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• Empty audio backends for torchaudio list audio backends, with ffmpeg installed on system libraries [closed]

  28 mars, par Alberto Agudo Dominguez

  I installed torchaudio 2.5.1 and a system install of ffmpeg on Windows and get :

  


  PS C:\Users\> ffmpeg -version
ffmpeg version 2025-01-05-git-19c95ecbff-essentials_build-www.gyan.dev Copyright (c) 2000-2025 the FFmpeg developers
built with gcc 14.2.0 (Rev1, Built by MSYS2 project)
configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --enable-static --disable-w32threads --disable-autodetect --enable-fontconfig --enable-iconv --enable-gnutls --enable-libxml2 --enable-gmp --enable-bzlib --enable-lzma --enable-zlib --enable-libsrt --enable-libssh --enable-libzmq --enable-avisynth --enable-sdl2 --enable-libwebp --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libxvid --enable-libaom --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libvpx --enable-mediafoundation --enable-libass --enable-libfreetype --enable-libfribidi --enable-libharfbuzz --enable-libvidstab --enable-libvmaf --enable-libzimg --enable-amf --enable-cuda-llvm --enable-cuvid --enable-dxva2 --enable-d3d11va --enable-d3d12va --enable-ffnvcodec --enable-libvpl --enable-nvdec --enable-nvenc --enable-vaapi --enable-libgme --enable-libopenmpt --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libtheora --enable-libvo-amrwbenc --enable-libgsm --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopus --enable-libspeex --enable-libvorbis --enable-librubberband
libavutil      59. 54.101 / 59. 54.101
libavcodec     61. 31.100 / 61. 31.100
libavfilter    10.  6.101 / 10.  6.101
libswresample   5.  4.100 /  5.  4.100
libpostproc    58.  4.100 / 58.  4.100

PS C:\Users\> python
Python 3.12.5 (tags/v3.12.5:ff3bc82, Aug  6 2024, 20:45:27) [MSC v.1940 64 bit (AMD64)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import torchaudio
>>> torchaudio.list_audio_backends()
[]


  


  Hence ffmpeg is added to the path and recognized by the console, but not by torchaudio.

  


• 7 Mixpanel alternatives to consider for better web and product analytics

  1er août, par Joe

  Mixpanel is a web and mobile analytics platform that brings together product and marketing data so teams can see the impact of their actions and understand the customer journey. 

  It’s a well-rounded tool with features that help product teams understand how customers navigate their website or app. It’s also straightforward to set up, GDPR compliant, and easy for non-technical folks to use, thanks to an intuitive UI and drag-and-drop reports. 

  However, Mixpanel is just one of many product and web analytics platforms. Some are cheaper, others are more secure, and a few have more advanced or specialist features.

  This article will explore the leading Mixpanel alternatives for product teams and marketers. We’ll cover their key features, what users love about them, and why they may (or may not) be the right pick for you. 

  Mixpanel : an overview

  Let’s start by giving Mixpanel its dues. The platform does a great job of arming product teams with an arsenal of tools to track the impact of their updates, find ways to boost engagement and track which features users love. 

  Marketing teams use the platform to track customers through the sales funnel, attribute marketing campaigns and find ways to optimise spend. 

  There’s plenty to like about Mixpanel, including : 

  • Easy setup and maintenance : Mixpanel’s onboarding flow allows you to build a tracking plan and choose the specific events to measure. When Mixpanel collects data, you’ll see an introductory “starter board.” 
  • Generous free plan : Mixpanel doesn’t limit freemium users like some platforms. Collect data on 20 million monthly events, use pre-built templates and access its Slack community. There are also no limits on collaborators or integrations.
  • Extensive privacy configurations : Mixpanel provides strong consent management configurations. Clients can let their users opt out of tracking, disable geolocation and anonymise their data. It also automatically deletes user data after five years and offers an EU Data Residency Program that can help customers meet GDPR regulations. 
  • Comprehensive features : Mixpanel gives marketers and product teams the tools and features they need to understand the customer, improve the product and increase conversions. 
  • Easy-to-use UI : The platform prioritises self-service data, meaning users don’t need to be technically minded to use Mixpanel. Drag-and-drop dashboards democratise access to data and let anyone on your team find answers to their questions.

