A dumb Wordpress question

You'll need to install some kind of tracking/analytics.

You can find plugins for google analytics, piwik, and a few others I've forgotten the names of.

chrisanthropic said:

You'll need to install some kind of tracking/analytics.

You can find plugins for google analytics, piwik, and a few others I've forgotten the names of.

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Ah, see, I knew I was missing something. I'll start searching for a plugin like that. Thanks a lot!

Yeah, Wordpress doesn't include tracking by default but there's plenty of plugins to make it pretty easy if your theme doesn't include it.

I recommend Statcounter -- you can sign up for the free version at statcounter.com and then install the Statcounter plugin for Wordpress. I find it a bit easier than Google Analytics to get certain types of data, such as exit links and IP addresses of visitors.

Nup, nup, nup, nup, nup.

Wordpress comes with a standard plugin called Jetpack. It contains a stat counter (much better than the other ones, because a lot of them also count bot visits). It can be accessed through the dashboard on the left hand side. But it needs about 24 hours or so after you set up a new site.

I've been using Google Analytics, combined with the Google analytics for WP plug-in for all of my websites, and it's served me very well.

https://wordpress.org/plugins/google-analytics-dashboard-for-wp/

It gives you easy access to the most relevant tracking data right in your dashboard, including traffic and sessions, users, referrers, country of origin, searches and much, much more. Best of all, it's all completely free.

I use a combination of Jetpack (which is standard with a WP site) and Google Analytics/Google Webmaster tools. So far that combination is working well and giving me some good data.

AubreyGross said:

I use a combination of Jetpack (which is standard with a WP site) and Google Analytics/Google Webmaster tools. So far that combination is working well and giving me some good data.

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Yup! ^

Jetpack!! 

Make sure to install All-In-One SEO pack as well.

Wordpress SEO by Yoast is also a super easy plug-in to use, if you need something to help you with SEO.

Guido Henkel said:

I've been using Google Analytics, combined with the Google analytics for WP plug-in for all of my websites, and it's served me very well.

https://wordpress.org/plugins/google-analytics-dashboard-for-wp/

It gives you easy access to the most relevant tracking data right in your dashboard, including traffic and sessions, users, referrers, country of origin, searches and much, much more. Best of all, it's all completely free.

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+1

But if you don't have a self-hosted site, you should use jetpack, which is built in.

The simple version:
Use Jetpack for simplified information on your pages.

However, I suggest you also install Google Analytics and let it run on your website in the meantime. When you then are ready to look deeper and have a better look at your information, you will have access to old information you then can work with.

Since the GA code is additional, I recommend using a simple plugin called "HEader and Footer" to insert the code. This way, no matter how often you change your theme or edit something, it will not remove your GA code.

hth
Nicole

I just use the Jetpack.

Steve W. said:

Ah, see, I knew I was missing something. I'll start searching for a plugin like that. Thanks a lot!

Click to expand...

Go to Plugins and activate Jetpack. Once you get that up and running, part of the package is site statistics.

Steve W. said:

Okay, this is going to be a dumb question, but after doing as much google-fu as I could manage, I still can't figure out the answer, so here I go:

On blogger I can see what kind of traffic/views I get for my blog, but on my wordpress website I can't see anything like that. There must be a place to see what kind of traffic you're getting on wordpress, right? Does anyone know where I have to look for that information?

Click to expand...

Stats are on your dashboard, or should be.

I have stats on my dashboard. It shows me views, comments, referrals, search terms, audience demographics etc.

The bit I'm struggling with is how the heck to add a mailchimp sign up form to my Wordpress site. There doesn't seem to be a simple way to add it? I tried adding a text box, which Wordpress says can include HTML, but when I copy the code in for the mailchimp form it just displays the code, not the signup box. Help. Anyone...?