Analytics, tracking, and stats

This is the most powerful way to study the traffic to your site and there are two ways to implement - manually or via plugin.

Manual Method

Step 1: Create an account and login

Begin by going to the Google Analytics website to sign up for an account and login. 

Click the Admin menu option in the bottom left of the screen to manage your accounts. In the administration area, use the Create button to create a new account.

Step 2: Work through the guide

After you click to create the new account, you will work through the steps of Google Analytics setup guide:

Step 3: Copy website tracking code

After you work through the set up guide, Google will provide you with a tag that you can copy:

Step 4: Paste website tracking code into ProPhoto

Within the Visual Builder of ProPhoto, click on the Settings options area, then navigate to Analytics and paste your code into the Google Analytics field.

After pasting the code, click to Save. Now, whenever someone visits your site, their interaction with your site will be logged and presented in your Google Analytics dashboard. Login to your Google Analytics account any time to view reports of all kinds. Tracking data may not show immediately, so be patient for the first bit of data to appear.

Also, be aware that ProPhoto will not add tracking code for anyone who is logged into your WordPress site. This prevents admin traffic from being counted. Simply logout if you need to confirm the tracking code is working, or to track your own activity.

Via Plugin

If you would like to avoid the manual copy/past method described above, or if you would like integrate any other Google functionality into your site (like Ads, Search Console, Tag Manager, etc.), you will want to install a plugin - Google Site Kit. After you've set up each service you wish to use within your Google account, this plugin allows you to connect your website directly to your Google account and the services you wish to utilize.

Statcounter is another site traffic analysis tool, similar to Google Analytics, which you can use to review the number of visitors to your site.

Step 1: Create a StatCounter account

Create an account at http://statcounter.com/ where you will login to view the stats for your site. If you already have an account, you can simply log in.

Step 2: Add a StatCounter Project

You will be asked to provide some details about your site, including the address of your site, which it's best to copy-paste from your "Settings > General > Site Address (URL)" box in WordPress to prevent typos.

Once you've provided your site info, you will be asked about a counter or button type. We advise the "Invisible Counter" option, so your site remains under your control and not cluttered with a visible counter box.

This will take you to a page with instructions on how to use a WordPress plugin as well as an option for Power Users. Certainly, you may use the plugin method, but ProPhoto makes it easy to be a "power user" and avoid the plugin (which we recommend).  So click to install the plugin manually.

Step 3: Copy standard code

Copy the Standard code for the next step. Ignore all the other instructions. All you need is this piece of code.

Step 4: Paste your StatCounter code into ProPhoto

Navigate to the Settings area of the ProPhoto Visual Builder and select the Analytics area. Then, paste the code into the Statcounter Analytics box.

Click to Save and that's it!

Be aware that ProPhoto will not add tracking code for anyone who is logged into your WordPress site. This prevents admin traffic from being counted. Simply logout if you need to confirm the tracking code is working, or to track your own activity.

Step 5: Confirm setup

If you would like to confirm that StatCounter is set up correctly, scroll to the bottom of the page from which you copied the code and click Check Installation.

You should see a message confirming that you have successfully installed StatCounter on your site. Your site traffic will now be tracked by Statcounter.com where you can login to review site traffic. Again, you must sign out of WordPress to be considered a 'visitor' to the site.

Many other tools are available as plugins for WordPress. If you want to use a different website tracking tool, you might try searching for one in the "Plugins > Add New" area. Remember to delete any plugins you're not using after you've tested them.