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• Consent management platforms : Keys to compliance and user trust

  14 juin, par Joe

  Today’s marketing managers and data analysts face a tricky balancing act : gaining meaningful customer insights while respecting user privacy. Finding ways to navigate the maze of complex privacy regulations while managing consent at scale can be daunting. 

  Consent management platforms (CMPs) offer a solution. They allow companies to collect data ethically, manage user consent efficiently, and comply with privacy regulations like Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

  This guide explains everything you need to know about CMPs : how they function, why they’re essential for data governance, and how they work hand-in-hand with analytics platforms to promote transparency and build trust with users.

  What is a consent management platform (CMP) and what is it for ?

  A consent management platform (CMP) helps organisations collect, organise, and store user consent for personal data processing purposes. In short, it’s a tool that ensures data collection respects user privacy and complies with regulations like the GDPR and CCPA.

  Without a CMP, businesses could face hefty fines and penalties for violating data privacy laws in different parts of the world. This shows how vital these tools are to all modern businesses.

  How do consent management platforms work ?

  CMPs give users a clear and straightforward way to provide explicit consent for data collection. These platforms manage both the technical aspects of consent storage and the user experience on your site or app.

  Here’s a simplified breakdown :

  • Cookie consent banners : The CMP displays a banner whenever a user visits your website. This banner explains the types of personal information collected and for what purpose.
  • User choice : The user can accept or reject cookies and trackers. They can often customise their preferences to choose which specific data types they’re willing to share.
  • Preference storage : The CMP stores the user’s choices. This information helps ensure that you only collect and process the permitted data.
  • Integration with other systems : CMPs integrate with other systems, such as analytics platforms and advertising networks, to ensure that data collection and processing comply with the user’s choices throughout the customer experience.

  

  A key feature of CMPs is their role in shaping privacy policy design. This design encompasses the layout, visual elements, and cues employed to seek user consent.

  A recent study by Karlstad University in Sweden showed that privacy policy design significantly influences user comprehension and willingness to disclose information. In other words, it affects consent rates considerably and is key to enhancing data collection.

  Importance of consent management for compliance

  As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, consent management is taking centre stage. Although it applies to all technologies and systems that gather or handle personal data, few instances are as relevant as smart homes.

  Smart home devices have unique access to our personal spaces and private lives. They represent a unique challenge to consent management since one person is potentially granting access to personal data from themselves and other people who may be inside or around the house.

  A 2023 study by the University College London and the University of Oxford pointed out that clear design principles and granular, contextual permission structures are essential in these situations.

  However, consent management isn’t just best practice. It’s a widespread legal requirement. Not meeting these requirements can result in hefty penalties and reputational damage to your organisation.

  Consent management under GDPR

  The European Union’s GDPR is a data protection law applicable to organisations that process the personal data of individuals residing in the European Economic Area (EEA). It’s based on the principle of opting in.

  The GDPR is one of the strongest data privacy laws globally. For non-compliance, fines can be up to €20 million or 4% of the company’s total global turnover (whichever is higher).

  It’s also one of the most heavily enforced privacy laws. According to enforcementtracker.com, Meta was fined €1.2 billion in 2023, with GDPR fines reaching over €2 billion that year alone. In the UK, the largest GDPR fine is €22.05 million, according to Statista. It pays to comply.

  The GDPR has specific rules around consent, including that it must be :

  • Freely given : Users must not be pressured or coerced.
  • Specific : Must be given for specific data processing purposes.
  • Informed : Users must be provided with clear and concise information.
  • Unambiguous : Permission must be granted through clear and affirmative action, such as checking a box or tapping a button.

  CMPs help you meet these requirements by providing a transparent and user-friendly way to obtain and manage consent.

  Consent management under CCPA

  The CCPA is another privacy protection law for businesses collecting personal information from California residents. It grants Californians the right to know what data is being collected about them, to prevent it from being sold, and to request its deletion.

  CMPs support CCPA compliance by enabling users to exercise their rights and ensuring transparent data collection practices.

  Managing consent under other regulatory frameworks

  In addition to the GDPR and CCPA, numerous other privacy regulations can impact your organisation. These regulations include :

  • The COPPA in the US
  • Brazil’s LGPD
  • Japan’s APPI
  • Canada’s PIPEDA.
  • Australia’s Privacy Act 1988 

  A CMP will help streamline the process by providing a clear, practical framework to ensure you meet all applicable requirements.