  You wouldn’t be reading this page if Mixpanel offered everything, though. No platform is perfect, and there are several reasons people may want to look for a Mixpanel alternative :
  

  • No self-hosted option : You’ll never have complete control over your data with Mixpanel due to the lack of a self-hosted option. Data will always live on Mixpanel’s servers, meaning compliance with data regulations like GDPR isn’t a given.
  • Lack of customisation : Mixpanel doesn’t offer much flexibility when it comes to visualising data. While the platform’s in-built reports are accessible to everyone, you’ll need a developer to build custom reports. 
  • Not open source : Mixpanel’s proprietary software doesn’t provide the transparency, security and community that comes with using open-source software like Matomo. Proprietary software isn’t inherently wrong, but it could mean your analytics solution isn’t future-proof. 
  • Steep learning curve : The learning curve can be steep unless you’re a developer. While setting up the software is straightforward, Mixpanel’s reliance on manual tracking means teams must spend a lot of time creating and structuring events to collect the data they need.

  If any of those struck a chord, see if one of the following seven Mixpanel alternatives might better fulfil your needs. 

  The top 7 Mixpanel alternatives

  Now, let’s look at the alternatives.

  We’ll explain exactly how each platform differs from Mixpanel, its standout features, strengths, common community critiques, and when it may be (or may not be) the right choice. 

  1. Matomo

  Matomo is a privacy-focused, open-source web and mobile analytics platform. As a proponent of an ethical web, Matomo prioritises data ownership and privacy protection. 

  It’s a great Mixpanel alternative for those who care about data privacy. You own 100% of your data and will always comply with data regulations like GDPR when using the platform. 

  

  Main dashboard with visits log, visits over time, visitor map, combined keywords, and traffic sources
  (Image Source)

  Matomo isn’t short on features, either. Product teams and marketers can evaluate the entire user journey, capture detailed visitor profiles, combine web, mobile and app reports, and use custom reporting to generate the specific insides they need.

  Key features :

  • Complete app and web analytics : Matomo tracks performance metrics and KPIs across web, app and mobile. Understand which pages users visit, how long they stay and how they move between devices.
  • Marketing attribution : Built-in marketing attribution capabilities make it easy for marketers to pinpoint their most profitable campaigns and channels. 
  • User behaviour tracking : Generate in-depth user behaviour data thanks to heatmaps, form analytics and session recordings.

  Strengths

  • On-premise and cloud versions : Use Matomo for free on your servers or subscribe to Matomo Cloud for hosting and additional support. Either way, you remain in control of your data.
  • Exceptional customer support : On-premise and Matomo Cloud users get free access to the forum. Cloud customers get dedicated support, which is available at an additional cost for on-premise customers. 
  • Consent-free tracking : Matomo doesn’t ruin the user’s experience with cookie banners. 
  • Open-source software : Matomo’s software is free to use, modify, and distribute. Users get a more secure, reliable and transparent solution thanks to the community of developers and contributors working on the project. Matomo will never become proprietary software, so there’s no risk of vendor lock-in. You will always have access to the source code, raw data and APIs. 

  Common community critiques :

  • On-premise setup : The on-premise version requires some technical knowledge and a server.
  • App tracking features : Some features, like heatmaps, available on web analytics aren’t available in-app analytics. Features may also differ between Android SDK and iOS SDK.

  Price : 

  Matomo has three plans :

  • Free : on-premise analytics is free to use
  • Cloud : Hosted business plans start at €22 per month
  • Enterprise : custom-priced, cloud-hosted enterprise plan tailored to meet a business’s specific requirements.

  There’s a free 21-day trial for Matomo Cloud and a 30-day plugin trial for Matomo On-Premise.

  2. Adobe Analytics

  Adobe Analytics is an enterprise analytics platform part of the Adobe Experience Cloud. This makes it a great Mixpanel alternative for those already using other Adobe products. But, getting the most from the platform is challenging without the rest of the Adobe ecosystem. 

  

  Adobe Analytics Analysis Workspace training tutorial
  (Image Source)

  Adobe Analytics offers many marketing tools, but product teams may find their offer lacking. Small or inexperienced teams may also need help using this feature-heavy platform. 

  Key features :

  • Detailed web and marketing analytics : Adobe lets marketers draw in data from almost any source to get a comprehensive view of the customer journey. 
  • Marketing attribution : There’s a great deal of flexibility when crediting conversions. There are unlimited attribution models, too, including both paid and organic media channels.
  • Live Stream : This feature lets brands access raw data in near real time (with a 30- to 90-second delay) to assess the impact of marketing campaigns as soon as they launch. 

