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• Exceeded GA’s 10M hits data limit, now what ?

  1er décembre 2021, par Joselyn Khor
  Exceeded Google Analytics’ 10M hits data limit, now what ?

  “Your data volume (1XXM hits) exceeds the limit of 10M hits per month as outlined in our Terms of Service. If you continue to exceed the limit, we will stop processing new data on XXX 21, 2019. Learn more about possible solutions.”

  Yikes. Alarm bells were ringing when a Google Analytics free user came to us faced with this notice. Let’s call him ‘Mark’. Mark had reached the limits on the data he could collect through Google Analytics and was shocked by the limited options available to fix the problem, without blowing the budget. The thoughts racing through his head were :

  • “What happens to all my data ?”
  • “What if Google starts charging USD150K now ?”

  Then he came across Matomo and decided to get in touch with our support team …

  “Can you fix this issue ?” he asked us.

  “Absolutely !” we said.

  We’ll get back to helping Mark in a minute. For now let’s go over why this was such a dilemma for him.

  In order to resolve this data limits issue, one of the solutions was for him to upgrade to Google Analytics 360, which meant shelling out USD150,000 per year for their 1 billion hits per month option. Going from free to USD150,000 was too much of a stretch for a growing company.

  “Your data volume (1XXM hits) exceeds the limit of 10M hits per month …”, what did this message mean ?

  With the free version, Mark could collect up to 10 million “hits” per month, per account. Going over meant Google Analytics could stop collecting any more data for free as outlined in their Terms.

  Google Analytics’ Terms of Service (2018, sec. 2) states, “Subject to Section 15, the Service is provided without charge to You for up to 10 million Hits per month per account.”[1]

  What is a "hit" in Google Analytics ?

  Data being sent to Google Analytics. It can be a transaction, event, social interaction or pageview - these all produce what Google calls a “hit”.

  

  And their Analytics Help Data Limits (n.d.) support page makes clear that : “If a property sends more hits per month to Analytics than allowed by the Analytics Terms of Service, there is no assurance that the excess hits will be processed. If the property’s hit volume exceeds this limit, a warning may be displayed in the user interface and you may be prevented from accessing reports.”[2]

  

  Possible solutions

  So the possible solutions given by Google Analytics’ Data Limits support page were (also shown in image below) :

  • To pay USD150K to upgrade to Google Analytics 360
  • To send fewer hits by setting up sampling
  • Or choose the slightly less relevant option to upgrade mobile app tracking to Google Analytics for Firebase.

  Without the means to pay, the free version was fast becoming inaccessible for Mark as he was facing a future where he risked no longer having access to up-to-date data used in his business’ reporting.

  Mark was facing a problem that potentially didn’t have a cost-effective solution.

  

  So what can you really do about it ?

  This is where we can help provide some assistance. If you’re reading this article, we’ll assume you can relate to Mark and share with you the advice on options we gave him.

  Options :

  One option posed by Google is for you to send fewer hits by auditing your data collection processes

  If you really don’t have the budget, you’ll need to reassess your data collection priorities and go over your strategies to see what is necessary to track, and what isn’t.

  • Make sure you know what you’re tracking and why. Look at what websites are being tracked by Google and into what properties.
  • Go through what data you’re tracking and decide what is or isn’t of value.
  • Set up data sampling, this however, will lead to inaccurate data.

  From here you can start to course correct. If you’ve found data you’re not using for analysis, get rid of these events/pageviews in your Google Analytics.

  But the limitations here are that eventually, you’re going to run out of irrelevant metrics and everything you’re tracking will be essential. So you’ll hit another brick wall and return to the same situation.

  Option 2 – Ignore and continue using the free version of Google Analytics

  With this option, you’ll have to bear the business risks involved by basing decisions off of analytics reports that may or may not be updated. In this case, you may still get contacted about exceeding the limits. As the free service is provided for only up to 10 million hits, once you’ve gone over them, you’re violating what’s stipulated in the Terms of Service. 

  There’s also the warning that “… you may be prevented from accessing reports” (Data limits, n.d.). So while we may not know for certain what Google Analytics will do, in this case it may be better to be safe rather than sorry by acting quickly to resolve it. 

  Option 3 -The Matomo solution – a privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative

  Upgrade to a web analytics platform that can handle your demanding data requirements. Save money while continuing to gain valuable insights by moving over to Matomo Analytics (recommended)

  This is where you can save up to USD130,000 a year. As well as that, the transition from Google Analytics to the Matomo Cloud is a seamless experience as setup and maintenance is taken care of by our experts.

