Byran explains how a product by the name of ClickTracks Analzyer to perform a useful study of how your users interact with your website. This article will open your eyes to a more efficient analysation of user interaction.
Ok, I admit that I am a designer that likes new products, but remains skeptical about spending money on useless software or upgrades, especially for my clients. I tend to stick with the web software I know--my designer grab bag of essentials includes Photoshop, ImageReady, Illustrator, Homesite, and occasionally Flash. With these products I have unlimited options to create useable websites, but what I lack is a great way to evaluate the results.
Currently the only way to gauge effectiveness is to use a stats application that is either an extremely overpriced custom solution or a severely under-performing hack job that lacks any substance. Give me effective software without the glitzy facade, at a price that is affordable for my clients and me. What I want is something hearty and useful.
ClickTracks Analyzer is a different kind of website tool. It gives you the satisfaction of visually seeing the trail of clicks that your users provide. It's a no-nonsense approach to revealing information that is truly useful, as opposed to seeing an endless list of numbers, words and charts.
The beauty of ClickTracks is that it has a built-in browser that superimposes the behavior information right on top of your website as you click through your pages. The first session reveals cool new useful trends from your users. - -Why wasn't this offered along time ago?
But Wait There's More
As you become more familiar with ClickTracks Analyzer, it gets even better. Ever wonder what all those people from Google do when they reach your site? With ClickTracks Analyzer, you can identify each user from Google and track their path. Want to know how these users compare with Yahoo? Within a minute you can have side-by-side statistics of each user group visually displayed on top of your website. This is revolutionary. If this isnt enough, flag more user groups and easily compare your top five referrers as you click trough your site.
Another encouraging factor is that it takes only the time required to suck down that first morning cup of Joe. It took me less than ten minutes, and I didn't have to add one speck of code to any of the pages in the site. There it is. My website, but with a bunch of information hovering over the top of it. Coffee in one hand, bagel resting precariously on the edge of the desk.
The True Test: Client Showdown
A recent project with a long-term client afforded me the chance to really put ClickTracks through its paces. I didn't design the client's original site. If I had, I'd have never over-navigated and loaded it down with as many pages as the original designer did, but I have been 'maintaining' it for some time. It's been a battle I'm sure you're familiar with; balancing the 'client is always right' attitude with your professional opinion on what's best for the site.
So the client was ready for a redesign, adding a new logo, other new graphics and some new content. What better time to revisit the idea of fixing the horrific nav structure and taking out some of the confusing pages whose only visitor is most likely my client himself?
Of course this redesign didn't come with a blank check. I just couldn't do all the stuff he wanted to do all at one time. I had to suggest the main areas that needed work and concentrate on those first, but even before that, we'd need to agree on what those main areas were.
Before making those suggestions, I knew I needed some hard proof. I grabbed the log file and ran it through ClickTracks Analyzer. Guess what? One glance at the screen showed, right next to each hyperlink, exactly how few people were navigating to those deeper pages, as well as the high numbers of people exiting.
Almost 1/3 of all of his visitors were leaving the site from the home page. I'd need to recommend he take a look at his keywords and meta tags in order to ensure he was accurately portraying the content available on his site.
I also noticed that his home page's load time was a very acceptable 7 seconds. Whatever graphic elements we might end up implementing, I'd reiterate the importance of this quick load time.
Screenshot 1
Further investigation revealed that one of the deepest pages, and coincidentally one of the pages the client was most interested in people seeing, had the lowest percentage of visitors actually sticking with the site long enough to get there. There was only one link from one of the site's interior pages that led to this section, which appeared to be part of the problem. A little more than 6% of the site's visitors happened upon this page.
screenshot 2
Here was the evidence I'd been searching for. I printed out the ClickTracks data and took it with me to our redesign planning meeting. After months of sounding like a broken record, the client took a look at the printouts and had no alternative. He could see it. We decided to focus on reining in the navigation and pages and holding off on some of the other, less important changes until later.