  Strengths :

  • Enterprise focus : Adobe Analytics’s wide range of advanced features makes It attractive to large companies with one or more high-traffic websites or apps. 
  • Integrations : Adobe Analytics integrates neatly with other Adobe products like Campaign and Experience Cloud). Access marketing, analytics and content management tools in one place. 
  • Customisation : The platform makes it easy for users to tailor reports and dashboards to their specific needs.

  Common community critiques :

  • Few product analytics features : While marketers will likely love Adobe, product teams may find it lacking. For example, the heatmap tool isn’t well developed. You’ll need to use Adobe Target to run A/B tests.
  • Complexity : The sheer number of advanced features can make Adobe Analytics a confusing experience for inexperienced or non-technically minded users. While a wealth of support documentation is available, it will take longer to generate value. 
  • Price : Adobe Analytics costs several thousand dollars monthly, making it suitable only for enterprise clients.

  Price : 

  Adobe offers three tiers : Select, Prime and Ultimate. Pricing is only available on request.

  3. Amplitude

  Amplitude is a product analytics and event-tracking platform. It is arguably the most like-for-like platform on this list, and there is a lot of overlap between Amploitduce’s and Mixpanel’s capabilities. 

  

  The Ask Amplitude™ feature helps build and analyse conversion funnel charts.
  (Image Source)

  The platform is an excellent choice for marketers who want to create a unified view of the customer by tracking them across different devices. This is possible with several other analytics platforms on this list (Matomo included), but Mixpanel doesn’t centralise data from web and app users in a signal report. 

  Amplitude also has advanced features Mixpanel doesn’t have, like feature management and AI, as well as better customisation. 

  Key features :

  • Product analytics : Amplitude comes packed with features product teams will use regularly, including customer journey analysis, session replays and heatmaps. 
  • AI : Amplitude AI can clean up data, generate insights and detect anomalies.
  • Feature management : Amplitude provides near-real-time feedback on feature usage and adoption rates so that product teams can analyse the impact of their work. Developers can also use the platform to manage progressive rollouts. 

  Strengths :

  • Self-serve reporting : The platform’s self-serve nature means employees of all levels and abilities can get the insights they need. That includes data teams that want to run detailed and complex analyses. 
  • Integrated web experimentation. Product teams or marketers don’t need a third-party tool to run A/B tests because Amplitude has a comprehensive feature that lets users set up tests, collect data and create reports. 
  • Extensive customer support : Amplitude records webinars, holds out-of-office sessions and runs a Slack community to help customers extract as much value as possible.

  Common community critiques :

  • Off-site tracking : While Amplitude has many features for tracking customer interaction across your product, it lacks ways to track customers once they are off-site. This is not great for marketing attribution, for example, or growing search traffic. 
  • Too complex : The sheer number of things Amplitude tracks can overwhelm inexperienced users who must spend time learning how to use the platform. 
  • Few templates : Few stock templates make getting started with Amplitude even harder. Users have to create reports from scratch rather than customise a stock graph. 

  Price : 

  • Starter : Free to track up to 50,000 users per month. 
  • Plus : $49 per month to track up to 300,000 users.
  • Growth : Custom pricing for no tracking limits
  • Enterprise : Custom pricing for dedicated account managers and predictive analytics
    

  4. Google Analytics

  Google Analytics is the most popular web analytics platform. It’s completely free to use and easy to install. Although there’s no customer support, the thousands of online how-to videos and articles go some way to making up for it. 

  

  GA dashboard showing acquisition, conversion and behaviour data across all channels 
  (Image Source)

  Most people are familiar with Google’s web analytics data, which makes it a great Mixpanel alternative for marketers. However, product teams may struggle to get the qualitative data they need.

  Key features :

  • User and conversion tracking : People don’t just use Google Analytics because it’s free. The platform boasts a competitive user engagement and conversion tracking offering, which lets businesses of any size understand how consumers navigate their sites and make purchases. 
  • Audience segmentation : Segment audiences based on time and event parameters.
  • Google Ads integration : Track users from the moment they interact with one of your ads. 

  Strengths :

  • It’s free : Web and product analytics platforms can cost hundreds of dollars monthly and put a sizable dent in a small business marketing budget. Google provides the basic tools most marketers need for free.
  • Cross-platform tracking : GA4 lets teams track mobile and web analytics in one place, which wasn’t possible in Universal Analytics.
  • A wealth of third-party support : There’s no shortage of Google Analytics tutorials on YouTube to help you set up and use the platform. 

