Tracking (web analytics)
Tracking refers to measuring and analysing how visitors use a website or campaign — where they come from, which pages they view and whether they enquire or buy.
Without measurement, marketing remains a gut feeling. Tracking shows which channels bring enquiries, where visitors drop off and which pages should be improved. Typical tools are Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager, but also privacy-friendly alternatives.
Because many tools store or read information on visitors’ devices, consent under Section 25 TDDDG is generally required. A good solution respects visitors’ decisions while still measuring what matters.
Practical examples: at Candli, Circle set up Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager; at agroplanta, Google Analytics with Cookiebot for consent; and at Zieglmeier, campaign links with QR codes measure conversions per channel.
What to look out for
- Define in advance which questions the measurement should answer.
- Define the key events: enquiry, call, purchase, application.
- Tag campaign links with parameters so channels can be distinguished.
- Obtain consent correctly and load tools only afterwards.
- Review reports regularly and derive concrete improvements.
Common mistakes
- Everything is measured but nothing is analysed.
- Enquiries are not tracked as goals — you see visitors but no results.
- Tracking starts before consent.
Frequently asked questions
Not necessarily. What matters is being able to answer the key questions — where enquiries come from and where visitors drop off. Privacy-friendly alternatives exist for this.
Because they measure differently, count visitors differently and not all visitors consent to measurement. More important than absolute numbers is the trend over time.