How big is your audience?
Pageviews and visitors show how many people reach your site over time.
Guide
What is web analytics?
Web analytics is the practice of measuring and understanding how people find and use your website. This guide explains the basics, the key metrics and how to get started.
Web analytics in plain English
Web analytics collects data about visits to your website and turns it into reports. It answers questions such as: how many people visit, where do they come from, which pages do they read and what do they do next.
The goal is to make better decisions: which content to write, which channels to invest in and where your website could be clearer or faster.
How web analytics works
- A small script runs on every page
You add a short tracking code to your website. It runs in the visitor browser when a page loads. - The script sends a request
It reports the page, the referrer and basic context to the analytics server. - The server processes the data
It groups the page views into statistics such as pageviews, visitors, sources, countries and devices. - You read the reports
A dashboard shows the numbers, usually in real time and over any date range.
What web analytics can tell you
Where do visitors come from?
Referrers and campaigns reveal which channels work.
What do they read?
Top pages show which content attracts attention.
Who are they?
Countries, devices and browsers describe your audience without identifying individuals.
Do they take action?
Custom events and conversions measure sign-ups, purchases and clicks.
What changed?
Date comparisons show the effect of campaigns and updates.
Cookie-based and cookieless web analytics
Traditional tools place cookies in the browser to recognise people across visits. They offer deep user-level reports but require consent in the EU and miss visitors who decline.
Cookieless tools such as Noralytic measure page views anonymously. They give you the numbers most sites need and avoid consent banners. Read more in our guide to cookieless analytics.
How to get started
- Choose a tool
Pick an analytics tool that fits your privacy and simplicity needs. See our comparisons. - Add the tracking code
Paste one line into your website. Our integration guides show where. - Define your goals
Decide which actions matter, such as sign-ups or purchases, and track them as events. - Review regularly
Look at your numbers weekly, and act on what you learn.
Frequently asked questions
What is web analytics used for?
To understand your audience and results: how many people visit, where they come from, what they view and whether they complete your goals.
Do I need web analytics for a small website?
Yes. Even a small site benefits from knowing which content works, so you can focus your effort.
Is web analytics legal?
Yes, but the rules depend on the tool and country. Cookieless, anonymous tools are the simplest to use in line with data protection laws.
What is the best web analytics tool?
It depends on your needs. For simple, privacy-friendly analytics, tools like Noralytic are a strong fit. For advertising integrations, Google Analytics may be needed.
Keep reading
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