Web analytics is an indispensable tool for optimising the Measure the success of your website or ongoing marketing measures and optimise them in a targeted manner. However, it also comes with challenges, particularly in terms of data protection. In this article, you will find out which aspects you need to pay attention to in order to use web analytics (tools) in compliance with data protection regulations.
Why is data protection important in web analytics?
Web analysis collects data about the behaviour of users on your website. This data can, depending on the type of collection, contain personal information such as IP addresses or unique cookie IDs.
According to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), such information is considered personal and is subject to strict protection regulations.
A breach of these provisions can not only lead to high fines, but can also affect the trust of your users.
? Comprehensive web analytics - what is measured?
Web analytics includes a variety of metrics to understand and optimise user behaviour on a website. These include
✅ Visitor and session data - Who visits the site and how long do users stay? (e.g. sessions, unique visitors, bounce rate)
✅ Interactions & engagement - What actions do users perform? (e.g. clicks, scroll depth, form utilisation)
✅ Traffic sources - Where do the visitors come from? (e.g. Google search, social media, paid adverts)
✅ Technical data - Which devices, browsers and loading times do users interact with?
✅ Conversion tracking - How many visitors carry out desired actions? (e.g. purchases, registrations)?
Important to know:
Depending on the technology used (e.g. Google Analytics, Matomo or server-side tracking solutions), the data depth and quality may differ. For example, cookie-less tracking methods offer less granular user profiles, but are more data protection-friendly.
Legal basis for web analytics
The GDPR forms the legal framework for the processing of personal data in the EU. In addition, the Telecommunications Telemedia Data Protection Act (TTDSG) regulates the use of cookies and similar technologies in Germany.
In principle, the setting of Cookies informed consent of the user is required, unless the cookies are absolutely necessary for the operation of the website. Whether web analytics cookies are considered "strictly necessary" is controversial and should therefore be be secured with consent.
Best practices for data protection-compliant web analytics
- Obtain consentBefore you use tracking tools such as Google Analytics, Matomo or other classic solutions, you should obtain the express consent of the user. This can be done via a consent banner that provides clear and understandable information about data processing.
- Anonymise dataReduce the collection of personal data by anonymising IP addresses, for example. Many web analysis tools offer corresponding settings for this.
- Use of cookie-less trackingUse tracking methods that do not require cookies in order to avoid the need for consent. This is the case with Trackboxx, for example.
- Ensure transparencyInform your users in detail in the privacy policy about the analysis tools used, the type of data collected and the purpose of processing.
- Conclude a contract for order processingIf you use external service providers for web analysis, conclude an order processing contract with them in accordance with Art. 28 GDPR.
- Practising data economyOnly collect the data that is really necessary for your analysis objectives and do not store it for longer than necessary.
Selection of data protection-friendly web analysis tools
There are tools that are specifically designed for GDPR-compliant data protection. For example, Matomo (formerly Piwik) enables complete control over the data collected, as it can be hosted on your own server and offers various data protection functions.
Trackboxx is also an excellent solution for Data protection-compliant web analysis to operate. With Trackboxx as a Google Analytics alternative is not even a Consent banner This is necessary because no personal data is collected. Because this eliminates the so-called opt-in (i.e. the consent of your users that you may collect corresponding data), there are fewer tracking gaps.
The balance between effective web analytics and the protection of personal data is challenging, but feasible. By following the best practices mentioned and selecting suitable tools, you can gain valuable insights into user behaviour while meeting legal requirements and the expectations of your users.
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