Adam Ware of SwellPath presents on how tracking activity on web sites used to be all about the page views and visit paths. Now, dynamic content means most interaction is taking place between page loads. Getting web analytics tracking involved in this interaction is still often overlooked, avoided, or feared. This slideshow examines good and bad ways to integrate web analytics tracking beginning in the design phase, and how doing so can benefit designers and developers as much as it benefits marketers. Learn how visitors are interacting with your work, and use the knowledge to drive your own personal design and development decisions.

1. beyond the pageview:
what’s going on with your
dynamic content?
A d a m Wa r e
SwellPath Interactive
@wheresitworking
adam@swellpath.com

2. traditional #wa
• 1x1 pixel image requests
• sent via JavaScript
• +10 years
• web interfaces
• early players:
beyond the pageview: what's going on with your dynamic content?

3. new & improved for rich media
• requests are set free from the tag
– events
– ActionScript
– email
– desktop applications
beyond the pageview: what's going on with your dynamic content?

4. and then…
people just started giving away
pretty cool stuff for free….
beyond the pageview: what's going on with your dynamic content?

5. hitspageviews actions
• KPIs evolve and #wa consultants start using
terms and phrases like:
content consumption
interaction with dynamic features
engagement
events
actions
beyond the pageview: what's going on with your dynamic content?

6. so, what is an action?
• anything involving a
click, typing, hovering, etc.
• something you want the visitor to
do
• something you don’t want them to
do
beyond the pageview: what's going on with your dynamic content?

7. examples
• clicking controls in a video player
• navigating an AJAX menu
• submitting a layered form
• registering a desktop application
beyond the pageview: what's going on with your dynamic content?

8. planning: high level questions
• do we really care about the data?
• who is going to own analytics?
• what does the overall project
architecture look like?
• will there be multiple components
or locations (e.g.
widgets, applications, etc.)?
beyond the pageview: what's going on with your dynamic content?

9. planning: set objectives
• what does it do?
• what do we want the user to do?
• how do we want them to use it?
• what will determine success or
failure?
beyond the pageview: what's going on with your dynamic content?

10. planning: pick a platform(s)
• do we have beaucoup dolares ?
• what do we have experience
working with?
• would you benefit from a secondary
platform?
beyond the pageview: what's going on with your dynamic content?

11. planning: design integration
• analytics recommendations should
be involved in wireframing
• discussion with designers and lead
developer(s ) should involve at
least an hour to discussing the
“nuts and bolts” – not high-level
b.s.
• you will have a test
environment/profile/dataset
beyond the pageview: what's going on with your dynamic content?

12. execution: development
• does everybody know what they’re
responsible for? do they know how
to do it?
• analytics will not be neglected
because you have a billion other
things to worry about
• periodic checks of data -collection
and reporting will be done
beyond the pageview: what's going on with your dynamic content?

13. execution: pre-launch checks
• monitoring data collection in the
development phase prevents:
– anger
– frustration
– an analytics-less launch
– @#$%ed up data
beyond the pageview: what's going on with your dynamic content?

14. post- launch
we’ll come back to this….
lets talk surface-level nuts-and-bolts
(yes, that is an oxymoron)
first.
beyond the pageview: what's going on with your dynamic content?

15. AJAX, browser events, etc.
• generally your just calling a
function and passing some
parameters
• the function exists in the . js file
that the analytics platform uses
• limitations to the parameters that
can be passed
• can be facilitated with event
handling functions
beyond the pageview: what's going on with your dynamic content?

16. analytics platform functions
• Match the function to it’s platform:
dcsMultiTrack() Clicktracks
CT_RecordView() Google Analytics
trackPageView() We b Tr e n d s
clicky.log() Omniture
trackLink() Clicky
beyond the pageview: what's going on with your dynamic content?

17. Flash basics
• getURL()
• ActionScript
• some platforms offer tools:
– gaforflash
– OmnitureActionSource
beyond the pageview: what's going on with your dynamic content?

18. Java and other stuff
• conceptually all the same
• other may include:
– Silverlight
– Java Apps
– ???
beyond the pageview: what's going on with your dynamic content?

19. post launch: internal reporting
• involve all stakeholders in report
distribution
• provide insights to everyone in the
production chain
• celebrate what is “working”
• acknowledge what isn’t working
beyond the pageview: what's going on with your dynamic content?

20. post launch: reporting to the boss
• don’t fear telling the client what is
happening
• always look (through the data) for
ways to refine the current project
• incorporate the findings into future
projects
beyond the pageview: what's going on with your dynamic content?

21. post launch: getting more
• consider more extensive collection:
– multivariate and a/b testing
– additional tagging
• dive deeper into the data; do more
extensive analysis
beyond the pageview: what's going on with your dynamic content?

22. example and resources
• WebTrends & N.Y. Times Article
Skimmer: http://twurl.nl/qhtjbw
• Omniture&Quiksilver :
http://twurl.nl/xi 4mgn
• http://delicious.com/wheresitworkin
g/beyondthepageview
beyond the pageview: what's going on with your dynamic content?

23. Questions?
Thanks for coming…
Adam Ware
@wheresitworking
http://swellpath.com
adam@swellpath.com
beyond the pageview: what's going on with your dynamic content?