Tell me more ×
SmugMug Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for SmugMug developers and end users. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 2 down vote favorite

Just wondering if Google Analytics is used much for activity tracking on SmugMug. I signed up for it, but I think it's overkill for my particular (non-commercial) purposes.

share|improve this question
Welcome Stephen. Lets keep in mind that "just wondering" questions don't typically fit here very well. Try to ask a question about a specific problem you have such as "How do I use Google Analytics on my Smugmug site". Thanks for asking though! – dpollitt♦ Feb 7 '12 at 4:03
What?? Just wondering what you mean?!? hahaha – Stephen Feb 11 '12 at 19:18

4 Answers

up vote 5 down vote

It is widely used. So widely used that we added a Control Panel box to add your UA-XXXXXXX number from Google Analytics, thus avoiding the need to paste in html from Google. More on that is here:

share|improve this answer
up vote 2 down vote

It is used quite a bit by all levels of users on SmugMug in my experience on the help desk. The reasons are varied and not necessarily just for commercial purposes. Some examples:

To track when invited users look at galleries that you have sent them a link to.

Check for intrusion into private galleries. This usually happens if a visitor you invited has published the link to others.

To decide when content has become stale and time to archive it. An example would be for an event. After a period of time, you may not see any more visitors and it is safe to move it into an archive category.

To check if a photo has gone viral and published via link to blogs, forums, and places like Facebook.

There are many other reasons. Even if they are just for ego boosting.

share|improve this answer
"To check if a photo has gone viral and published via link to blogs, forums, and places like Facebook." How does one determine that?? – Stephen Feb 9 '12 at 15:28
I typically look for a sudden surge of visits to a single photo or gallery. Using Google Analytics drill down tools, you can then look to see where the referrers are coming from. – Doc Walker♦ Feb 9 '12 at 16:14
up vote 0 down vote

For me it has been a great way to see my shots travel through the world. I enjoy seeing how many countries have visited. It can also be an ego crush if setup wrong - no views. So I will say before you set it up make sure you know what you are wanting to measure.

share|improve this answer
up vote 0 down vote

For those who want serious analytics (beyond simple view counts), Google Analytics is a good free option. I use Clicky which isn't free but has some additional features.

If you don't see a need for Google Analytics and you're not serious about web traffic or revenue, then don't worry about it. If you care about these things, then you should look at Google Analytics, Clicky, or another good stats program.

share|improve this answer

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.