Google Apps Hacks

341  - BEYOND GOOGLE: CLICKY, MINT, AND OTHERS

HaCK

# 141

HaCK 141:

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Google Analytics is just one of many statistics packages available.

Before we delve into the alternatives, there’s the need for a word of caution:

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Not all statistic packages return the same trafc numbers. Due to differences in handling and

wording, there is sometimes great confusion and discrepancy surrounding the values hits, page

views, page loads, visits, visitors, unique visitors, uniques, and session, making these numbers often

incomparable between the various tracking programs. For instance, what one program identies as

“visit” may be showing as an inated “visitor” number in another program. Also, details are easy to

miss when adding up numbers—such as the absolute unique visitor numbers of 30 days added up

separately being much higher than the absolute unique visitor numbers over a 30-day period taken

as a whole (even Google Analytics—which often shows more conservative numbers than many

other apps—got this partly wrong in the beginning, though they later announced a bug x).

If you are asked for your trafc numbers, try to ensure that you are naming your tracker app and

provide the exact wording as your interface shows it—including denitions from the app’s help

le where needed—and that the person asking understands thes ...