Ever wondered how many visitors actually look at your site? Knowing who visits your website, which pages they read, how long they stay, and where they came from is essential information for any business owner who wants to make smart decisions about their online presence.
You may already have access to free stats
Did you know you are eligible for free website traffic statistics if you are hosted through either Blue Platypus or Studiocoast? Just email us if you would like to turn your statistics on. If you are with another hosting provider, ask them whether they include statistics as part of your current fees — most do. Basic server-side statistics (sometimes called AWStats or Webalizer reports) are included with many standard hosting packages and can show you visitor numbers, popular pages, referring sites, and geographic data.
Want more in-depth analysis?
Basic hosting statistics are a great starting point, but they have limitations. They don’t show you how visitors behave on your pages, which calls to action they click, or how long they spend reading specific content.
For more advanced website traffic analysis, ask about our Google Analytics installation packages. Google Analytics is free to use and provides a much richer picture of your audience, including:
- How many people visit your site and how often
- Which pages are most popular and which ones cause visitors to leave
- Where your traffic is coming from — search engines, social media, direct visits, or referrals
- What devices and browsers your visitors use
- Which geographic areas your audience comes from
Understanding your website statistics is the first step towards improving your site’s performance and your return on investment in digital marketing.
If you need insights about your website traffic, contact Blue Platypus to ask about our in-depth Google Analytics packages.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free website analytics tool?
Google Analytics 4 is the default, and it is free. Google Search Console is the essential companion — it shows what people searched to reach you, which GA4 does not. Most businesses should have both.
What is the difference between Google Analytics and Search Console?
Analytics tells you what visitors did once they arrived. Search Console tells you how they found you and how Google sees your site. Diagnosing a traffic drop usually needs both.
Which numbers actually matter?
Enquiries and where they came from. Sessions and page views are easy to report and rarely change a decision. If a channel brings traffic but no enquiries, that is the finding worth acting on.
Do I need to worry about privacy law with analytics?
Australian businesses covered by the Privacy Act should disclose analytics use in their privacy policy and avoid sending personal information into analytics tools. Standard GA4 use with a clear policy is generally fine.
