I’ve been using Google Analytics since about 2008
Lately I’ve been rethinking the trade-off in using their platform though.
Seeing how the data they collect can be weaponized by (shady) marketers makes me a little uncomfortable.
Then there’s the GDPR stuff in the UK. And Apple’s war on tracking software.
It’s just in the beginning phases right now but internet privacy is going to become a very big deal in the coming years.
with the writing on the wall, it was time to start looking at other options
Fathom Analytics had been on my radar for a while.
Fathom is a simple, super-fast, privacy-focused alternative to Google Analytics.
They provide all the website stats you need, on a single-page easy-to-read dashboard, without collecting user data or using “cookies” to track your visitors across the internet.
I’ve been following the founders on Twitter for a couple years now so I’ve watched them build Fathom from the ground up.
I decided to sign up for their free trial and see what it was all about.
Now that I’ve been using Fathom for over a year, I can say that I absolutely love Fathom Analytics – it’s an amazing product.
There are 3 reasons why I plan on staying with Fathom for the long haul.
Fathom Is Privacy-Focused
It’s what their entire brand is built on.
They’ve built a platform that gives you reliable website stats without collecting sensitive data from the people who use your site.
While I love it from an altruistic standpoint, it’s also good from a business standpoint.
If you use Google Analytics, or any other tracking analytics, to be compliant with new privacy laws, you’re required to have notifications that people have to click on to accept cookies from your website.
Not only does it look terrible but it’s annoying.
Not to mention, blasting visitors with warnings telling them your website is tracking them isn’t a great way to introduce people to your business.
With Fathom you don’t have to worry about cookies, privacy notifications or being compliant with privacy laws.
And as more people start to see how their data is being abused by tech companies, they’ll prefer to use websites that protect their privacy.
Using Fathom shows your visitors you respect their privacy.
Their Interface is Simple and straightforward
I love simple. And the Fathom dashboard is about as simple and straightforward as it gets.
You get all the information you need in a simple, single-screen layout.
Why is that important? Because you’re probably not a computer scientist.
And if you want to navigate the Google Analytics dashboard, you pretty much have to be.
They have so many menus, metrics and data that they track it’s nearly impossible for your average marketer to find what they’re looking for.
In fact, they’ve made it so complicated they had to come up with a certification course to help people understand how to use the platform.
Fathom gives you all the information you could ever need.
Their dashboard displays the number of visitors, what pages they viewed, what country they’re from, browser type, bounce rate and time on site.
That covers 95% of what you need to know. And if you’re an advanced marketer and want the other 5%, those features are available too.
But the best part is, you can find all that information on a single page inside your WordPress dashboard. Simple and straightforward.
Most Importantly, I Trust The Founders
Whenever you’re looking at software solutions for your business, trust is one of the most important things to consider.
Do you trust the company making the software? If the answer isn’t a definite yes, you should probably look for another solution.
Without a doubt, I trust the founders of Fathom with my business.
I’ve been following Paul Jarvis for years. I’m on his email list, I’ve read most of his articles and I own his book, Company of One.
I don’t know him personally but from what I’ve seen, Paul is someone you can count on to produce great work and do the right thing when it comes to his customers.
There’s no doubt in my mind that Fathom is a company you can trust and I’m happy to support the work they’re doing.
I can’t really say the same about Google.
But Google does have one thing going for them, their platform is free.
Why pay for Fathom when Google is free?
There’s a saying in the tech world, “if you’re not paying for the product, you are the product.”
Tech companies like Facebook, Google, Twitter etc don’t charge for their service because YOU are the product.
They let you use their platform for free because they make money by selling your information.
If that doesn’t bother you, or if you don’t have the $14/month for Fathom, then you should probably just stick with Google Analytics.
But if you value privacy and don’t want your site users information being sold by Google to whoever wants it, then Fathom is more than worth it.
You should give Fathom A Try
Fathom is the best alternative to Google Analytics I’ve found.
If you want a simple, straightforward solution for your website stats and you care about the privacy of your visitors, then take advantage of their free trial.
If you’re like me, once you make the switch, you’ll never go back to Google.