Empowering Privacy: The Story of Plausible Analytics and Its Mission to Redefine Web Analytics.
Company profile
Company business details
Motivation to build the product
The founders were motivated by the growing concerns over data privacy and the need for a simple, user-friendly analytics solution that does not rely on corporate surveillance or the AdTech ecosystem. They aimed to empower users to take control of their data and provide a compliant alternative to existing analytics tools.Problem that their product solves
Plausible solves the problem of data privacy in web analytics by providing a tool that does not collect personal data or use cookies. The end users are website owners who are concerned about privacy regulations and want to understand their traffic without compromising their visitors' privacy. This is important for them as it helps maintain trust with their users and comply with legal requirements.Their unfair advantage
Plausible's unfair advantage lies in its focus on user privacy and simplicity, offering a lightweight and easy-to-use alternative to more complex analytics tools like Google Analytics, while being open-source and compliant with privacy regulations.Strategies
Pre-Launch (Product Development & MVP)
Viral Blog Post Marketing
Marko Saric wrote a compelling blog post titled 'Why you should stop using Google Analytics on your website', which highlighted the drawbacks of Google Analytics and positioned Plausible Analytics as a viable alternative. This post was shared widely, leading to a significant increase in interest and traffic to Plausible's website. The post not only educated potential users about privacy concerns but also provided a clear call to action to consider Plausible as a solution. The result was a staggering 2,500% increase in visitors and a sixfold increase in sign-ups compared to the previous month.
Initial Blog Post Launch
In the early stages of Plausible, the founders published their first blog post in April 2020, shortly after they began working together. This blog post was pivotal, generating around 30,000 visitors on the day it was published. The success of this post set the tone for their content marketing strategy, leading to several other blog posts that also went viral, significantly increasing their visibility and user engagement.
Launch Stage
Open Source Transparency
Plausible Analytics was launched as an open-source project under the MIT license, which allowed users to view and contribute to the codebase. This transparency built trust within the community, as users could see how their data was handled and even fork the project if they desired. The open-source nature of the project also attracted developers who were interested in contributing to its improvement, leading to a collaborative environment that enhanced the product's development.
Open Source Transition
Initially, Plausible was not open source, but after six months of development, the founders decided to open source the project. They consulted with other open source maintainers to ensure that sensitive code could be kept private while still allowing the community to contribute. This decision not only built trust within the developer community but also encouraged contributions, leading to a more robust product.
Open Source and Self-Hosting
Plausible was launched as a completely open-source project, allowing users to self-host the analytics solution. This decision was made to provide users with more control and flexibility over their data, contrasting with proprietary analytics tools. By offering a self-hosted version, Plausible aimed to attract privacy-conscious users who prefer to manage their own data without relying on third-party services. This strategy not only appealed to a niche market but also fostered a community around the project, encouraging contributions and support from users who value open-source software.
Learn more about Plausible Analytics
Why You Should Stop Using Google Analytics on Your Website
Plausible Analytics: A Privacy-Friendly Google Analytics Alternative