Score: Client: 1 Bryan: 1 Bad site navigation and unnecessary pages: 0
As a web designer, I find a great deal of satisfaction using the application. It's a pretty handy tool to have stashed away in the web building toolbox. I add true value to what I give my clients not only because I have the information, but I can provide that information to them in a way they can understand. And quite honestly, the price is right.
I earned the total cost back in one project, and provided more value to my clients. If you download the 30-day trial version, I'd be willing to bet you'll find some way to pull together the cash at the end.
Info: ClickTracks Analyzer, $495, www.clicktracks.com
| DISCLAIMER: The content provided in this article is not warranted or guaranteed by Developer Shed, Inc. The content provided is intended for entertainment and/or educational purposes in order to introduce to the reader key ideas, concepts, and/or product reviews. As such it is incumbent upon the reader to employ real-world tactics for security and implementation of best practices. We are not liable for any negative consequences that may result from implementing any information covered in our articles or tutorials. If this is a hardware review, it is not recommended to open and/or modify your hardware. |
More Web Services Articles
More By Bryan Zmijewski
 developerWorks - FREE Tools!
|
Hear how IBM Rational Project and Portfolio Management integrated solutions help teams put the right tools and processes in place to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of project teams and ensure that the business vision is being executed correctly. Learn how to automate and integrate requirements prioritization, top-down project planning, communications and controls, and methodology deployment to keep your scope, costs, and schedules under control. Tackle with an end-to-end approach the management of scope and scope changes, usage of methodology to control and empower project teams, and optimization of resources to align activity costs with the overall project plan.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
WebSphere Process Server delivers a unique integration framework that simplifies existing IT resources. Often, as IT assets grow to support business demand, so too does their complexity and manageability. In this webcast, we’ll discuss how WebSphere Process Server helps deliver an SOA infrastructure that provides a common model to orchestrate, mediate, connect, map, and execute the underlying IT functions. Discover how WebSphere Process Server simplifies integration of business processes by leveraging existing IT assets as reusable services without the complexities of traditional integration methodologies.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Download a free trial version of IBM DB2 9.5 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows. DB2 9 is the result of a five-year development project that transformed traditional (static) database technology into an interactive data server that merges the high performance and ease of use of DB2 with the self-describing benefits of XML.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Secure your Web applications with IBM Rational AppScan Standard Edition V7.7, previously known as Watchfire AppScan. This Web application security testing tool automates vulnerability assessments and scans and tests for common Web application vulnerabilities. Visit IBM developerWorks to download a free trial of IBM Rational AppScan Standard Edition V7.7.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
This Fall, IBM Rational talks to you directly through a special teleconference series giving you access to the best minds in IBM Rational - product experts and market thought leaders who will answer your questions during these pre-scheduled telephone conference calls. Register today!
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Join this Rational Talks to You teleconference on November 29 at 1:00 pm ET to participate in an interactive discusssion with Grady Booch around architecture and reuse. Get your questions answered!
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Discover how Rational tools and best practices for testing can make your job easier. The new Rational Testing eKits provide you with valuable resources – including demos, webcasts, tutorials, and articles – that help you address your specific testing needs across the software lifecycle. Five new eKits are available covering the topics of Requirements and Test Management, Functional Testing, Performance Testing, Code Quality and Embedded Systems, and SOA and Web Services Testing.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
This whitepaper provides areas to consider when evaluating any software configuration management solution. It addresses how the IBM solutions (Rational ClearCase and Rational ClearQuest) meet the needs and requirements of both project leaders and developers to provide successful Software Change and Configuration Management.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Get a free trial download of the latest version of IBM Rational Tester for SOA Quality V7.0.1, a functional and regression testing tool that enables the creation, comprehension, modification and execution of testing GUI-less Web services.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Whether you are creating new applications or modifying existing ones, managing integration of new components with traditional z/OS elements is a critical part of building and deploying modern applications. Listen to this webcast to see how IBM can help you optimize your development process using an IDE like Rational Developer for System z that integrates with management tools, such as ClearCase to manage your application development on mainframes.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
All FREE IBM® developerWorks Tools!
|
/ 6 