  Common community critiques :

  • Data privacy concerns : There are concerns about Google’s lack of compliance with regulations like GDPR. The workaround is asking people for permission to collect their data, but that requires a consent pop-up that can disrupt the user experience. 
  • No CRO features : Google Analytics lacks the conversion optimisation features of other tools in this list, including Matomo. It can’t record sessions, track user interactions via a heatmap or run A/B tests. 
  • AI data sampling : Google generates insights using AI-powered data sampling rather than analysing your actual data, which may make your data inaccurate. 

  Price : 

  Google Analytics is free to use. Google also offers a premium version, GA 360, which starts at $50,000 per year. 

  5. Heap

  Heap is a digital insights and product analytics platform. It gives product managers and marketers the quantitative and qualitative data they need to improve conversion rates, improve product features, and reduce churn. 

  

  Heap marketing KPI dashboard
  (Image Source)

  The platform offers everything you’d expect from a product analytics perspective, including session replays, heatmaps and user journey analysis. It even has an AI tool that can answer your questions. 

  Key features :

  • Auto-capture : Unlike other analytics tools (Mixpanel and Google Analytics, for instance), you don’t need to manually code events. Heap’s auto-capture feature automatically collects every user interaction, allowing for retroactive analysis. 
  • Segmentation : Create distinct customer cohorts based on behaviour. Integrate other platforms like Marketo to use that information to personalise marketing campaigns. 
  • AI CoPilot : Heap has a generative AI tool, CoPilot, that answers questions like “How many people visited the About page last week ?” It can also handle follow-up questions and suggest what to search next. 

  Strengths :

  • Integrations : Heap’s integrations allow teams to centralise data from dozens of third-party applications. Popular integrations include Shopify and Salesforce. Heap can also connect to your data warehouse. 
  • Near real-time tracking : Heap has a live data feed that lets teams track user behaviour in near real-time (there’s a 15-second delay).
  • Collaboration : Heap facilitates cross-department collaboration via shared spaces and shared reports. You can also share session replays across teams.

  Common community critiques :

  • Struggles at scale : Heap’s auto-capture functionality can be more of a pain than a perk when working at scale. Sites with a million or more weekly visitors may need to limit data capture.
  • Data overload : Heap tracks so much data it can be hard to find the specific events you want to measure.
  • Poor-quality graphics : Heap’s visualisations are basic and may not appeal to non-technically minded users.

  Price : 

  Heap offers four plans with pricing available on request.

  • Free
  • Growth
  • Pro
  • Premier
    

  6. Hotjar

  Hotjar is a product experience insight tool that analyses why users behave as they do. The platform collects behavioural data using heatmaps, surveys and session recordings. 

  It’s a suitable alternative for product teams and marketers who care about collecting qualitative rather than quantitative data. 

  

  New heatmap feature in hotjar
  (Image Source)

  It’s not your typical analytics platform, however. Hotjar doesn’t track site visits or conversions, so teams use it alongside a web analytics platform like Google Analytics or Matomo.

  Key features :

  • Surveys : Product teams can place surveys on specific pages to capture quantitative and qualitative data. 
  • Heatmaps : Hotjar provides several heatmaps — click, scroll and interaction — that show how users behave when browsing your site. 
  • Session recordings : Support quantitative analytics data with videos of genuine user behaviour. It’s like watching someone browsing your site over their shoulder. 

  Strengths :

  • User-friendly interface : The tool is easy to navigate and accessible to all employees. Anyone can start using it quickly. 
  • Funnel analysis : Use Hotjar’s range of tools to analyse your entire funnel, identifying friction points and opportunities to improve the customer experience. 
  • Cross-platform tracking : Hotjar compares user behaviour across desktop, mobile and app. 

  Common community critiques :

  • Limited web analytics : While Hotjar is great for understanding customer behaviour, it doesn’t collect standard web analytics data. 
  • Data retention : Hotjar only retains data for one month to a year on some plans.
  • Impacts page speed : The tool’s code impacts your site’s performance, leading to slower load times. 

  Price : 

  • Free : Up to five thousand monthly sessions, including screen recordings and heatmaps
  • Growth : $49 per month for 7,000 to 10,000 monthly sessions
  • Pro : Custom pricing for up to 500 million monthly sessions
  • Enterprise : Custom pricing for up to 6 billion monthly sessions. 
    

  7. Kissmetrics

  Kissmetrics is a web and mobile analytics platform that aims to help teams generate more revenue and acquire more users through product-led growth. 

  As such, the platform offers more to marketers than product teams — particularly online store owners and SaaS businesses. 

  

  Kissmetrics funnel report 
  (Image Source)

  Kissmetrics provides a suite of behavioural analytics tools that analyse how customers move through your funnel, where they drop off and why. That’s great for marketers, but product teams will struggle to understand how customers actually use their product once they’ve converted.

