Simple Web Analytics: 8 Business Benefits and Top Platforms

Establishing a website is one of the first things every new business does. It’s become as essential as a name. However, it’s not enough to just build it and be done. Successful companies need to understand what’s happening on their sites in real time. Who’s visiting? What are they browsing? Which pages are engaging, and which ones lead people to make a purchase?

Having access to simple web analytics makes all the difference. Thankfully, many tools are available to help businesses of all sizes get a better handle on what’s happening on their websites. 

Let’s explore some key benefits of simple web analytics, along with top platforms that deliver analytics features.

The pitfalls of complicated analytics platforms

A lot of analytics tools are complicated or clunky. 

Though popular, options like Google Analytics require at least some technical expertise and setup to use properly. It also provides an overwhelming amount of data. There are so many options and toggles and pages — it’s super time-consuming to actually use. 

With so much data collected — and so little context to understand it — this leaves the door open to potential misinterpretation. If you don’t understand the data you’ve collected, you can’t make solid business decisions from it.

What makes an analytics platform simple?

Simple analytics tools deliver useful data in an easy-to-digest format, providing information that’s more actionable for businesses. They return to the basics, looking at only essential metrics and baseline key performance indicators (KPIs) like:

• Website traffic. How many unique visitors came to your site? How often do they return? These simple website traffic numbers serve as a baseline for everything else.
• Engagement data. This includes critical information about how many pages visitors typically visit, how long they stay on those pages, and which ones they leave (or bounce from) immediately.
• Traffic origins. See which websites, social media platforms, search engines, and other channels are sending traffic to your website.
• Conversion rate. This metric shows if your visitors have converted in the way you intend, like making a purchase, downloading a file, or signing up for a newsletter.
• Site performance. Review page load times and how performance varies between desktop and mobile devices.
• Content performance. Identify the pages that attract the most new visitors and those that cause people to head for the exit.

Beyond focusing on the most important metrics, a simple web analytics platform should offer quick and easy setup and a user-friendly dashboard that’s simple to navigate. Data privacy and compliance is a must. 

Plus, your chosen tool needs solid integration with your existing CMS or ecommerce platform. For instance, WordPress and WooCommerce users will find that Jetpack Stats is a great choice.

How to get started with a simplified analytics strategy

Choose the right simple analytics tool

Begin by selecting the best simple web analytics tool for your business. A few of the top choices are Counter, Plausible, and Jetpack Stats. Let’s briefly take a look at each: 

Counter

Counter is an open-source solution that tracks the number of unique visitors per day your site receives and identifies other sites that are linking to yours. It provides a minimal analytics experience that’s simple, free, and privacy-friendly.

Plausible

Also, an open-source solution, Plausible provides essential analytics. It claims to be so simple that you can digest all the basic insights for any given page in less than a minute. All tracking is done anonymously, which means it adheres to privacy and data usage regulations. It tracks metrics like revenue, outbound file downloads, 404 errors, and other custom events. 

Jetpack Stats (best choice)

Used by more than 14.5 million around the world, Jetpack Stats provides real-time data on visitors, likes, comments, and engagement. It’s easy to understand how visitors are accessing your site and which pages perform the best. 

Designed specifically for WordPress and WooCommerce site owners, Jetpack Stats can also be integrated with popular third-party partners for added flexibility. It’s privacy-friendly and GDPR-compliant.

Set up and configure the tool

Once you’ve chosen the best tool, it’s time to set it up. Jetpack Stats demonstrates just how easy this step can be. We’ll use it as our setup example:

1. If your site is used for business purposes, upgrade to a paid Stats plan. Personal blogs can use Jetpack Stats for free.
2. Go to your site’s WordPress dashboard and select Plugins → Add new. 
3. Search for “Jetpack” and click Install, then Activate. 
4. Once activated, go to Jetpack → Settings. 
5. Select the Traffic tab.
6. Click Activate Jetpack Stats, if it’s not already active.

Once you’ve activated Jetpack Stats, you’ll want to set up a strategy to use your simple web analytics tool. 

Prioritize the metrics you’ll track

Now, prioritize the metrics you want to review. If your site is new, focusing on how many visitors you receive and their referral sources can be helpful. Then, taking a look at how many of those visitors convert into customers might be a good idea.

If you have an established customer base, you can analyze how effectively a new product performs, see how many repeat visitors you receive, or what content drives the most on-site engagement.

Or, if you’ve had a site for a while, and you’re thinking about a revamp, you may want to monitor performance metrics like page load times or determine which pages have the highest bounce rate. This could provide clues for where to begin your project. 

Set realistic goals

Once you have a handle on the metrics available to you, what they mean, and which you want to focus on, you can put together some achievable goals to guide your work.

Use data to make better decisions

Simple web analytics helps you collect data, but it’s up to you to interpret and act on it to see positive changes in website performance.

