and we asked for a visitor counter to be placed on the site so that we can track usage of the website. However, more recently we were advised to set up google analytics to track use of the website. My problem is that whilst the daily visitor counter might say there have been 150 visitors in a day, google analytics tells me that there have been only 8 or 9 visitors. It is usually around that ratio, 15 to 20 on the visitor counter relates to 1 hit using google analytics.

Can anyone explain what is going on and why there is such a huge discrepancy between the two analytical tools.

Many thanks in advance.

Simon

It's the difference in the way unique and absolute unique visitors are computed. This is a good article which explains it 

Couple of guesses:

1) Your website is flash based and Google isn't tracking the visitors

2) The stat counter is counting people who refresh the site where GA won't

I would look at the data for the stat counter to see where visitors are coming from, and see if GA is tracking from them sources as well

Thank you Sarah and Gareth. Really appreciate your responses.

Simon

Hi Simon,

The Google Analytics is normally more accurate, a standard stat counter can show hits or repeat visitors, whearas Google normally shows "unique visitors" and hit seperatley. 

The article above is a very good explanation :)

(Also remember to minus how manytimes you and your staff are looking at the site daily)

Thanks Cal, I think I am fast accepting that the two systems are completely incompatible and I need to get back to our web desiger to discuss a more accurate data capture procedure. The two are at such odds it just doesn't make sense, even taking account of the information kindly provided here.

Many thanks all,

Simon

Analytics packages calculate metrics differently (the vast majority of them, anyway). 

The former pacakge you refer to may even be counting hits...

I would stay away from using the word "hits" or anything that measures them, one page request can potentially have hundreds of hits (a hit is basically the downloading of a particular file on the server).  

Just use Google Analytics. 

Massive, massive brands use it - it's all you need. 

Thanks Gareth, and there was me in my naive little world thinking this might actually be easy!!

Simon

I would recommend Analytics over anything else. You should be setting up "goals" to track conversions as well. It is very simple to do. 

Simon, just give me a ring if you need help - be quite busy early next week but help out 4Ners all the time and whenever I can. 

Gareth many thanks, I'm hoping to have a meeting with our web designer early next week to make some changes to the website in any case and depending on what comes out of that meeting I may well try and contact you to pick your brains later in the week.

Thank you very much all for taking the trouble.

Simon Deacy

Final point, the fact it's in flash really isn't helping you in any way, shape or form...

Send to web designer: http://code.google.com/apis/analytics/docs/tracking/flashTrackingIntro.html

Read: http://www.seomoz.org/blog/flash-and-seo-compelling-reasons-why-search-engines-flash-still-dont-mix (bit old)

Read: http://www.seomoz.org/qa/view/49593/how-does-flash-effect-seo (newer). 

To be honest a lot of what's on SEOmoz is a bit "fluffy", but should give you the general idea. 

I know this probably isn't of any interest if you're happy wth your current provider, but if not check out http://www.unleash-it.co.uk - the guy who owns the Company is Andy Howells, I speak to him every day, very helpful guy and will definitely be able to pass on some free information. 

I'm having exactly the same problem.  Big differences in both GA and my web hosts "webstat" service/system.  Need to learn more about Google analytics perhaps?  Will have a  look at the advice links posted above.  Any other help or advice is of course welcomed too.  

Gareth, you are an absolute star, thank you. This is very helpful and depending on how the discussions go, I may well take your advice and look for a different 'expert'.

If ever we meet at a breakfast, I owe you a coffee.

Simon