Can you see who visits your website?
Not by name. Website analytics shows counts and patterns: how many visits, which pages, where visitors came from and roughly where they are. It does not tell you who a visitor is, and Google's policies for Google Analytics say no data may be passed to Google that it could use or recognize as personally identifiable, such as an email address. Tools that claim to name visitors raise privacy questions. A visitor tells you who they are by getting in touch.
What analytics shows, and what it does not
| Usually shows | Does not show |
|---|---|
| How many visits the site had | A visitor's name |
| Which pages people read | Their email address or phone number |
| Where visits came from, such as a search, a social post or another site | Their home address |
| Phone or computer, and a rough location | Whether they became a customer |
Why Google Analytics is built not to name people
Google's best-practices page says its policies forbid passing Google any data it could use or recognize as personally identifiable information (PII). It says PII includes, but is not limited to, email addresses, personal mobile numbers and social security numbers. It warns that such details are often sent by accident in page addresses and titles, and that visitors sometimes type them into search boxes and form fields; it says to remove them before they are sent to Analytics. It also says location data must not be GPS or finer than an area of 1 square mile.
This is a plain summary of Google's policy page, not legal advice. Google itself suggests consulting an attorney if you are unsure whether some information counts as personal. As general advice, ask whoever runs your site to check that your inquiry form does not put a visitor's details into the address of the page that follows it.
Tools that say they can name your visitors
Some services claim to identify the people or companies behind visits by matching them against other data. As general advice, before using one, ask where its data comes from, whether your privacy notice would tell visitors about it, and whether it is allowed where you and your visitors are; the related answer on whether a website needs a privacy policy covers the notice. For a local service business, a list of people who looked but did not get in touch is rarely worth much, and you should call or text anyone only with the person's consent.
How visitors tell you who they are
The inquiry form, a call, a booking or a message is where a visitor chooses to give you their name. Make that easy: a short form, a phone number that can be tapped, and a fast reply. The related answer on what a contact form should ask covers the fields. Then record each inquiry with its source and follow it to won, lost or still open.
Sources
Related answers
- Does a small business need website analytics?
- Does a small business website need a privacy policy?
- What should a contact form ask?
Websites, upgraded or built
Most businesses do not need a new website. They need the one they have to load fast, say clearly what they do and ask the visitor to take one step.