Stockholm University chose Matomo to respect student privacy and for the platform's flexibility
Stockholm University’s commitment to user privacy and the need for customisable web analytics for their 200 users drove their transition to Matomo.
About Stockholm University
Stockholm University is a prominent educational institution serving a student body of around 30,000. The university’s primary mission is to advance science-based knowledge, with the belief that scientific analysis can drive positive change and improve the world.
With approximately 9.5 million visits annually across its 150 websites, the university is committed to ensuring GDPR compliance and protecting user privacy while improving the user experience across its websites.
Navigating the challenges of compliance, privacy, and customisation
Nicolas Karlborg, a UX Designer at Stockholm University, outlined the university’s struggle with adapting Google Analytics to their specific academic context. The primary challenge was aligning the tool with stringent GDPR compliance requirements and the unique needs of a large educational institution.
“Our primary goal was to ensure user privacy, which is non-negotiable given our GDPR obligations. Additionally, we needed a solution that could adapt to our distinct academic environment,” Nicolas explained.
The limitations of Google Analytics in providing the level of customisation needed for academic purposes became increasingly apparent.
“With 200 users accessing web analytics across different departments, we required a platform that could offer highly customisable reports to meet various analytical needs,” he added.
The university needed a solution that could meet these diverse needs while ensuring compliance with privacy regulations.
Finding the right fit with Matomo
After an exhaustive search for a suitable web analytics platform, Stockholm University chose Matomo. “Matomo stood out because of its strong focus on user privacy and its customisability,” Nicolas noted.
Matomo’s compliance and privacy-friendly features, along with its ability to tailor analytics to specific goals, made it the ideal choice.
Transformative impact on data-driven decisions
Matomo has brought significant improvements in how Stockholm University tracks and analyses user interactions. The ability to create custom reports and use advanced features such as heatmaps and session recordings provided valuable insights into user behaviour.
Nicolas highlighted a specific example: “We recently used Matomo to check how well our new research catalogue was performing. Although there were initial doubts from stakeholders about its value, Matomo clearly showed it was highly valuable, highlighting strong interest and engagement from visitors.”
Additionally, Matomo’s advanced features enabled a deeper understanding of user behaviour and how visitors interact with different pages and elements.
Nicolas explained, « We initially thought a banner call-to-action at the bottom of a long landing page was ineffective. However, Matomo’s detailed tracking showed that users were scrolling down and interacting with the banner, which made it much easier for us to refine our design.”
By using session recordings, scroll depth, and event tracking, Nicolas was able to gather different data types, making it easier to understand user behaviour.
A future fueled by powerful features and customisable insights
Stockholm University’s switch to Matomo has empowered them to make informed decisions with confidence. The ability to respect user privacy while customising web analytics to fit their needs has been transformative.
Nicolas concluded, “Matomo has provided us with the privacy-respecting insights needed to deeply understand user behaviour across our websites.”
With Matomo, Stockholm University has not only addressed their privacy and compliance concerns but also gained a powerful web analytics platform that supports their mission.
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