  Key features :

  • User journey mapping : Follow individual customer journeys to learn how each customer finds and engages with your brand. 
  • Funnel analysis : Funnel reports help marketers track cart abandonments and other drop-offs along the customer journey. 
  • A/B testing : Kissmetrics’s A/B testing tool measures how customers respond to different page layouts

  Strengths :

  • Detailed revenue metrics : Kissmetrics makes measuring customer lifetime value, churn rate, and other revenue-focused KPIs easy. 
  • Stellar onboarding experience : Kissmetrics gives new users a detailed walkthrough and tutorial, which helps non-technical users get up to speed. 
  • Integrations : Integrate data from dozens of platforms and tools, such as Facebook, Instagram, Shopify, and Woocommerce, so all your data is in one place. 

  Common community critiques :

  • Predominantly web-based : Kissmetrics focuses on web-based traffic over app- or cross-platform tracking. It may be fine for some teams, but product managers or marketers who track users across apps and smartphones may want to look elsewhere. 
  • Slow to load large data sources : The platform can be slow to load, react to, and analyse large volumes of data, which could be an issue for enterprise clients. 
  • Price : Kissmetrics is significantly more expensive than Mixpanel. There is no freemium tier, meaning you’ll need to pay at least $199 monthly. 

  Price : 

  • Silver : $199 per month for up to 2 million monthly events
  • Gold : $499 per month for up to five million monthly events
  • Platinum : Custom pricing

  Switch from Mixpanel to Matomo

  When it comes to extracting deep insights from user data while balancing compliance and privacy protection, Mixpanel delivers mixed results. If you want a more straightforward alternative, more websites chose Matomo over Mixpanel for their analytics because of its :

  • Accurate web analytics collected in an ethical, GDPR-compliant manner
  • Behavioural analytics (like heatmaps and session recordings) to understand how users engage with your site
  • Rolled-up cross-platform reporting for mobile and apps
  • Flexibility and customisation with 250+ settings, plentiful plugins and integrations, APIs, raw data access
  • Open-source code to create plugins to fit your specific business needs
  • 100% data ownership with Matomo On-Premise and Matomo Cloud

  Over one million websites in 190+ countries use Matomo’s powerful web analytics platform. Join them today by starting a free 21-day trial — no credit card required.

• First-party data explained : Benefits, use cases and best practices

  25 juillet, par Joe

  Third-party cookies are being phased out, and marketers who still depend on them for user insights need to find alternatives.

  Google delayed the complete deprecation of third-party cookies until early 2025, but many other browsers, such as Mozilla, Brave, and Safari, have already put a stop to them. Plus, looking at the number of data leak incidents, like the one where Twitter leaked 200 million user emails, collecting and using first-party data is a great alternative. 

  In this post, we explore the ins and outs of first-party data and examine how to collect it. We’ll also look at various use cases and best practices to implement first-party data collection.

  What is first-party data ?

  First-party data is information organisations collect directly from customers through their owned channels. 

  Organisations can capture data without intermediaries when people interact with their website, mobile app, social media accounts or other customer-facing systems.

  For example, businesses can track visitor behaviour, such as bounce rates and time spent browsing particular pages. This activity is considered first-party data when it occurs on the brand’s digital property.

  Some examples include :

  • Demographics : Age, gender, location, income level
  • Contact information : Email addresses, phone numbers
  • Behavioural insights : Topics of interest, content engagement, browsing history
  • Transactional data : Purchase history, shopping preferences

  A defining characteristic is that this information comes straight from the source, with the customer’s willingness and consent. This direct collection method is why first-party data is widely regarded as more reliable and accurate than second or third-party data. With browsers like Chrome fully phasing out third-party cookies by the end of 2025, the urgency for adopting more first-party data strategies is accelerating across industries.

  How to collect first-party data 

  Organisations can collect first-party data in various ways. 

  Website pixels

  In this method, organisations place small pieces of code that track visitor actions like page views, clicks and conversions. When visitors land on the page, the pixel activates and collects data about their behaviour without interrupting the user experience. 

  Website analytics tools

  With major browsers like Safari and Firefox already blocking third-party cookies (and Chrome is phasing them out soon, there’s even more pressure on organisations to adopt first-party data strategies.

  Website analytics tools like Matomo help organisations collect first-party data with features like visitor tracking and acquisition analysis to analyse the best channels to attract more users. 