Do you see trends or patterns that indicate you need to change your strategy? What’s different this quarter compared to last quarter? Did the marketing or sales campaign have the results you were seeking? 

Key benefits of using a simple analytics platform

When your business chooses and sets up a simple analytics platform, you unlock a range of valuable benefits. 

Here are the top eight advantages of using an intuitive web analytics tool like Jetpack Stats:

1. Faster implementation

You can set up a simple analytics tool with minimal technical expertise so you can get started quickly. With Jetpack Stats, WordPress and WooCommerce users can activate the tool directly from their dashboard without external tools, accounts, or software. Getting analytics up and running just takes minutes.

2. A reduced learning curve

You won’t need to hire IT specialists or invest heavily in staff training. A user-friendly interface, like Jetpack Stats, allows team members to access and interpret key metrics easily. This is especially important for smaller businesses that don’t have dedicated analytics.

3. Enhanced decision-making

Simple web analytics tools provide clear insights that help businesses make quick, informed decisions. For instance, Jetpack Stats provides data on top-performing posts, visitor engagement, and referral sources, which can guide adjustments to content, navigation, or marketing strategies. 

4. Increased agility

Successful businesses are highly-adaptable and quickly react to customer preferences, behavior, or market conditions. Data gives you the power to see what’s coming. 

5. Lower costs

Simple analytics platforms are often more affordable compared to advanced solutions. Jetpack Stats offers both free and low-cost plans — providing essential insights without the hefty costs. You also save by not needing technical support to manage these tools​.

6. Easier operations

Simple tools usually come with easy-to-navigate dashboards, making data more accessible. Forget the complicated, number-heavy analytics charts and graphs. Streamlined web analytics tools come with a clean, simple-to-understand dashboard that can be shared across your team so all team members can see important data — and understand it.

7. Better focus

Simplicity forces you to focus on the metrics that truly matter. Instead of being overwhelmed by unnecessary data points, tools like Jetpack Stats allow businesses to hone in on visitor engagement, conversion rates, and traffic sources. This gives teams all the information they need to make smart decisions for potential improvements. 

8. Improved communication and collaboration

When analytics are simple, they’re easier to share with your team. They’re understandable at a glance, so your team can use them to improve campaign performance right away. Everything from capturing leads to improving customer retention can benefit. Shared access to clean, straightforward analytics dashboards gets team members on the same page faster.​

How Jetpack Stats embodies simple and efficient analytics

Jetpack Stats offers a user-friendly approach to web analytics, designed specifically for WordPress and WooCommerce users. Site owners can easily monitor critical metrics like unique visitor counts, page views, and visitor engagement patterns, including how people interact with content and navigate from page to page.

The platform also provides insights into referral sources, which helps people understand which channels — whether social media, search engines, or direct traffic — are driving the most visitors.

There’s a strong commitment to privacy, too. All activity tracking is done anonymously, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations like GDPR while still delivering information you can actually use. This is a major advantage compared to platforms like Google Analytics.

Jetpack Stats integrates smoothly with other tools as well, offering the flexibility to extend its capabilities without being overwhelming.

Frequently asked questions

What is simple web analytics?

Simple web analytics refers to easy-to-use tools that help site owners get a better handle on website performance. These platforms provide only the most important metrics, accessible from a straightforward dashboard. 

How can small businesses benefit from using a simple web analytics tool?

Small businesses may benefit the most from simple web analytics tools because they offer essential information without a high cost. They typically have fewer resources to invest in technology, so having such critical data so easily accessible can help them compete.

Can I use a simple analytics tool without any technical knowledge?

Yes, you can absolutely use simple analytics tools without technical knowledge. Simple web analytics platforms are designed so anyone can track and monitor their website without needing technical skills. They give you the ability to make smarter decisions for your site, even if you’re not a developer.

What are the key metrics that simple analytics platforms track?

Simple analytics tools track essential metrics like unique and repeat visitors, how long users spend on each page, which pages cause them to leave, and which channels drive the most traffic. They also show you which paths lead to engagement or purchases, giving you the insights you need to make quick, impactful improvements.

Can a simple analytics tool track live, real-time visitor data?

Yes, even though these tools are simple, they’re still very powerful. Most of them can track live, real-time visitor data while ensuring privacy by keeping it anonymous. This way, you get valuable insights without compromising your visitors’ privacy.

What integration capabilities should I look for in a simple analytics tool?

The integrations you need depend on the tools your organization already uses. When choosing an analytics platform, make sure it works smoothly with the other tools you rely on, whether it’s an email marketing plugin, a CRM system, or an ecommerce platform.

What is the best simple analytics tool for WordPress websites?

Jetpack Stats is the top choice for WordPress and WooCommerce users. It offers everything you need to track visitor activity, engagement, referral sources, and more — all within an easy-to-use dashboard.