The newly updated version of web tracking tool Google Analytics has received a mixed reaction from B2B marketers.
The updated version, which went live last month, includes enhancements such as email reporting, customisable dashboards â meaning users can collate all of their data into a single view â and improved map displays.
Users are reporting a much improved layout, better organisation of data and a more professional look and feel. But many are disappointed to find that conversion tracking remains limited to the four goals available on the previous model. Some users have also complained that Google failed to communicate the upgrade to them, instead choosing only to announce the upgrade on its official blog.
âGoogle seems to email me every other day about something or other, but the first I knew about this was when I logged in and the interface had changed, and it took a few days to get used to,â complains one B2B marketing manager.
âThe dashboard on the first page holds so much more information than it used to and you can now PDF the dashboard which makes emailing it easy,â comments Lisa Ditlefsen, head of search and web analytics at digital creative agency Base One. âBut the goal limit is its major limitation. Other web analytics tools such as Omniture and Web Trends give you unlimited goals. On the other hand, they are expensive and unless you own a website that’s getting over 40,000 visits a day, the Google tool is adequate.â
Google Analytics is a free tool that tracks the effectiveness of online marketing initiatives such as display campaigns or cost-per-click programs. The product first launched in 2005 and this is the first upgrade it has undergone.