  Multi-attribution modelling that helps businesses understand how different touchpoints (social media channels or landing pages) persuade visitors to take a desired action (like making a purchase). 

  

  (Image Source)

  Other activities include :

  • Cohort analysis 
  • Heatmaps and session recordings 
  • SEO keyword tracking
  • A/B testing 
  • Paid ads performance tracking

  

  Heatmap feature in Matomo

  Account creation on websites

  When visitors register on websites, they provide information like names, email addresses and often demographic details or preferences.

  Newsletters and subscriptions 

  With email subscriptions and membership programs, businesses can collect explicit data (preferences selected during signup) and implicit data (engagement metrics like open rates and click patterns).

  Gated content

  Whitepapers, webinars or exclusive articles often ask for contact information when users want access. This approach targets specific audience segments interested in particular topics.

  Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems

  CRM platforms collect information from various touchpoints and centralise it to create unified customer profiles. These profiles include detailed user information, like interaction history, purchase records, service inquiries and communication preferences.

  Mobile app activity

  Mobile in-app behaviours can assist businesses in gathering data such as :

  • Precise location information (indicating where customers interact with the app)
  • Which features they use most often
  • How long they stay on different screens
  • Navigation patterns

  This mobile-specific data helps organisations understand how their customers behave on smaller screens and while on the move, insights that website data alone cannot provide.

  Point of Sale (PoS) systems

  Modern checkout systems don’t just process payments. PepsiCo proved this by growing its first-party data stores by more than 50% through integrated PoS systems. 

  Today’s PoS technology captures detailed information about each transaction :

  • Item(s) sold
  • Price (discounts, taxes, tip)
  • Payment type (card, cash, digital wallet)
  • Time and date
  • Loyalty/rewards number
  • Store/location

  Plus, when connected with loyalty programs where customers identify themselves (by scanning a card or entering a phone number), these systems link purchase information to individuals. 

  This creates valuable historical records showing how customer preferences evolve and offering insight into :

  • Which products are frequently purchased together
  • The time of the day, week, month, or year when items sell best
  • Which promotions or special offers are most effective

  Server-side tracking 

  Most websites track user behaviour through code that runs in the visitor’s web browser (client-side tracking). 

  Server-side tracking takes a different approach by collecting data directly on the company’s own servers. 

  Because the tracking happens on company servers rather than browsers, ad-blocking software doesn’t block it. 

  Organisations gain more consistent data collection and greater control over their customer information. This privacy-friendly approach lets companies get the data they need without relying on third-party tracking scripts.

  Now that we understand how organisations can gather first-party data, let us explore its use cases. 

  Use cases of first-party data 

  Businesses can use first-party data in many ways, from creating customer profiles to personalising user experiences.

  Developing comprehensive customer profiles

  First-party data can help create detailed customer profiles. 

  Here are some examples :

  • Demographic profiles : Age, gender, location, job role and other personal characteristics.
  • Behavioural profiles : Website activity, purchase history and engagement with marketing campaigns that focus on how users interact with businesses and their offerings. 
  • Psychographic profiles : Customer’s interests, values and lifestyle preferences.
  • Transactional profiles : Purchase patterns, including the types of products they buy, how often they purchase and their total spending.

  The benefit of developing these profiles is that businesses can then create specific campaigns for each profile, instead of running random campaigns. 

  For example, a subscription service business may have a behavioural profile of ‘inactive users’. To reignite interest, they can offer discounts or limited-time freebies to these users.

  Crafting relevant content

  First-party data shows what types of content customers engage with most. 

  If customers love watching videos, businesses can create more video content. If a blog gets more readership for its tech articles, it can focus on tech-related content to adjust to readers’ preferences. 

  Uncovering new marketing opportunities

  First-party data lets businesses analyse customer interactions in a way that can reveal untapped markets. 

  For example, if a company sees that many website visitors are from a particular region, it might consider launching campaigns in that area to boost sales. 

  Personalising experiences

  89% of decision-makers believe personalisation is key to business success in the next three years. 

  First-party data helps organisations to tailor experiences based on individual preferences. 

  

  For example, an e-commerce site can recommend products based on previous purchases or browsing history. Shoppers with abandoned carts can get reminders. 

  It’s also helpful to see how customers respond to different types of communication. Certain groups may prefer emails, and some may prefer text messages. Similarly, some users spend more time on quizzes and interactive content like wizards or calculators. 

  By analysing this, businesses can adjust their strategies so that users get a personal experience when they visit a website.

