Google Analytics Makes Login Easier

Nathan — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 04:43:51 +0000

As with a majority of the web-publishers (if you can really call me that), I use Google Analytics to track visitor stats. It’s simple to implement, easy to use, requires almost no server load and best of all it’s free. My only real complaint about the service was that it required me to login again even if I was already logged into other Google services. Obviously not a major issue, I’m more than willing to do that for free access to such a great service, but it was just a productivity buzz kill.

I started noticing the changes Tuesday morning when I logged in and was immediately excited. Google announced the new streamlined login Tuesday night on the Google Analytics blog.

Now to play the devils advocate. I appreciate the change because I hated pausing to enter my password again but I’m not sure why they couldn’t take it one step further and take me right to the main landing page. If it’s for security reasons, I’ve got to say there are other services that use the Google single-signon that I’m more worried about if my account is compromised.

Also, if you visit Google Analytics without being logged into another Google service you now have an additional step. Now, you have to click the ‘access analytics’ button which will determine you’re not logged in and then you have to enter your Google credentials.

All in all, I think it will save me some time because I don’t often visit Analytics first thing (I tend to be an email person followed by RSS reader) but I’m not exactly sure what the engineers where thinking when they ok’d that approach.

Here are a couple screenshots of the new login approach:

NathanHJones.com » google analytics

Google Analytics Makes Login Easier