Yandex Metrica as an alternative to Google Analytics
Yandex Metrica, while not the first choice among analytics tools, offers unique features and capabilities that make it a worthy alternative to Google Analytics. Although it is a less popular analytics tool in the West, it offers several key features that may attract the attention of users looking for more detailed analysis.
Basic functions and intuitive interface
Like Google Analytics, the Yandex Metrica tool allows you to track website traffic, analyze the sources of that traffic, measure conversions and goal paths, as well as analyze user demographics and locations. What’s more, a refreshed, more intuitive interface was introduced a few years ago, making the tool much easier to use.
Enhanced Analytical Functions
Yandex Metrica stands out from other analytics tools because of its powerful features, such as:
- Forms Analysis: Allows you to accurately analyze the effectiveness of forms on your site, allowing you to easily embed them into conversion paths and measure the effectiveness of individual solutions. Data from this section is available for the last two weeks.
- Session Replay: Record a user’s behavior during a session and be able to replay the video along with a set of statistics such as demographics, engagement, source of visit and more. This tool is especially useful for testing new features on the site.
Heat maps and user behavior analysis
Heat maps are one of the most prominent features of Yandex Metrica. The tool offers three types of heat maps:
- Link maps: They show the frequency with which users click on hyperlinks on a page.
- Click maps: They illustrate the frequency with which users click on specific areas on a page, including buttons or calls to action.
- Scroll maps: Show which sections of the site users are stopping at and which sections they are just browsing.
You can read more about heat maps in this article.
WebVisor – recording user sessions
Another unique feature is WebVisor, which allows recording of user sessions. This allows you to see exactly how users interact with the site – where they click, how they scroll and what they type. This information is invaluable in identifying usability problems with the site and helping to optimize it.
SOS notifications via SMS
Yandex Metrica also offers a feature for notifications about site accessibility problems, which can be sent by email or SMS. This is particularly useful in responding quickly to technical problems that may affect the site’s accessibility for users.
Quick statistics preview
Unlike Google Analytics, where you sometimes have to wait up to 48 hours for data, Yandex Metrica allows very quick access to statistics. This is crucial for companies running short promotional campaigns that require ongoing data analysis.
Advantages and disadvantages of Yandex Metrica
Despite offering a multitude of features, this tool also has its limitations, such as a short data retention period for some modules. However, its intuitiveness, multiple data visualizations and powerful analytical features make it an attractive tool, especially for those who want to analyze data in more depth without requiring advanced analytical knowledge.
Integrating and Using Yandex Metrica
To start using Yandex Metrica, you must first create an account on the Yandex platform and then generate a tracking tag. It is, like in Google Analytics, a few lines of HTML code to be placed on your site. The tag starts collecting data immediately after installation, allowing quick access to statistics. All in all, Yandex Metrica is a full-fledged alternative to popular web analytics tools such as Google Analytics. It offers unique features that can enrich your site’s data analysis. For advanced users, the tool can be a valuable tool for data verification and exploration of options unavailable from competitors. For beginners, its intuitive interface and data visualizations can make data analysis and interpretation much easier.
