Item: Google Analytics
Rating: 9
Author: Alex Nejako

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Google Analytics has been very important for tracking Web traffic to our Web properties as well as which Keywords people were using when they visited our Sites. It brings visibility into how Web pages are performing across multiple Google Analytics properties and the history of how they have performed in the past.

Pros and Cons

Web Analytics
Web Content Performance
Reporting
Data Export

More wizards - guided version for brand new Users of the platform
Productized integration with Marketing Platforms. Something that can be put on the App Stores of HubSpot, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, and then purchased for integrated usage with the platform.
More alerts on when Content is underperforming.

Most Important Features

Web access for Google Analytics Admins/Users
Graphic representation of performance
Export of Reports/Charts
Ability to measure performance of multiple Web Properties

Return on Investment

Positive - it showed us clearly how our Web pages were performing so we could make needed changes quickly. This had a good impact on Web site visits
Positive - it helped more Marketers understand how our Web properties were doing, thus enabling Leadership to make good decisions about content and content strategy.
Positive - it helped us with tagging our Emails so that Google Analytics could track performance from it to our Web pages.

Alternatives Considered

Webtrends Analytics and Bing Webmaster Tools

Webtrends as a platform is older than Google Analytics and still quite good. If you have a company that is used to using Webtrends, it's likely still a good fit for you. Google Analytics has a lower entry cost and more accessible training to new Users, so that's why I would go with it.
Bing Analytics I have used a bit, but I still see Google Analytics as superior.

Key Insights

Do you think Google Analytics delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Google Analytics's feature set?

Yes

Did Google Analytics live up to sales and marketing promises?

I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process

Did implementation of Google Analytics go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Google Analytics again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Microsoft Project, Canva, Klaviyo

Likelihood to Recommend

Google Analytics is one of the best Web analytics platforms out there. It is well documented and it is relatively easy for Web content creators/Web masters to learn and use. It may not be appropriate for organizations that have used another Web platform for a long period of time or where they do not want their analytics information accessed via the Web. If an organization has been using another platform for a long time, there may need to be some work done to prove out the case for the transition, as well as implementation work needed to get Google Analytics set up properly.

The go-to Web Analytics platform for modern times

Software Version

Overall Satisfaction with Google Analytics