If you’re running a blog, Google Analytics may be the best single tool in your arsenal of traffic-generating weapons. Available for free, and capable of providing excellent data, Analytics is a must-have.
The basic site isn’t well optimized for mobile devices however, which can be frustrating for webmasters who want to keep tabs on sites without dragging around a laptop. Thankfully, some Android developers have come to the rescue with apps specifically designed to make Analytics easy to use on a smartphone.
gAnalytics [No Longer Available] [2.2+]
Free is always great, but sometimes it comes at the price of functionality. This is particularly true of apps that are compatible with Google Analytics. Several options (including Droid Analytics, below) are paid, and that isn’t going to be attractive to everyone.
Fortunately, the free price tag on gAnalytics doesn't require much in the way of sacrifice from users. This app packs most of the information that you’ll need including visitors, popular keywords, referring sites, and more. Better yet, it does so with an interface which is actually more practical and professional than that of Droid Analytics.
The downside? Despite many interface advantages, switching between different timeframes when looking at site data is a pain in the butt, and Droid Analytics can provide more data at once. These are not massive flaws, however, and I suspect most users will be happy with what gAnalytics offers.
Droid Analytics [No Longer Available]
This rather clunky app receives isn’t hard to use, but receives no praise for its appearance. It looks and feels like a java program for a computer that’s been crammed on to a small screen, and while it’s as quick as any other app, it seems outdated.
If you can get over the appearance, however, you’ll find a wonderful app that provides a lot of Google Analytics data. What I most about this app is how easy it is to view data from different time periods. You can view the last seven days, the last 30 days, or any other time period by touching the clock icon. It’s also possible to break down data by different increments. For example, you can see the number of visitors you’ve received by day, by week, or by year.
Despite what I like about this app, and the fact I’ll probably use it instead of gAnalytics in the future, I think the current price of $3.47 is steep considering the lack of attention to detail. The developer really should slap a new coat of paint on it.
There is one advantage to be old and crusty, however - this app will work on Android versions as old as 1.1.
Simple Analytics Widget [2.1+]
Both of the above apps are suitable for most users, but they are missing one important feature. A widget. I mean, come on. Every Android app needs a widget!
Thankfully there are some available, and among them, I prefer Simple Analytics Widget. The reasons are quite simple. First, the widget is the best looking of the bunch, presenting information in simple but attractive bold font. Second, the widget can present several different types of data (such as visits a day, page views per day, or bounce rate).
To add icing to this tasty widget cake, you’ll find the widget is easy to use, as it connects straight to your selected Google account rather than asking for a specific username/password combination.
Conclusion
While there are other Google Analytics apps for Android available, I find these to be the best options, and the ones that I prefer using when I monitor the activity of my own blog. Do you think I’m wrong? Feel free to share your favorites in the comments!