Web analytics made simple by using Plausible
How I try to ditch Google Analytics for Plausible. Cookie free, simple to use and speedy. And find out why this is harder than you expect.
On this website, I started an experiment today. A change with some impact. I used to measure website traffic with Google Analytics, but now switched to Plausible. I want to explain the reasoning and show a bit of the direct outcome.
Privacy
Let's start with the heavy stuff first. A topic we all have options and feelings about but is harder to rationalize: privacy. Google Analytics earmarks your behaviour and browsing on a personal level by placing cookies. Most people authenticate themselves to Google for checking mail, viewing YouTube or other services. With these options available, Google can stitch all your data and devices together and follow your behaviour on an individual level. Next to that, they will connect these details to the IP-numbers (addresses) of your devices and store all this data to analyse and sell to advertisers.
The EU law (GDPR) basically tells a website publisher to inform visitors on these policies and give the visitor the option to opt-out from such tracking that involve cookies (earmarks in the browser) or the storing of your IP-numbers.
Plausible does not use cookies, does not store your identifiable data and their servers are based in the EU. As such, they are completely GDPR-compliant.
Ease of use
Another aspect of moving away from Google Analytics is the complexity of the user interface. The whole environment feels like Bluebeard's Castle, and a whole slew of apps has sprung up to try and present data in more simple formats. Plausible is a very simple application that shows me as a publisher the basics I need.
Speed
In order to read all the data that Google needs, you have to install a heavy script that takes its toll in the loading of the actual page. The irony is that Google puts more and more emphasis on page loading speeds for high ranking in their search results. I made some screenshots before and after the removal of the Google Analytics script with the Google measurement tools:
Transparency
Another nice option from Plausible is to be transparent and show what you measure and what you can view as a publisher. Check it out for yourself:
https://plausible.io/hoeijmakers.net
One disadvantage of being private is that Plausible can't see it is me who is visiting, and so I cannot easily filter out my own visits. And I have to be honest, I tried to leave Google Analytics behind before, but came back to ask for forgiveness. Now I have made my motifs transparent as well, I try to be stronger:
"My name is Rob, I am a recovering Google Analytics User, I am Plausible since 29th of September 🤪 ".
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