-
There are many web reporting tools available. However the most popular package has proven to be Google Analytics as well as a few noteworthy others including; ClickTale, Crazy Egg, Woopra and 4Q.
Google Analytics
As mentioned previously, this programme is a free tool but comes with an array of details and reporting tools to be included in the status report as well as real time tracking. Some of the main benefits of Google Analytics include;
-
It’s completely free of charge
-
The ability to determine how your visitors/users located your website. This will help to identify new keywords that can be added to your Meta data as well as your site content
-
Link tracking – what sites users are coming from. Which links are proving to be the most popular
-
Click tracking – where on the site is most popular in terms of the amount of clicks its getting
-
Visitor Segmentation – with geo location software in place it is easy to see where in the world your visitors are coming from. Google analytics also provides the ability to see how many loyal visitors are returning to your site and how many new ones you are getting
-
Website improvement – with the feedback from the status report it is easy to see where on your website needs improving. This could be from optimising content, adding new keywords or simply making certain pages more user friendly
Google Analytics is the first live tracking code that we will ensure is installed on your website.
Clicktale
Clicktale is another popular analytics package that is used the world over. Unlike Google however there are various price packages. There is a free version of the tool but it is not as detailed in terms of the information that it can provide.
-
Some features of ClickTale include; visual heatmaps, playable videos of a customer’s browsing session as well as tracking every move that is made by the mouse.
-
As with all other live tracking programmes, it is of great benefit when it comes to optimising a website and achieving better web conversion rates.
Crazy Egg
Crazy Egg is known as a very advanced version of Google analytics’ site overlay tool.
-
By providing a very detailed heatmap, this reporting tool allows users to see exactly where on the site users are clicking.
-
Like all heatmaps, it is beneficial in terms of seeing where on the site that people aren’t clicking.
-
This information will help in terms of planning how to improve those areas and make them more interactive and thus help with increasing web conversion rates.
-
A status report is provided along with the analysis.
Woopra
Woopra is a newer web reporting tool and is ideal for sites that don’t receive a massive amount of traffic. It offers most of the basic offerings that Google Analytics provide as well as more.
-
Two of the features include; real time tracking analysis as well as a built in chat tool.
-
The real time tracking analysis allows website owners/editors see exactly which source your visitors come from, what page they’re on as well as the path they take around the site amongst many others.
-
The built in chat tool allows you to pop up messages to visitors while on your site and actually talk to them there and then. In terms of live tracking and generating real time feedback this is an excellent tool.
4Q
4Q stands for “4 Questions” and is a free online survey solution that allows to establish why users are on your website, are they getting what they what they want, if not, why? And how satisfied with the overall experience that your site provided are they? The creators of 4Q set out four essential questions that they believe are invaluable in terms of getting real time tracking and feedback for improving your site. The 4 questions are;
• What are my visitors at my website to do?
• Are they completing what they set out to do?
• If not, why not?
• How satisfied are my visitors?