  Optimising operations

  The use cases of first-party data don’t just apply to the marketing domain. They’re also valuable for operations. When businesses analyse customer order patterns, they can spot the best locations for fulfilment centres that reduce shipping time and costs.

  For example, an online retailer might discover that most customers are concentrated in urban areas and decide to open fulfilment centres closer to those locations.

  Or, in the public sector, transport companies can use first-party data to optimise routes and fine-tune fare simulation tools. By analysing rider queries, travel preferences and interaction data, they can :

  • Prioritise high-demand routes during peak hours 
  • Adjust fare structures to reflect common trip or rider patterns
  • Make personalised travel suggestions based on individual user history.

  Benefits of first-party data 

  First-party data offers two significant benefits : accuracy and compliance. It comes directly from the customers and can be considered more accurate and reliable. But that’s not it. 

  First-party data aligns with many data privacy regulations, like the GDPR and CCPA. That’s because first-party data collection requires explicit consent, which means the data remains confidential. This builds compliance, and customers develop more trust in the business.

  Best practices to collect and manage first-party data 

  Though first-party data comes with many benefits, how should organisations collect and manage it ? What are the best practices ? Let’s take a look. 

  Define clear goals

  Though defining clear goals seems like overused advice, it’s one of the most important. If a business doesn’t know why it’s collecting first-party data, all the information gathering becomes purposeless. 

  Businesses can think of different goals to achieve from first-party data collection : improving customer relationships, enhancing personalisation or increasing ROI. 

  Once these goals are concrete, they can guide data collection strategies and help understand whether they’re working.

  Establish a privacy policy

  A privacy policy is a document that explains why a business is collecting a user’s data and what it will do with it. By being open and honest, this policy builds trust with customers, so customers feel safe sharing their information. 

  For example, an e-commerce privacy policy may read like : 

  “At (Business name), your privacy is important to us. We collect your information when you create an account or buy something. This information includes your name, email and purchase history. We use this data to give you a better shopping experience and suggest products that you’ll find useful. We follow all data privacy laws like GDPR to keep your personal information safe.” 

  For organisations that use Matomo, we suggest updating the privacy policy to explain how Matomo is used and what data it collects. Here’s a privacy policy template for Matomo users that can be easily copied and pasted. 

  For a GDPR compatible privacy policy, read How to complete your privacy policy with Matomo analytics under GDPR.

  Simplify consent processes

  Businesses should obtain explicit user consent before collecting their data, as shown in the image below. 

  

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  To do this, integrate user-friendly consent management platforms that let customers easily access, view, opt out of, or delete their information.

  To ensure consent practices align with GDPR standards, follow these key steps :
  

  GDPR-compliant consent checklist
  ✅ State the purpose clearly	Describe data usage in plain terms.
  ✅ Use granular opt-ins	Separate consents by purpose.
  ✅ Avoid pre-ticked boxes	Active choices only.
  ✅ Enable easy opt-out	Simple and accessible withdrawal.
  ✅ Log consent	Timestamp and record every opt-in.
  ✅ Review periodically	Audit for accuracy and relevance.

  Comply with platform-specific restrictions

  In addition to general consent practices, businesses must comply with platform-specific restrictions. This includes obtaining explicit permissions for :

  • Location services : Users must consent to sharing their location data.
  • Contact lists : Businesses need permission to access and use contact information.
  • Camera and microphone Use : Users must consent to using the camera and microphone 
  • Advertising IDs : On platforms like iOS, businesses must obtain consent to use advertising IDs. 

  For example, Zoom asks the user if it can access the camera and the microphone by default.

  Utilise multiple data collection channels

  Instead of relying on just one source to collect first-party data, it is better to use multiple channels. Gather first-party data from diverse sources such as websites, mobile apps, CRM systems, email campaigns, and in-store interactions (for richer datasets). This way, businesses get a more complete picture of their customers.

  Implementing a strong data governance framework with proper tooling, taxonomy, and maintenance practices is also vital for better data usability.

  Use privacy-focused analytics tools 

  Focus on not just collecting data but also doing it in a way that’s secure and ethical. 

  Use tools like Matomo to track user interactions and gather meaningful analytics. For example, Matomo heatmaps can give you a visual insight into where users click and scroll, all while following all the data privacy laws.

  

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  What is second-party data ? 

  Second-party data is information that one company collects from its customers and shares with another company. It’s like “second-hand” first-party data because it’s collected directly from customers but used by a different business.

  Companies purchase second-party data from trusted partners instead of getting it directly from the customer. For example, hotel chains can use customer insights from online travel agencies, like popular destinations and average stay lengths, to refine their pricing strategies and offer more relevant perks.

