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22 Apr This post is from from my other blog here At long last Google has released a beta Data Export API for Analytics. Announced today, the beta is open to all Analytics users. It’s going to be great to see what developers and marketers team up to do now that Analytics data can be accessed without hacking. From the Google Analytics blog post announcing the availability of the API:
What’s so exciting about an API? The API will allow developers to extend Google Analytics in new and creative ways that benefit developers, organizations and end users. Large organizations and agencies now have a standardized platform for integrating Analytics data with their own business data. Developers can integrate Google Analytics into their existing products and create standalone applications that they sell. Users could see snapshots of their Analytics data in developer created dashboards and gadgets. Individuals and business owners will have opportunities to access their Google Analytics information in a variety of new ways. The post continues on to provide sample ideas, tips on how to get started, and real-world applications.
10 Apr This post is from from my other blog here If you maintain or market a website, you’re probably all too familiar with web analytics reports that tell you how your site is generally used. Information is generally presented in sums and averages, and you’re getting a very statistical presentation of how your site is used. You can (and should) segment how you review your data to gain more insight and get valuable information, but if you really want to know how users interact withyour site, you’ll have to go beyond your analytics dashboard. There’s a few ways you can go about it, many of which are expensive. Before going to the alternatives below, you’ll want to reach out and see what it costs to hire a firm to do in-person usability testing. Depending on your scale, ‘expensive’ may very well not be. And, in no way am I suggesting that we devalue what professional usability professionals do. That said, here are a couple of other options that you can consider: The $49 usability labIf you have an employee who has done usability testing before, what you might have a hard time justifying the price of the equipment to perform the tests. Consider the costs of it would take to do set up a lab:
Well, if you have a Macintosh, there might be another option for you. A company called Clearleft has created a usability testing program called Silverback for Macintoshes running OS X. Current (and most recent) Macs (barring the Mini) come with a video camera and a mic built in, so insofar as hardware if you have the Mac, you’re almost there, you just need the software. The cost? Free to try, $49 to buy. The video below provides an introduction to Silverback. Much less personalThere’s another option that provides a far more limited view, but one that still has plenty of value. If your situation is that you…
You might try another option. It doesn’t allow you to guide the user, prompt them with exactly what you want them to do, or to gather facial expressions or what they say while using the site. The service is called ClickTale. What does it do? For starters it records user sessions and allows you to play them back. Here’s a video from ClickTale: After installing a few scripts on your website the service provides
This is obviously a different type of solution, but depending on your needs it might do the trick. ClickTale has a limited free version and paid plans starting at $59/month for up to 10 ...
10 Apr This post is from from my other blog here I’ve been thinking about the future of search a lot lately. As information presents itself in new forms, users expectations change, and generational attitudes reshape what makes information important, search must follow suit to stay relevant. Everything from how one makes a request, what form that request takes, what the response is, and how the response is presented is due for change. Luminaries are talking about everything from that which is very current and in evolution to futuristic concepts that are far more revolutionary. I unfortunately haven’t had time to write about it at length, but I thought I’d share a few interesting posts on other blogs that I’ve read lately:
There’s much, much more out there and so much to consider. If you’ve got a favorite great post to share please do!
05 Apr This post is from from my other blog here Both Venture Beat and Mashable had coverage last week of a Facebook feature currently being tested called “credits.” I thought “credits” was a April Fool’s Day joke that just wasn’t all that amusing. Apparently, it wasn’t. Here’s an excerpt from the Venture Beat coverage that explains how it works: When you leave a comment on an item, you’ll see a field where you can enter the number of credits you want to give the person who created the item. You’ll also see the number of credits you have available to give — you can choose to give up to the number of credits you possess. You can only get credits by buying them in Facebook’s virtual gifts store — $1 for 100 credits — or by receiving them (or by getting some free when you start using credits, although Facebook is testing how many to make available that way). Once you’ve left a comment with credits, you’ll see the credits appear next to the comment, following the feature’s green plus symbol icon. There’s no other way to create credits at this time. This means people need to think twice before giving their credits away. “No brainer” or “no brain”? For Facebook, it’s a no-brainer. Getting users to exchange real cash for virtual compliments doesn’t have a downside. And, they’re the coolest social networking site on the block. They’ve proven that they are adept at rolling out ideas then, if they tank (or worse, aggravate people), they can backpedal without too much damage. For Facebook users? My guess is that the average Facebook user’s response is “thanks, but no thanks.” The idea is, well, clunky. While there’s likely far more behind this than what’s being exposed at this point, in response to one’s status giving someone a quick text retort or clicking a ‘like’ link feels natural. Giving them ‘money’ they can spend on tchotchke or re-credit to someone else’s clever status does not. What do you think? How will Facebook users respond?
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A Google Analytics API has long been one of our most widely anticipated features. Today we’re pleased to announce that the Google Analytics Data Export API beta is now publicly available to all Analytics users!