  Key features to look for in a CMP

  Choosing the right CMP is crucial for global business.

  Here are some key features to consider :

  Custom banners

  Consent banners are often among users’ first digital interactions with your brand. It should be clear, concise and visually appealing. Look for a CMP that allows you to :

  • Customise the banner’s design to match your website’s branding and aesthetics.
  • Control the banner’s positioning for optimal visibility.

  End-user management tools

  The CMP should also offer a user-friendly interface allowing visitors to grant, manage and withdraw consent.

  This includes customisable banners, granular permissions, and a preference centre. The latter is a dedicated space where users can manage their preferences anytime.

  Integration capabilities with existing systems

  The CMP should integrate with your existing technology stack, including your analytics platform, marketing automation tools and CRM. This integration ensures a smooth workflow and prevents data silos.

  How to select the right CMP for your organisation

  To find the perfect CMP, focus on your specific needs and priorities. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you make an informed decision :

  Assessing organisational needs and goals

  Start by clearly defining your organisation’s requirements. Consider the following :

  • Types of data collected : What personal data do you collect (for example, cookies, IP addresses, location data) ?
  • Compliance requirements : Which privacy regulations must you comply with (GDPR, CCPA, COPPA) ?
  • Website or app complexity : How complex is your website or app in terms of user interactions and data collection points ?
  • Budget : How much are you willing to invest in a CMP ?

  Comparing features and pricing

  Once you thoroughly understand your needs, you can compare the features and pricing of various CMPs. Look for key features like :

  • Customisable banners
  • Granular options
  • Preference centre
  • Integration with existing systems
  • Analytics and reporting

  Once you’ve shortlisted a few options, compare the pricing and choose the best value for your budget. Take advantage of free trials before committing to a paid plan.

  Checking verified user reviews

  Read user reviews on platforms like G2 or Trustpilot to get an idea of the strengths and weaknesses of different CMPs. Look for reviews from similar organisations regarding size, industry and compliance requirements.

  Integration with a privacy-focused analytics platform

  A consent management platform acts as the bridge between your users and your analytics and marketing teams. It ensures user preferences are communicated to your analytics setup, so data collection and analysis align with their choices and comply with privacy regulations. 

  Finding a consent manager integration that works with your analytics setup is essential for businesses.

  Top five consent management platforms

  The CMP market is pretty competitive, with many players providing excellent solutions. According to Emergen Research, it was valued at $320.9 million in 2021 and is growing at 21.2%.

  Here are five of our top choices 

  1. usercentrics

  usercentrics is a comprehensive CMP with customisable banners, granular consent options and a preference centre.

  

  usercentrics geolocation rulesets page (Source : Usercentrics)

  This Google-certified CMP allows you to create global and regional consent rules to ensure compliance with local regulations like GDPR, CCPA and LGPD. For a smooth implementation, usercentrics provides access to a knowledgeable support team and a dedicated customer success executive.

  It’s worth noting that Usercentrics is the CMP we use here at Matomo. It helps us in our mission to collect and analyse data ethically and with a privacy-first mindset.

  • Key features : Customisable banners, granular permissions, cross-domain and cross-device capabilities, automatic website scans, reporting and analytics.
  • Pricing : Usercentrics offers a free plan and four paid subscription plans from €7 to €50 per month.

  2. Osano

  Osano is a user-friendly CMP focusing on transparency and ease of use.

  

  Osano’s main dashboard (Source : Osano)

  Osano can scan websites for tracking technologies without impacting the user experience.

  • Key features : Customisable banners, multi-language support, granular consent options, a preference centre and access to a knowledgeable team of compliance specialists.
  • Pricing : Osano offers a self-service free plan and a paid plan at $199 per month.

  3. Cookiebot

  Cookiebot is another popular CMP with numerous integration options, including Matomo and other analytics tools. 

  

  Cookiebot consent banner options (Source : Cookiebot)

  • Key features : A cookie scanner, a privacy trigger or button allowing users to change their consent settings, a consent management API and advanced analytics.
  • Pricing : Cookiebot offers a free plan and paid plans ranging from €7 to €50 per month.