  For example, you can get up to 25M hits for USD3,241/month (or USD38,900/year) on the Essentials plan.

  Or even 25M hits for USD4,991/month (or USD59,900/year) on the Business plan – which offers additional web analytics and conversion optimization resources.

  Matomo Cloud is a great option if you’re looking for a secure, cost-effective and powerful analytics solution. You also get what Google Analytics could never offer you : full control and ownership of your own data and privacy. 

  Try Matomo free for 21 days – no credit card required.

  No need to worry about losing your Google Analytics data because …

  Now you can import your historic Google Analytics data directly into your Matomo with the Google Analytics Importer tool. Simply follow the step-by-step guide to get started for free.

  Along with savings you can get :

  • A solution for the data limits issue forever. You choose the right plan to suit your data needs and adapt as you continue growing
  • 100% accurate data (no data sampling)
  • 100% data ownership of all your information without signing away your data to a third party
  • Powerful web analytics and conversion optimization features
  • Matomo Tag Manager
  • Easy setup
  • Support from Matomo’s specialists

  Learn more about Matomo Cloud pricing.

  

  Or go for Matomo On-Premise

  If you have the in-house infrastructure to support self-hosting Matomo on your own servers then there’s also the option of Matomo On-Premise. Here you’ll get full security knowing the data is on your own servers. 

  Setup will also require technical knowledge. There will also be costs associated with acquiring your own servers, and keeping up with regular maintenance and updates. With On-Premise you get maximum flexibility, with no data limits whatsoever. But if you’re coming over from Google Analytics and don’t have the infrastructure and team to host On-Premise, the Matomo Cloud could be right for you.

  Learn more about Matomo On-Premise.

  Where do you go from here ?

  Getting 10 millions hits per month is no small feat, it’s actually pretty fantastic. But if it means having to shell out USD150,000 just to be able to continue with Google Analytics, we feel your problem could be fixed with Matomo Cloud. You could then put the rest of the money you save to better use.

  If you choose Matomo, you now have the option to : 

  • Raise your data limits for a fraction of Google Analytics 360’s price
  • Get a comprehensive range of analytics features for the most impactful insights to ensure your website continues excelling
  • Get data that’s not sampled – meaning 100% accuracy in your reports
  • Migrate your data easily with the help of Matomo’s support team

  We’ll have you covered. 

  By sharing with you the options and advice we gave to Mark, we hope you’ll be able to find a solution that makes your life easier and solves the issue of data restrictions forever.

  The team at Matomo is here to help you every step of the way to ensure a stress-free transition from Google Analytics if that is what works best for you.

  For next steps, check out our live online Matomo demo and start your free 21-day trial.

  References :

  [1] Terms of Service. (2018, July 24). In Google Analytics Terms of Service. Retrieved June 12, 2019, from https://www.google.com/analytics/terms/us.html

  [2] Data limits. (n.d.). In Analytics Help Data limits. Retrieved June 12, 2019, from https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1070983?hl=en

• 5 Key Benefits of Using a Tag Manager

  12 décembre 2021, par erin — Analytics Tips, Marketing

  Websites today have become very complex to manage, and as you continue to look for ways to optimise your website, you’ll want to consider using a Tag Manager. 

  A Tag Manager will help your marketing team seamlessly track how your visitors are engaging with your website’s elements. Without a Tag Manager, you are missing out on business-altering insights.

  In this blog, we’ll cover :

  Tag Manager overview 

  A Tag Manager (AKA Tag Management System or TMS) is a centralised system for implementing, managing and tracking events. A tag is just another word for a piece of code on a website that tracks a specific event. 

  An example of a tag tracking code might be Facebook pixels, ad conversions and other website activities such as signing up to a newsletter or PDF download. 

  Triggers are the actual actions that website visitors take that activate the tag. Examples of triggers are things like : 

  • A thank you page view to show that a visitor has completed a conversion action
  • Clicking a download or sign up button 
  • Scroll depth or how far down users are scrolling on your webpage 

  Each of these will give you insights into how your website is performing and how your users are engaging with your content. Going back to the scroll depth trigger example, this would be particularly helpful for validating bounce rate and finding out where users are dropping off on a page. Discover other ways to take advantage of tags and event tracking. 

  

  5 key benefits of a Tag Manager

  1. Removes the risks of website downtime 

  Tags are powerful for in-depth web analytics. However, tagging opens up the potential for non-technical team members to break the front-end of your website in a couple of clicks. 

