Legal Marketing & PR

Crazy Analytics: Comparing Google Analytics to SmarterStats

By Peter

We use two stats programs to track analytics for our clients:  Google Analytics and Smarter Stats.  Both programs are solid, but often deliver different results.

We were asked by a client to check their site referrals from a local TV station spot that was playing.  Here are the results from February 19 to April 1.

www.wptv.com
Smarter Stats: 303
Google Stats:  185

wptv.img.cdn.entriq.net
Smarter Stats: 96
Google Stats:  57

wptv.img.origin.entriq.net
Smarter Stats: 21
Google Stats:  8

www.cbs12.com
Smarter Stats: 84
Google Stats:  43

Google seems to consistently under report by 39% to 61% of the referrals. I would go by about 40% as it has a bigger population to report from, but still that is a lot.

Not sure why, but the program data is clear:  Smarter Stats vs. Google Data.  Perhaps it just has to do with the fact that Smarter Stats is a server program and runs on the server logs, which supposedly track everything.  Perhaps its because Google runs on Javascript and some clients may have that disabled.

Anyways, the big idea to take from this is don’t fully trust your stats program.

Full post as published by PaperStreet Web Design: SpeakOut on May 28, 2009 (boomark / email).