To pay or not to pay, that is the question--especially when it comes to comparing the free version of Google Analytics to Google Analytics Premium.
On one hand, the free version provides plenty of useful information about who's visiting your website. On the other hand, the premium version also provides information that is very practical.
Determining which is right for you comes down to understanding the difference between the two and which is more likely to deliver the data you need. Here's a look at the two tools, what they do and what they deliver:
Data Collection
Both Google Analytics and Google Analytics Premium allow you to report a variety of data: traffic sources, users' devices, users' locations and more.
The major difference between the tools is the amount of data that can be collected. Google Analytics Premium has higher limits, naturally, starting with 1 billion per month and going up from there. It also allows you to customize the data you collect and where you collect it from and then combine the data.
In short, you can collect a lot more data with the premium edition.
Importing and Reporting Data
As you would expect, both tools integrate with Google AdWords, allowing you to easily gather cost and impression data. The premium addition also works with DoubleClick products. Both also allow you to import data from custom sources, which can be valuable when it comes to analyzing cost data, product data and content data. Google Analytics Premium takes this one step further by allowing you to see historic data, providing important trend information.
When it comes to reporting, both versions are pretty much the same, although the premium edition's reports are more detailed because it collects more data. One advantage Google Analytics Premium does provide is the ability to avoid sampling, a tactic Google Analytics employs to provide data more quickly when you request a large report that isn't already pre-calculated. Unsampled data is much, much more accurate and delivered every bit as quickly as sampled data in the standard version.
Complex Analysis
When it comes to analyzing a large amount of data, Google Analytics Premium blows away the standard version. Premium retrieves huge chunks of data, including unsampled reports and then dumps them into BigQuery. BigQuery is Google's data storage and querying tool and it makes analyzing complex data a lot easier.
Speaking of Service
Service is one of the key benefits of paying for the premium edition. You get guaranteed access to the Google Analytics support team, invitations to special Google events and early access to beta programs. This access can be incredibly important when you're trying to make sense of large amounts of data so you can make strategic decisions.
Decision Time
If you still aren't sure about which version of Google Analytics would be best for your business, request a free consultation today. We're happy to analyze your needs and help you make the right decision!