  A Tag Manager reduces that risk. For example, Matomo Tag Manager lets you preview tags to see if they are firing before pushing them live. You can also give specific users restricted access so you can approve any tagging before it goes live. 

  Tag Managers protect the functionality of your website and ensure that there is no downtime.

  2. Your website will load faster 

  When it comes to the success of your website, page speed is one of the most important factors. 

  Each time you add a tag to your site, you run the risk of slowing down the page speed. This can quickly build up to a poor performing site and frustrate your visitors.

  You can’t track tags if visitors won’t even stay long enough for your site to load. In fact, 1 in 4 visitors would abandon a website that takes more than 4 seconds to load. According to Deloitte, just a 0.1 second difference in loading speed can affect every step of your customer journey. 

  A Tag Manager, on the other hand, is a lightweight option only requiring one single tag. Using a Tag Manager to track events can make all the difference to your website’s performance and user experience.

  3. Greater efficiency for marketing

  Time is critical in marketing. The longer it takes for a campaign to launch, the greater the chances are that you’re missing out on sales opportunities.

  Waiting for the IT team to tag a thank you page before setting an ad live is inefficient and impacts your bottom line.

  Equipping marketing with a Tag Manager means that they’ll be able to launch campaigns faster and more effectively.

  Check out our Marketer’s Guide to Successful Website Event Tracking for more.

  4. Control all of your tracking and marketing tags in one place 

  Keeping track of what tags are on your site and where they’re located is a complicated task if you aren’t using a Tag Manager. Unmanaged tags can quickly pile up and result in errors with your analytics, like counting conversions twice. 

  Using a Tag Manager to centralise your tags in one easy to manage place reduces the chances of human errors. Instead, your team will be able to quickly see what tags are already in place so they aren’t doubling up on tracking.

  5. Reduce work for the IT team 

  Let’s face it, the IT team has more critical tasks at hand than adding tags to the website. Freeing up your IT team to focus on higher priority tasks should always be a goal.

  Tagging, while crucial for marketing, has the potential to create a lot of extra work for your website developers. Inserting code for each individual tag is time-consuming and means you aren’t collecting data in the meantime.

  Rather than overloading your IT team, empower your marketing team with the ability to add tags with a few clicks. 

  How to choose a Tag Management System

  There are many tools to choose from and the default option tends to be Google Tag Manager (GTM). But before you implement GTM or any other Tag Management Solution, we highly recommend asking these questions :

  1. What are my goals for a Tag Manager ? Before purchasing a Tag Manager, or any tool for that matter, understanding your goals upfront is best practice.
  2. Does the solution offer Tag Manager training resources ? If online Tag Manager training and educational resources are available for the tool, then you’ll be able to hit the ground running and start to see an ROI instantly.
  3. Can I get online support ? In case you need any help with the tool, having access to online support is a big bonus. 
  4. Is it compliant with privacy regulations ? If your business is already compliant, in the process of becoming compliant or future-proofing your tech stack for looming privacy regulations, then researching this is crucial. 
  5. How much does it cost ? If it’s “free”, find out how and why. In most cases, free solutions are just vehicles for collecting data to advertise to your users. 
  6. What do others think about the Tag Manager ? Check out reviews on sites like Capterra or G2 to find out how other businesses rate the tool. 

  Google Tag Manager alternative

  As privacy becomes a greater concern globally for end-users and governments, many businesses are looking for alternatives to the world’s largest advertising company – Google.

  Matomo Tag Manager is more than a Google Tag Manager alternative. With Matomo Tag Manager, you get a GDPR, HIPAA, CCPA and PECR compliant, open source Tag Manager and your data is 100% yours to own.

  Plus, with Matomo Tag Manager you only need one single tracking code for all of your website and tag analytics. No matter what you are tracking (scrolls, clicks, downloads, Heatmaps, visits, etc.), you will only ever need one piece of code on your website and one tool to manage it all. 

  The takeaway 

  Tagging is powerful but can quickly become complicated, risky and time-consuming. Tag Managers reduce these obstacles allowing you to set tags and triggers effortlessly. It empowers marketing teams, streamlines processes and removes the reliance on IT.

  Ready to try Matomo Tag Manager ? Start your 21-day free trial now – no credit card required. 

