Finding the right tool to track and understand user behavior is crucial for any company. After careful consideration and evaluation, we made a significant move – we added Matomo (formerly Piwik) analytics to our site, and it's been a game-changer for our analytics needs. In this blog post, we'll look at the reasons behind our decision and highlight the features that we've come to love.
Why We Made the Switch
Data Ownership and Privacy
Unlike many other analytics platforms, Matomo allows us to retain full control of our data, eliminating concerns about third-party access or sharing.
Open Source
Being an open-source platform, Matomo provides transparency and flexibility that proprietary solutions can't match. We can customize and tailor the tool to our unique requirements, ensuring it evolves with our needs. Free and open-source software gives you, the user, the freedom to run, share, study and modify it without limitations this aligns perfectly with our values.
Self-Hosted Solution
Matomo being self-hosted means we have full control over where our data is stored. This adds an extra layer of security and ensures faster data processing.
GDPR and Compliance
With stringent data protection regulations in place, Matomo's GDPR compliance features are a lifeline. We can track user consent, anonymize IP addresses, and adhere to data protection regulations effortlessly.
Features We Love
From my first experience with Matomo, its simplicity stood out. Basic analytics functions, like Downloads, Outbound Links, and Forms tracking, are set up automatically. These features are ready to use as soon as the tracking code is added. This user-friendly approach means even those without a deep tech background can make the most of it.
Content Tracking
Content Tracking is a particularly useful feature. It helps us see exactly which content pieces our visitors interact with on a given page. This information is especially valuable for pages with multiple sections or ads.
With a little configuration from your dev team, you’ll be able to analyze which sections of content have been loaded or seen by a user. If a certain placement on your site dynamically loads multiple pieces of content, you can also use content tracking to provide insight into exactly how many times a specific piece of dynamic content was presented.
Import Your Historic Google Analytics
Transitioning to Matomo doesn't mean abandoning your historical data. The platform accommodates the import of your previous Google Analytics data, ensuring your analytics journey continues seamlessly. We have Google Analytics going back to 2008, we didn’t use the migration tool because we wanted to start with a clean slate but it’s worth mentioning.
Transitions
Understanding how users move around our website is crucial. Transitions, a standout feature in Matomo, lets us see how visitors move from one page to another. This helps us improve user experiences and guide them better.
Heatmaps and Session Recordings
Among the premium features we've explored, Heatmaps and Session Recordings caught our attention. Heatmaps visually show us where users engage the most, and Session Recordings let us watch how visitors navigate our site. This integration of features within Matomo saves us from using multiple tools and centralizes our analytics efforts.
Import Your Historic Google Analytics
Transitioning to Matomo doesn't mean abandoning your historical data. The platform accommodates the import of your previous Google Analytics data, ensuring your analytics journey continues seamlessly.
Conclusion
In summary, our switch to Matomo has marked a new chapter in our analytics journey. From securing data privacy to offering a range of powerful features, Matomo has become an essential part of our toolkit. Its open-source nature, customizable options, and feature-rich capabilities fit perfectly into our analytics strategy, giving us deep insights into user behavior.
Whether you're an experienced analytics user or just starting, Matomo's appeal is universal. Embrace Matomo and witness firsthand how it transforms the way we understand the digital landscape.