What is Google Analytics?
Google Analytics is a free tracking service provided by Google that will generate detailed statistics about website’s traffic.
With Google Analytics you can generate advanced statistics about the number of visitors, engagement and traffic sources.
Google Analytics also provides a set of more advanced features like: Marketing Features, Events, Goals, Custom Definitions.
Using this service you’ll also be able to track and display statistics about website’s visitors in real time.
Depending on your needs, these reports can also be shared with your clients or partners.
Sign Up for a Google Analytics account
The process of signing up for a Google Analytics Account is straightforward. The following tutorial will teach you:
- how to create a Google Account
- how to setup your first Google Analytics account
- how to setup a new Google Analytics web Property and a View
How to Set Up Google Analytics on Your Website
Depending on website’s framework there are multiple ways to install the tracking code. If you use a popular CMS, like WordPress or Joomla!, you can install and use a Google Analytics plugin. The plugin will automatically handle the process of generating and inserting the tracking code in all pages within your website.
Setting up Google Analytics on a Joomla! Website:
To setup Google Analytics on a Joomla! website you will need to install two extensions:
– Advanced Google Analytics which will allow you to insert your tracking code inside your Joomla webiste, for more details read this article: How to install Google Analytics in Joomla!
– Google Analytics Dashboard which will allow you to display your analytics stats directly on your Joomla Backend, for more details and a step by step video tutorial read this article: Google Analytics Dashboard for Joomla
If you need to display your website’s stats in Joomla Frontpage, in a restricted area, you should also follow this tutorial: Google Analytics Dashboard for Joomla Frontend
Setting up Google Analytics on other CMS or Forum:
You should first look for an extension, module or plugin dedicated to your specific CMS, that will install the tracking code on your website. If you can’t find one, you will need to manually install the tracking code:
– log into your Google Analytics account
– select your profile and your web property
– click on Admin button (can be found on the top-right of your page)
– select Tracking Info tab and copy the tracking code
Now you will need to manually insert that tracking code on your website’s template, website’s header, website’s footer or on every page of your website.
After installing the code in your website you should use the Real-Time feature, from your Google Analytics account, to check if the tracking code works properly.