In short
Set up Statistikwerk and let Google Analytics run alongside it for a few weeks. Compare trends, not individual numbers. Save the reports you want to keep, then remove Google Analytics and, if nothing else needs one, the cookie banner.
Contents
Why a plan helps
Statistikwerk counts from the moment you add it to your website. It knows nothing about earlier visits, and old numbers from Google Analytics cannot be imported today. If you switch off Google Analytics straight away, you will be without a comparison with the previous month for a while. A few weeks of running both bridges that gap.
Step 1: Set up Statistikwerk
Open a free account and add your website. Then you have two options:
- WordPress: Upload the plugin and click “Connect to Statistikwerk” under “Settings → Statistikwerk”. The plugin fills in everything itself. It does not count your own visits as long as you are logged in to WordPress.
- Any other website: Copy the single line from the setup page into the head section of your site. In website builders such as Wix, Jimdo or Shopify, the field is usually called “Custom code” or “Header code”.
In the “Check” section of the setup page, you will see as soon as the first page view arrives. Just open your website in another tab.
Step 2: Run both for a few weeks
Leave Google Analytics in place for now. The two tools do not interfere with each other. As long as Google Analytics sets cookies, however, you still need the cookie banner.
Four weeks is enough for most websites. If your visitor numbers vary a lot, for example by season, allow a little more time.
Step 3: Compare the right way
The numbers will not be the same. That is normal, for two reasons:
- Google Analytics only counts visitors who accept the banner and do not use an ad blocker. Statistikwerk counts everyone else as well, so it usually shows more.
- Without cookies, Statistikwerk only recognises visitors on the same day. Someone who comes on two days counts twice. Over a whole month, the number of visitors therefore comes out higher.
So compare the trends. Do the curves rise and fall on the same days? Are the same pages at the top of the list, and do visitors arrive through similar sources? Then Statistikwerk is counting correctly. Why the counting works differently is explained in How Statistikwerk counts visitors without cookies.
Step 4: Switch over
- Save the Google Analytics reports you want to keep, for example as PDF or CSV. Importing them into Statistikwerk is not possible today.
- Remove the Google Analytics code from your website or deactivate the plugin for it. Remember Google Tag Manager too, if you use it.
- Check whether any other services set cookies. If not, the cookie banner can go. More on this in Do I need a cookie banner for my web analytics?
- Update your privacy policy: remove Google Analytics, mention Statistikwerk.
Tip: Tag the links in your next newsletter or Telegram post with the link builder. That way you can see from day one what each post brings in. How it works is explained in UTM links made simple.
Frequently asked questions
Can I bring over my old numbers from Google Analytics?
Not today. Statistikwerk counts from the moment you set it up. Save the reports you will still need before you switch off Google Analytics.
Do I have to remove Google Analytics straight away?
No. You can use both for a while. Only once Google Analytics is gone can you also drop the cookie banner, provided nothing else sets cookies.
Does Statistikwerk count my own visits?
Not with the WordPress plugin, as long as you are logged in. On other websites, you can exclude your browser under “Don’t count your own visits” on the setup page.
Try it out with your own website.
Free, no credit card, set up in two minutes.
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