Analytics you'll actually use — set up right the first time.
GA4, Plausible, Umami, Fathom. Event tracking, conversion goals, dashboards.
Analytics that's just 'pageviews are tracked' tells you nothing useful. Set up right, it tells you which pages make money, where visitors come from, and what to fix. We configure it properly the first time — and pick a tool that fits your privacy needs.
Which analytics platform to use
GA4 — free, industry standard, huge feature set, but the UI is punishing and the data can be sampled. Plausible — paid ($9-19/mo), privacy-friendly (no cookies, no consent banner needed in EU), simple dashboards, most SMBs love it. Fathom / Umami — similar to Plausible, self-hostable. Matomo — GA-equivalent, self-hostable, GDPR-friendly. We help you pick based on your traffic, budget, and jurisdiction.
Setup done right means
Not just "pageviews are tracked." Real setup includes: conversion goals for the actions that matter (form submits, purchases, signups, downloads). Event tracking on key buttons and outbound links. Enhanced e-commerce tracking for stores. Cross-domain tracking if your checkout is on a different subdomain. Proper filters to exclude your own team's traffic. UTM tagging for campaigns.
Reporting on top of raw data
Raw GA4 is unusable for weekly review. We build simple Looker Studio dashboards (free) that show what you actually need — traffic sources, top pages, conversion rate, ad performance, week-over-week — in one glanceable view. Or if you're on Plausible, the built-in dashboard is often enough.
Picking the right tool
GA4 is free, powerful, and has a punishing interface with sampled data. Plausible is paid but privacy-friendly, needs no cookie banner in the EU, and most small businesses love its simplicity. Fathom and Umami are similar and self-hostable. Matomo is a GA-equivalent you can host yourself. We match the tool to your traffic, budget, and jurisdiction instead of defaulting to GA4 for everyone.
What a real setup includes
Not just pageviews — conversion goals for the actions that matter (form submits, purchases, signups, downloads). Event tracking on key buttons and outbound links. Enhanced e-commerce tracking for stores. Cross-domain tracking if checkout lives elsewhere. Filters to exclude your own team's traffic. And UTM tagging so you can tell which campaign actually worked.
Reporting you'll actually read
Raw GA4 is unusable for a weekly glance, so we build a simple Looker Studio dashboard showing what you need — traffic sources, top pages, conversion rate, ad performance, week over week — in one view. If you're on Plausible, its built-in dashboard is often all you need. Either way, you get numbers you'll actually look at.
GA4
- Free
- Massive feature set
- Requires cookie consent (EU)
- Data can be sampled
- Punishing UI
Plausible
- $9-19/mo
- Simpler
- No cookies, no consent needed
- No sampling
- Delightful UI
What's included
- Analytics platform install
- Conversion goals + events
- Enhanced e-commerce (if applicable)
- Consent banner (if using GA4 in EU)
- Looker Studio dashboard
- Team walkthrough
Often paired with analytics setup
Questions people ask about analytics setup
GA4 or a privacy-friendly alternative?
GA4 if you need its depth and free price and can stomach the UI. Plausible or Fathom if you want simplicity and no cookie-consent banner in the EU. We'll recommend based on your traffic and region.
Do I need a cookie consent banner?
With GA4 in the EU, yes. With Plausible, Fathom, or Umami, no — they don't use cookies or collect personal data, so they sidestep that requirement.
Can you track specific conversions, not just visits?
Yes — that's the point of a real setup. We configure goals and events for form submits, purchases, signups, and any action that matters to you.
Will I get a dashboard I can actually understand?
Yes — a simple Looker Studio (or built-in Plausible) dashboard showing sources, top pages, and conversions at a glance, not raw analytics soup.
Ready to get started with analytics setup?
Send us what you're thinking. Free quote within 4 hours. No pressure, no upsell.