Question

I understand that by simply adding a script to the end of the body tag of a html document one makes it processable by Google analytics. My question is, is this likely to have much effect on performance (download time and server load)? Let’s assume a static page of say 100k served by IIS. Thanks.

Answer 1

Will my website’s appearance or performance be affected by Google Analytics?

The appearance of your website will never be affected by your use of Google Analytics – we don’t place any images or text on your pages. Likewise, the performance of your pages won’t be impacted, with the possible exception of the very first page-load after you have added the tracking code. This first pageview calls the JavaScript on Google’s servers, which may take slightly longer than a regular page load. Subsequent pageviews will use cached data and will not be affected.

It’s important to note that many websites on the internet use the same Javascript from the same location on Google’s servers, so only rarely will a new user come to your site without already having that file cached locally.