  4. CookieYes

  CookieYes is well-suited for small businesses and websites with basic privacy needs. 

  

  CookieYes cookie banner options (Source : CookieYes)

  It offers various features, including multilingual support, geo-targeting, privacy policy generation, and a preference centre. CookieYes also integrates with analytics and CMS tools, making it easy to implement as part of your stack.

  • Key features : Customisable consent banners, granular consent options, preference centre, integration with Matomo, reporting and analytics.
  • Pricing : You can use CookieYes for free or subscribe to one of their three paid plans, which range from $10 to $55 per month.

  5. Tarte au Citron

  Tarte au Citron is an open-source, lightweight, and customisable CMP developed in France.

  

  (Source : Tarte au Citron)

  Its focus is on transparency and user experience. It provides many features free of charge, but many do require some technical knowledge to deploy. There’s also a paid subscription with ongoing support and faster implementation.

  Tarte au Citron integrates with Matomo, which is also open-source. If you’re building an open-source stack for your analytics, Matomo and Tarte au Citron make an excellent pair.

  • Key features : Open-source, customisable consent banners, integration with Matomo, works with over 220 services.
  • Pricing : You can deploy the open-source core for free, but Tarte au Citron offers three paid licenses starting at €190 for one year and reaching €690 for a lifetime license.

  How to implement cookie consent the right way

  Implementing cookie consent requires precision, time and effort. But doing it wrong can result in significant legal penalties and severe reputational damage, eroding user trust and impacting your brand’s standing. Here are the key dos and don’ts of consent :

  

  Provide clear and concise information

  Use plain language that is easy for anyone to understand. Avoid using technical terms or legal jargon that may confuse users.

  Prioritise transparency

  Be upfront about your data collection practices. Clearly state what data you collect, how you use it and who you share it with. Provide links to your privacy and cookie policies for users who want to learn more.

  Offer granular control

  Give users detailed control over as many of their cookie preferences as possible. Allow them to choose which categories of tracking cookies they consent to, such as strictly necessary, performance and marketing cookies.

  Implement user-friendly banners

  Ensure banners are prominently displayed, easy to understand, and use clear and concise language. Also, make sure they’re accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.

  Respect “do not track” settings

  It’s essential to honour users’ choices when they enable their “do not track” browser setting.

  Document consent

  Maintain a record of user consent. This will help you demonstrate compliance with data privacy regulations and provide evidence of user consent in case of an audit or investigation.

  Regularly review and update consent policies

  Review and update your customer consent policies regularly to ensure they comply with evolving data privacy regulations and reflect your current data collection practices.

  Cookie consent pitfalls to avoid

  Here are some common pitfalls to avoid that may lead to legal penalties, loss of user trust or inaccurate analytics :

  • Avoid lengthy and complicated explanations. Overwhelming users with dense legal jargon or overly technical details can lead to consent fatigue and reduce the likelihood of informed consent.
  • Don’t force users to accept all cookies or none. Blanket consent options violate user autonomy and fail to comply with regulations like the GDPR.
  • Don’t make information about your data collection practices hard to find. Hidden or buried privacy policies breed suspicion and erode trust.
  • Avoid pre-checking all cookie consents. Pre-checked boxes imply consent without explicit user action, which is not compliant with GDPR and similar regulations. Users must actively opt in, not out.

  Emerging consent management trends 

  Consent management is constantly evolving and driven by new technologies, regulations, and user expectations. Here are some emerging trends to watch out for in the short term :

  • Increased automation : AI and machine learning are helping automate consent management processes, making them more efficient and effective.
  • Enhanced user experience : CMPs are becoming more user-friendly, focusing on providing an intuitive experience.
  • Privacy-preserving analytics : CMPs are being integrated with privacy-preserving analytics platforms, such as Matomo, to enable organisations to gain insights into user behaviour without compromising privacy.
  • Google Consent Mode : In 2024, Google rolled out Consent Mode v2 to align with the Digital Markets Act. Due to upcoming privacy regulations, more versions may be coming soon.

  The Privacy Governance Report 2024 also highlights the increasing complexity of managing data privacy, with more than four in five privacy professionals taking on additional responsibilities in their existing roles. This trend will likely continue in the coming years as more privacy laws are enacted.

