Established in 2008 by Paul Savage, Dogs.ie made its humble beginnings as a passion project. Over time, it has evolved into Ireland's preferred platform for selling and buying dogs, with a community of 180,000 dog lovers.
In 2022, Dogs.ie switched from Google Analytics to Simple Analytics. We caught up with Paul to discuss why he did this and how he uses Simple Analytics.
Let’s dive in!
Paul and his partner in crime
- The Experience with Google Analytics
- The Shift to a Simpler Solution: Simple Analytics
- Positive Changes and Results
- Final Thoughts
- Why Choose Simple Analytics?
The Experience with Google Analytics
As the digital landscape evolved, so did Dogs.ie. It embraced new technologies and incorporated features like integrated payments, user authentication through SMS, Chat GPT for improving ad texts and image content delivery networks (CDNs).
As early adopters of Google Analytics since its inception in 2005, Dogs.ie tracked approximately 200 million page views across their own and client websites.
While GA was a revolutionary tool in the beginning, over time, it became complicated and added unnecessary delay to page load speeds—a crucial performance parameter for Dogs.ie.
Moreover, Dogs.ie had concerns regarding the security of Google Tag Manager with its total control over the document object model (DOM), and GA's overall stance on user privacy.
The Shift to a Simpler Solution: Simple Analytics
In pursuit of a more straightforward, privacy-focused tool, Dogs.ie switched to Simple Analytics (SA).
Being GDPR-compliant, SA resonated with Dogs.ie's own commitment to privacy. In addition, Dogs.ie leveraged SA to share page-view statistics with advertisement owners.
This is especially interesting for marketplaces like job boards or housing websites since you can easily see website traffic for individual listings. These statistics are readily accessible, eliminating needing a separate page-count viewer.
To show pageviews of ads directly to their customers. Using the Simple Analytics API it displays this data to ad owners when they are logged in.
Dogs.ie runs SA on their domain using the CNAME feature, mitigating the risk of being blocked by ad blockers and trackers. Especially since the use of ad-blockers is increasing, this is a very helpful method for getting accurate website traffic insights.
Lastly, Simple Analytics lightweight script also leads to faster page load times.
Positive Changes and Results
Simple Analytics has had a measurable impact on Dogs.ie. It has significantly increased Dogs.ie's page load speeds, enhancing the user experience. Additionally, it has allowed Dogs.ie to stay compliant with GDPR, further strengthening its reputation.
Directly sharing page-view statistics with ad owners has created a more streamlined process. Data drawn from SA is also shared on pages like dogs.ie/open, with the API used to render charts and extract daily/weekly data.
Final Thoughts
In online advertising on marketplaces, customer experience and data transparency are paramount. Dogs.ie's collaboration with Simple Analytics has positively impacted both these aspects.
It allows them to share user data transparently, enhance customer experience, and stay GDPR-compliant. This is a testament to how a simpler, privacy-first approach to analytics can streamline operations and augment the overall user experience.
Simple Analytics is a GDPR-compliant analytics tool that provides users with an uncomplicated, privacy-focused solution. Paul usages Simple Analytics for www.dogs.ie / www.puppies.ie / www.adultdogs.ie / www.pedigree.ie / www.stud.ie, having them all under 1 plan is handy and easiest too.
Why Choose Simple Analytics?
Simple Analytics aligns with the commitment towards privacy, offers readily available page-view statistics, and reduces the risk of being blocked by ad blockers and trackers. All of these contribute to a superior user experience and streamlined operations for marketplaces.
As more businesses become aware of the importance of data privacy and user experience, the future of Simple Analytics looks promising.
Feel free to give Simple Analytics a try to see for yourself!