In using and reviewing various web analytics packages over the last few years, I have some favorites and some that I would just assume forget about. In order of my all time favorites here is a list of web analytics tools you should check out:

1 – Google Analytics: If you haven’t used this tool yet, I would ask why not? It is free and has been updated with a nice interface. It even has a wizard for A/B split and you can setup goals to see conversion rates and the monetary value of the traffic you receive – isn’t that what you’re looking to do anyway? I like its very graphical dashboard in addition to all the other very valuable info you can get to help your clients or your own site. It’s literally priceless!

2- Click Tracks – I do like the visual nature of this program. I have used the Pro version on a few clients and it does help tell a great story, with the little cartoonish people. Of course it does include all the very important stuff like conversion rates and the monetary value of the traffic you receive and has a click fraud report. I also like the “funnel report” this tells you very simply the which pages and sections are most influential to conversion.

3- HitBox aka WebSideStory – If you like to dig in and get lost, here’s your package. I do feel as though you need at least a 3-day course with this program. I don’t know about you, but I am real busy, and if I can’t find things very easily or it takes me 2 days to create a report that shouldn’t take more than 2 hours, then there’s too much info. Don’t get me wrong, this is a very robust analytics program, but if all I have to manage is (1) site, then I could spend months learning this program inside and out, but sadly, I do not.

If you have a analytics package you use and want to share your thoughts, shoot, I’d love to hear them. Or tell me I’m wrong, I know I can be on occasion.