Google Analytics - Number of Visitors

[gtdab]

Hi,

We have added Google analytics to one of our clients websites. However, she has said that although analytics is showing visitors to her website, the stats are not showing the full amount of visitors her website is receiving.

She knows there are more visitors than Google is suggesting there is, because she has a Goal setup for people completing orders... which for example would say 13 people have reached this goal last week, but she knows she has had 21 orders that week.

If anyone has had a similar problem and has any ideas how would could ensure Google Analytics are showing the true stats for the website, any help would be muchly appreciated.

[Darren B]

i have never had accurate data from google, there are to many variables that cause drop outs in analytic data

[feemish]

I use 3 different stats programs and they all give different stats!

The Main difference is that different programs use different criterea for a 'unique visitor' For example if a visitor returns after an hour some stats count that as a new visit.. however google will consider that the same visit.. Thats just an example of the different ways statcounters count figures.

I've actually found that google is probably more accurate in fact than most.

Another thing with analytics ect is that they will only count a sale or a goal if people return to the receipt.html page after paying in paypal or wherever. Lots of people dont go back to the merchant to trigger the receipt page after they have paid. This means that some sales dont get counted as goals by analytics.

All very frustrating I agree, especially as it makes using Adwords a very inaacurate affair.. Adwords is always reporting lower conversions than there actually are.

[peblaco]

Check to see if this is an issue: here.

[PatchworkRabbit]

i have never had accurate data from google, there are to many variables that cause drop outs in analytic data

What he said.

I think it's dangerous to take Google Analytics data seriously. I just use it as a general health check on the site and to see how people found me and what they looked for when they got there.

[leehack]

Site data is like weighing scales, it doesn't matter whether what they tell you is perfectly right or not, as long as you use the same method of measure, you're surely just looking for a trend or stabilisation at certain thresholds.

[gtdab]

Thank you for all your replies to my post,

I have tried what 'peblaco' had suggested above and it seems to have made quite a difference with the stats shown. Hopefully, my client will be happy with the result she is now receiving.

[PatchworkRabbit]

Seems to have worked a treat for me, too.