Darien Overland is a niche website that provides helpful information about Vanlife and overland travel. It was founded by Taran Causey, a campervan fanatic who turned his passion into a niche website business.
We caught up with Taran to discuss the benefits of efficient website analytics and why he uses Simple Analytics
Let’s dive in!
Taran from Darien Overland
- Efficient website tracking
- A shift in analytics approach
- Putting it into Practice
- Reflection and Recommendation
Efficient website tracking
According to Taran, niche website owners often find themselves drowned in a sea of metrics - impressions, traffic, and numerous others. While this diligent monitoring is good, it can also lead to stress and unnecessary emotional rollercoasters, depending on what the numbers reveal.
This scenario raises an important question: Is continuous monitoring essential for understanding performance, or could there be a more efficient approach to this?
A shift in analytics approach
A tweet by Pieter Levels, a renowned indie hacker, shifted this thought process. Known for his unconventional but effective strategies and ignoring unnecessary criticism, Pieter made a remark about website analytics that stuck:
"99% of us just want to see how many pageviews we get."
His comment resonated with the sentiment of niche website owners who are primarily concerned about growth.
For Taran, this observation led to the formulation of a new rule - to only check analytics when there is a tangible achievement, a variable under control. This rule would emphasize the necessary actions for achieving the desired outcome, such as hitting a publishing milestone.
The decision to adopt Simple Analytics was made to sharpen focus on essential metrics and eliminate unnecessary distractions.
Putting it into Practice
With the adoption of Simple Analytics, the focus was narrowed down to two crucial metrics: Traffic and Time on Page.
This approach helps niche Taran understand how many people access their content and whether they find it engaging. By simplifying the process, the potential for discouragement or emotional rollercoasters was significantly reduced.
Also, Simple Analytics is much easier to navigate and has a slick looking dashboard in comparison to monstrosity of Google Analytics
Reflection and Recommendation
For those struggling with analysis paralysis or finding Google Analytics overwhelming, Simple Analytics comes as a great alternative. Two years have passed since the implementation of this strategy, and the thought of abandoning it seems inconceivable for Taran.
The use of Simple Analytics has proven to be highly effective in managing and understanding metrics for niche websites.
With Simple Analytics, you can still see your website performance, but without the unnecessary complexities of Google Analytics. Remember, while numbers are important, focusing on aspects that you can directly influence will result in more meaningful growth.
Simple Analytics is a beacon for those lost in the complex labyrinth of Google Analytics, providing a much-needed alternative - Taran Causey
Feel free to give Simple Analytics a try to see for yourself!