Server Analytics: Everything You Need To Know
The advent and proliferation of ad blockers are making tracking harder and harder for webmasters. However, by using server analytics, webmasters can improve the quality of tracking and, therefore, the quality of data they collect. Inaccurate tracking is a huge concern for webmasters. Understanding how your audience is interacting with your product is paramount to making positive changes steered towards improving the user experience and, consequently the return on investment derived from a website.
A webmaster changing the menu wants to know the effects of the new menu on navigation and bounce rates. Webmasters moving content blocks around a webpage wants to understand the effects of the changes to the overall performance of the website. In the current environment, Google Analytics might not suffice for webmasters looking for extremely precise data.
This is where service analytics comes in. Server-side analytics involving setting up the server to generate tracking events rather than the individual clients using the websites. With server-side tracking, your analytics tend to show a complete picture of how users interact with your website or app. Since this type of tracking does not rely on client-end tracking, which depends on their browser allowing Javascript to run.
The Benefits of Severe Analytics
#1. Server Analytics Overcomes Client-Side Limitations
As mentioned above, client-side analytics such as Google Analytics depends on the browser working effectively. Server analytics, on the other hand, work even when javascript is turned off. In this regard, this form of analytics overcomes the limitations inherent with client-based analytics.
#2. Track A Wider Variety Of Events
Another benefit of server-side analytics is the ability to track a wider variety of events. For the most part, most client-side analytics track event associated behavior on the website or app. For a webmaster who is interested in understanding every aspect of the site, tracking a wider variety of event becomes necessary. With server-side analytics, webmasters can clients-generated events, incomplete page loads, API calls, Atom and RSS feed requests, spammer activity, AJAX requests and much more.
#3. It Allows Webmasters To Collect Data They Cannot Include In The Client-Side
There are many sensitive things that webmasters would not like to expose to the client-side of their website. Nonetheless, tracking such events is still worthwhile while still securing the data. For instance, there is a need for retailers and e-commerce website owner to track profit margins. Many webmasters consider this data as sensitive and will, therefore, avoid tracking the data on the server-side. Server analytics allows website owners to any sensitive data without risking exposure.
#4. Allows Webmasters To Track Events That Do Not Take Place On The Client-Side
There are plenty of events that are generated from the server-side and they do not appear on the clients’ end. For instance, returns and fraud tracking in retail websites and apps are best tracked on the server-side.
Tracking is takes more forms and not just the typical client-based tracking. Server-side analytics has its place across all industries. Businesses in need of a thorough understanding of their website’s performance should consider server analytics.