• Google Analytics Now Illegal in Austria ; Other EU Member States Expected to Follow

  18 janvier 2022, par Erin — Privacy

  Breaking news : The Austrian Data Protection Authority (“Datenschutzbehörde” or “DSB” or “DPA”) has ruled that Austrian website providers using Google Analytics are in violation of the GDPR. 

  This ruling stems from a decision made in 2020 by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) that stated that cloud services hosted in the US are incapable of complying with the GDPR and EU privacy laws. The decision was made because of the US surveillance laws requiring US providers (like Google or Facebook) to provide personal data to US authorities. 

  The 2020 ruling, known as “Schrems II”, marked the ending of the Privacy Shield, a framework that allowed for EU data to be transferred to US companies that became certified. 

  The tech industry was sent into a frenzy following this decision, but many US and EU companies decided to ignore the case. The choice to ignore is what landed one Austrian business in the DPA’s line of fire, damaging the brand’s reputation and possibly resulting in a hefty fine of up to €20 million or 4% of the organisation’s global turnover. 

  About the Austrian DPA’s Model Case 

  In this specific case, noyb (the European Center for Digital Rights) found that IP addresses (which are classified as personal data by the GDPR) and other identifiers were sent to the US in cookie data as a result of the organisation using Google Analytics. 

  This model case led to the DPA’s decision to rule that Austrian website providers using Google Analytics are in violation of GDPR. It is believed that other EU Member States will soon follow in this decision as well.

  "We expect similar decisions to now drop gradually in most EU member states. We have filed 101 complaints in almost all Member States and the authorities coordinated the response. A similar decision was also issued by the European Data Protection Supervisor last week."

  What does this mean if you are using Google Analytics ?

  If there is one thing to learn from this case, it is that ignoring these court rulings and continuing to use Google Analytics is not a viable option. 

  If you are operating a website in Austria, or your website services Austrian citizens, you should remove Google Analytics from your website immediately. 

  For businesses in other EU Member States, it is also highly recommended that you take action before noyb and local data protection authorities start targeting more businesses. 

  "Instead of actually adapting services to be GDPR compliant, US companies have tried to simply add some text to their privacy policies and ignore the Court of Justice. Many EU companies have followed the lead instead of switching to legal options."

  Removing Google Analytics from your site doesn’t mean that you need to give up website analytics altogether though. There are a variety of Google Analytics alternatives available today. Matomo in particular is a powerful open-source web analytics platform that gives you 100% data ownership and GDPR compliance. 

  

  Matomo is one of the best Google Analytics alternatives offering privacy by design on our Cloud, On-Premise and Matomo for WordPress. So you can get the insights you need while remaining compliant. As the GDPR continues to evolve, you can rest assured that Matomo will be at the forefront of these changes. 

  In addition, all Google Analytics data can be imported into Matomo so no historical data is lost. To make your migration as seamless as possible, we’ve put together a guide to migrating from Google Analytics to Matomo. 

  Ready to begin your journey to GDPR compliance ? Check out our live demo and start your 21-day free trial now – no credit card required.

  If you are interested in learning more about GDPR compliance and Matomo, check out our GDPR resources below :    

  • GDPR Manager user guide
  • How to fill in the information asset registration when using Matomo
  • How to make Matomo GDPR compliant in 12 easy steps
  • How to not process any personal data with Matomo and what it means for you
  • PII, personal data and GDPR. Discover what this means for your privacy
  • How should I write my privacy notice for Matomo Analytics under GDPR
  • Lawful basis for processing personal data under GDPR with Matomo
  • How to complete your privacy policy with Matomo Analytics under GDPR
  • GDPR compliance for Premium Features
  • How to get your Matomo plugin ready for GDPR
  • Subprocessors on Matomo Cloud (subprocessors not applicable to On-Premise)
  • Privacy in Matomo

  What does this mean if you are using Matomo ? 

  Our users can rest assured that Matomo remains in compliance with GDPR as all data is stored in the EU (Matomo Cloud) or in any country of your choice (Matomo On-Premise). With Matomo you’re able to continue analysing your website and not worry about GDPR.

  Final thoughts

  For EU businesses operating websites, now is the time to act. While Google pushes out false narratives to try and convince users that it is safe to continue using Google Analytics, it’s clear from these court rulings that the data protection authorities across the EU disagree with Google’s narrative.

  The fines, reputational damage and stresses mounting from using Google Analytics are imminent. Find an alternative to Google Analytics as this problem is not going away. 

  Getting started with Matomo is easy. Make the switch today and start your free 21-day trial – no credit card required.