Adding Website Analytics from Google
For the first two posts, I went over some basics about GIT and Github and a web service called Disqus for adding comments to your site. In this brief post, I'd like to explain how to start collecting visitor analytics to your site using Google Analytics.
While we may worry about the benevolence of it/their actions, Google provides an amazing amount of web services for the Net today. From search to email to YouTube videos, it's almost scary how much of the internet flows through Google's pipes. One of the most basic tools for any website builder or web developer is site analytics.
What is Website Analytics?
Website analytics are all the numbers related to people coming and going on your website. It's all the statistics about how visitors got to your site, how long they stayed, what pages they stayed on the longest and even specific info about the visitors themselves (their location, computer or device and language). This data is important in building and learning about what works and what doesn't on your site or project.
And frankly, it's really cool from time to time to see who's going to your site and which pages they like the most.
How to Add Website Analytics with Google
While there are other options for website analytics, Google provides arguably the best service.
So, to add Google Analytics tracking to your site, head over to the main site and sign in with your Google account.
Once you are signed into your Google Analytics account, create a Google Analytics profile for your site. Then copy the entire code that it gives you and copy into the footer of your site.
Then site back and enjoy all the wonderful data that will hopefully be arriving soon.
Don't it's not stalking, it's studying your "users!"
-Mark
SWUFE Drupal (Chengdu, China)
Mark Koester
Open Source Advocate
Drupal Developer at Int3c.com
Educational Technologist at Southwestern University of Finance and Economics
markwkoester@gmail.com
