Google Analytics v Urchin
With two products to choose from (Urchin and Google Analytics), which one is right for you...? Firstly, there are two key considerations:
- Google Analytics is free - a single license of Urchin software costs $9995 USD.
- Google Analytics includes all data collection, storage, archiving and management for you - using Urchin, this becomes your responsibility.
Who is Urchin aimed for?
- If you have dedicated, in-house IT resources that wish to manage web analytics data. You collect the data on your own servers, and so Urchin provides the greatest flexibility for data management.
- Process and reprocess data when you wish (from hourly to ad hoc), combine and integrate it with other systems, and keep your data for as long as you wish.
- Flexible data management gives you full control - that means a greater responsibility on your organisation.
Who is Google Analytics aimed for?
- Digital marketers i.e. your main measurement purpose is to optimise your online marketing.
- Google Analytics includes product updates, maintenance, data storage, data management and archiving are all taken care for you - and for free!
- As its a part of Google, tight integration with AdWords, AdSense and Feedburner come as standard, with the potential other Google integrations in the pipeline.
When to use Urchin
For most marketing driven websites, we recommend Google Analytics. As a Software as a Service product its virtually maintenance free and free to use as well. However, there are several scenarios when Urchin is a better choice:
- Intranet or firewall-protected content with no connection to the internet - GA won't work in this environment
- Government & Education institutions often forbid any offsite data transfer - with GA, data is distributed on a global network
- Hosting Providers - Urchin has data management flexibility and can be kept indefinitely - GA has fixed data management and retains this for 25 months.
- Urchin can track at the anonymous "individual" level - GA tracks in aggregate to fit with Google's privacy policy
Read more about Google Analytics v Urchin from Brian Clifton's blog. There is also a compelling case for using both products together in tandem.
Clients using Urchin:
BBC.com, British Telecom, The UK Patent Office, Southampton University, Fujitsu UK, Guardian Media Group, Harvey Nichols, Lloyds Insurance, Royal Albert Hall, Robert Gordon University, United Nations, University of Oxford, Vodafone, Wellcome Trust...
Clients using Google Analytics:
BBC.com, Twitter, P&G, Unilever, Virgin, EMI, Goodyear, O2, YouTube, MySpace, Tetrapak, Chevron, Electrolux... many more here
