While Google Analytics is by far the best analytics package I’ve ever used, I’m disappointed to see that neither Microsoft nor Yahoo! have been able to stick it out in the web analytics arena. Microsoft Gatineau (Probably better known as Microsoft AdCenter Analytics) was an interesting but short-lived attempt at web analytics with demographics. We have the same issue with Yahoo Web Analytics. It was just too short-lived to evolve into something as great as Google Analytics. With the Microsoft/Yahoo! search deal in place, I think there’s an opportunity for synergy in web analytics.
Dear Microsoft and Yahoo!,
The web is better with competition, so please get back into the web analytics game. Together, you have the opportunity to compete head-to-head with Google Analytics. The key caveat is that you need to stick it out for at least 5 years. Even Google Analytics was clunky and crash-prone in the first year. Your last attempts at web analytics were honorable and if given time, they might have succeeded. Do it for the web analytics community.
Thank you,
Jason Green
BusinessHut.com
Hi Jason,
(Disclosure – I work for Yahoo! Web Analytics)
I’m not sure what you mean by “short-lived” in relation to YWA. We’ve been going strong for the last two and a half years and we’re still going. Our strategy is not related to freely offering the product to all comers – while free, our focus is on serving Yahoo! customers with a web analytics product. We’re not really in the same market as GA in terms of account provisioning. Feel free to drop me a line if you want to know more.
Cheers,
E (also on Twitter as @Exxx)
Thanks E! I have been corrected. I don’t know how I missed it, but I will certainly be taking a look at Yahoo! Web Analytics. Just a quick look at web.analytics.yahoo.com and I’m impressed. I suggest everyone check them out as well. (assuming I wasn’t the only person that didn’t know Yahoo had an Analytics package) Thanks again for the info!
Hi Jason,
Here’s a good side by side comparison of Google Analytics vs. Yahoo! Web Analytics that was done by a 3rd party:
http://www.slideshare.net/insightr/insightr-insite-comparing-free-analytics-visual
Thanks for looking into Y!WA!
Matt Lillig
Sr. Analytics Lead