Mint 2 and Google Analytics
I installed Mint 2 on this website in January, so I thought I’d post my observations.
“Why have you waited so long to post?” one might ask. Well, I’ve actually been using Mint for rather longer than that. At the last count I’d put it on four websites and it’s one of the best browser-based applications that it’s been my pleasure to use.
Shaun Inman is a very talented developer and, based on a couple of exchanges I’ve had with him, a jolly nice chap. His following of web designers who lavish praise upon his every pixel and line of code is quite large enough without my joining it however, so I decided to wait and post something more objective than “I heart Mint.”
I’m using Mint in tandem with Google Analytics. Each has its pros and cons:
Mint
The most immediate difference is that it costs $30, but that’s peanuts. Get over it, and get your credit card out.
Mint is hosted on your own website, recording its data in a MySQL database. This means that the numbers you see are up to the moment, rather than generated on a schedule. It also means that you need to install and maintain it yourself, but that is a simple matter.
It is supported by an enthusiastic and creative group of users and developers, who create plugins (called “Peppers” thanks to Inman’s penchant for puns) and other tools as well as providing advice. This community vibe is entirely absent from Google, and will probably always remain so.
The user interface is clean, considered and understated. Compared to the complexity and ugliness of Google, it’s a breath of fresh air. It also makes it strangely addictive to take a peak at your stats on a frequent basis.
Another reason why I wanted to wait was that I felt rather hasty in buying Mint 2. Compared to installs of Mint 1.2 that I made, I experienced a short-term loss of functionality as Peppers that I’d come to rely on hadn’t been updated (this is now resolved).
At the time of writing I’m using Mint 2.02 with the following additional Peppers:
- Blog Comments and Trends by Ronald Heft
- Downloads and Locations by Till Krüss
- Feedburner Stats by John Nunemaker
- Geo Mint by Christoph Lupprich
- Outclicks (with this fix) by Andrew Sutherland
- Real Estate, Secret Crush and User Agent 007 by Shaun Inman
I plan to give it another couple of months before I update again, to be fairly sure that the initial flurry of changes and fixes is done and dusted…
Google Analytics
Firstly, Google is free. One of its primary functions is to track the success of your AdWords, and the revenue from this scheme supports the Analytics project (which is based on the Urchin software that Google acquired).
I mainly use it for its graphing capabilities and superior geo location reporting. I have plans to implement goal tracking, but that is something for the future.
Compared to Mint, it is powerful but ungainly. I tend to open Mint when I want to have a quick glance, and Google to see stats in more detail.
After originally setting up some filters (I set Mint to ignore my visits and Google to ignore my work IP address), I have removed them. I found it too problematic to reconcile the data between the two applications. Since they don’t seem to track figures in quite the same terms, I now just take the data as a ballpark indicator of activity.
Horses for courses. I recommend using both.
Postscript: I’ve also applied to the beta test programme for Reinvigorate, another free analytics tool. When I receive my invite, I’ll post about what I find.
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