  Addressing upcoming privacy regulations

  Data privacy and user consent requirements continue to emerge and evolve. Businesses must stay informed and adapt their practices accordingly.

  

  In 2025, several new privacy regulations are going into effect, including :

  • New state-level privacy laws in eight US states :
    • Delaware (1 January 2025)
    • Iowa (1 January 2025)
    • Nebraska (1 January 2025)
    • New Hampshire (1 January 2025)
    • New Jersey (15 January 2025)
    • Tennessee (1 July 2025)
    • Minnesota (31 July 2025)
    • Maryland (1 October 2025)
  • The EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act (which will be implemented from 1 August 2024 through 2 August 2026) and other AI-focused regulations.
  • The UK Adequacy Decision Review has a deadline of 27 December 2025.

  Organisations that collect, process or otherwise handle data from Europe and the above-named US states should proactively prepare for these changes by :

  • Conducting regular privacy impact assessments
  • Reviewing consent mechanisms regularly
  • Implementing data minimisation strategies
  • Providing user-friendly privacy controls

  Future-proofing your consent management strategy

  CMPs are essential for managing consent preferences, protecting user privacy, and earning customers’ trust through transparency and ethical data practices.

  When choosing a CMP, you should consider key features such as integration capabilities, customisation options and user-friendly interfaces.

  Integrating a CMP with a privacy-first analytics solution like Matomo allows you to collect and analyse data in a way that’s compliant and respectful of user preferences. This combination helps maintain data integrity while demonstrating a strong commitment to privacy. 

  Start your 21-day free trial today.

• 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.

• Cloud Functions for Firebase : completing long processes without touching maximum timeout

  17 février, par Scott Ewing

  I have to transcode videos from webm to mp4 when they're uploaded to firebase storage. I have a code demo here that works, but if the uploaded video is too large, firebase functions will time out on me before the conversion is finished. I know it's possible to increase the timeout limit for the function, but that seems messy, since I can't ever confirm the process will take less time than the timeout limit.

  



  Is there some way to stop firebase from timing out without just increasing the maximum timeout limit ?

  



  If not, is there a way to complete time consuming processes (like video conversion) while still having each process start using firebase function triggers ?

  



  If even completing time consuming processes using firebase functions isn't something that really exists, is there some way to speed up the conversion of fluent-ffmpeg without touching the quality that much ? (I realize this part is a lot to ask. I plan on lowering the quality if I absolutely have to, as the reason webms are being converted to mp4 is for IOS devices)

  



  For reference, here's the main portion of the demo I mentioned. As I said before, the full code can be seen here, but this section of the code copied over is the part that creates the Promise that makes sure the transcoding finishes. The full code is only 70 something lines, so it should be relatively easy to go through if needed.

  



  const functions = require('firebase-functions');
const mkdirp = require('mkdirp-promise');
const gcs = require('@google-cloud/storage')();
const Promise = require('bluebird');
const ffmpeg = require('fluent-ffmpeg');
const ffmpeg_static = require('ffmpeg-static');


  



  (There's a bunch of text parsing code here, followed by this next chunk of code inside an onChange event)

  



  function promisifyCommand (command) {
    return new Promise( (cb) => {
        command
        .on( 'end',   ()      => { cb(null)  } )
        .on( 'error', (error) => { cb(error) } )
        .run();
    })
}
return mkdirp(tempLocalDir).then(() => {
    console.log('Directory Created')
    //Download item from bucket
    const bucket = gcs.bucket(object.bucket);
    return bucket.file(filePath).download({destination: tempLocalFile}).then(() => {
      console.log('file downloaded to convert. Location:', tempLocalFile)
      cmd = ffmpeg({source:tempLocalFile})
               .setFfmpegPath(ffmpeg_static.path)
               .inputFormat(fileExtension)
               .output(tempLocalMP4File)
      cmd = promisifyCommand(cmd)
      return cmd.then(() => {
        //Getting here takes forever, because video transcoding takes forever!
        console.log('mp4 created at ', tempLocalMP4File)
        return bucket.upload(tempLocalMP4File, {
            destination: MP4FilePath
        }).then(() => {
          console.log('mp4 uploaded at', filePath);
        });
      })
    });
  });