  When using second-party data, it’s essential to :

  • Be transparent : Share with customers that their data is being shared with partners. 
  • Conduct regular audits : Ensure the data is accurate and handled properly to maintain strong privacy standards. If their data standards don’t seem that great, consider looking elsewhere.

  What is third-party data ? 

  Third-party data is collected from various sources, such as public records, social media or other online platforms. It’s then aggregated and sold to businesses. Organisations get third-party data from data brokers, aggregators and data exchanges or marketplaces. 

  Some examples of third-party data include life events from user social media profiles, like graduation or facts about different organisations, like the number of employees and revenue.

  For example, a data broker might collect information about people’s interests from social media and sell it to a company that wants to target ads based on those interests.

  Third-party data often raises privacy concerns due to its collection methods. One major issue is the lack of transparency in how this data is obtained. 

  Consumers often don’t know that their information is being collected and sold by third-party brokers, leading to feelings of mistrust and violation of privacy. This is why data privacy guidelines have evolved. 

  What is zero-party data ? 

  Zero-party data is the information that customers intentionally share with a business. Some examples include surveys, product ratings and reviews, social media polls and giveaways.

  Organisations collect first-party data by observing user behaviours, but zero-party data is the information that customers voluntarily provide. 

  

  Zero-party data can provide helpful insights, but self-reported information isn’t always accurate. People don’t always do what they say. 

  For example, customers in a survey may share that they consider quality above all else when purchasing. Still, looking at their actual behaviour, businesses can see that they make a purchase only when there’s a clearance or a sale.

  First-party data can give a broader view of customer behaviours over time, which zero-party data may not always be able to capture. 

  Therefore, while zero-party data offers insights into what customers say they want, first-party data helps understand how they behave in real-world scenarios. Balancing both data types can lead to a deeper understanding of customer needs.

  Getting valuable customer insights without compromising privacy 

  Matomo is a powerful tool for organisations that want to collect first-party data. We’re a full-featured web analytics tool that offers features that allow businesses to track user interactions without compromising the user’s personal information. Below, we share how.

  Data ownership

  Matomo allows organisations to own their analytics data, whether on-premise or in their chosen cloud. This means we don’t share your data with anyone else. This aligns with GDPR’s requirement for data sovereignty and minimises third-party risks.

  Pseudonymisation of user IDs

  Matomo allows organisations to pseudonymise user IDs, replacing them with a salted hash function. 

  

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  Since the user IDs have different names, no one can trace them back to a specific person.

  IP address anonymisation

  Data anonymisation refers to removing personally identifiable information (PII) from datasets so individuals can’t be readily identified.

  Matomo automatically anonymises visitor IP addresses, which helps respect user privacy. For example, if the visitor’s IP address is 199.513.1001.123, Matomo can mask it to 199.0.0.0. 

  It can also anonymise geo-location information, such as country, region and city, ensuring this data doesn’t directly identify users.

  

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  Consent management

  Matomo offers an opt-out option that organisations can add to their website, privacy policy or legal page. 

  Matomo tracks everyone by default, but visitors can opt out by clicking the opt-out checkbox. 

  Our DoNotTrack technology helps businesses respect user choices to opt out of tracking from specific websites, such as social media or advertising platforms. They can simply select the “Support Do Not Track preference.”

  These help create consent workflows and support audit trails for regulators. 

  Data storage and deletion

  Keeping visitor data only as long as necessary is a good practice by default. 

  To adhere to this principle, organisations can configure Matomo to automatically delete old raw data and old aggregated report data. 

  Here’s a quick case study summarising how Matomo features can help organisations collect first-party data. CRO:NYX found that Google Analytics struggled to capture accurate data from their campaigns, especially when running ads on the Brave browser, which blocks third-party cookies.

  They then switched to Matomo, which uses first-party cookies by default. This approach allowed them to capture accurate data from Brave users without putting user privacy at stake. 

  The value of Matomo in first-party data strategies 

  First-party data gives businesses a reliable way to connect with audiences and to improve marketing strategies. 

  Matomo’s ethical web analytics lets organisations collect and analyse this data while prioritising user privacy. 

  With over 1 million websites using Matomo, it’s a trusted choice for organisations of all sizes. As a cloud-hosted service and a fully self-hosted solution, Matomo supports organisations with strong data sovereignty needs, allowing them to maintain full control over their analytics infrastructure.

  Ready to collect first-party data while securing user information ? Start your free 21-day trial, no credit card required.