ClickTracks has created an iPod on the web analytics market.
As is known, statistical Internet services are historically divided into two types: counters and log analyzers. Counters are special scripts that are loaded and executed along with each web page. Log analyzers are separate programs for analyzing text files (logs) on the server.
Counters and log analyzers have their own advantages and disadvantages. However, neither counters, nor log analyzers can provide a complete statistical picture of site attendance either.
In general, counters alone cannot provide accurate site statistics, which is why Google Analytics cannot be a universal solution. A good analytical system can verify data from both sources and eliminate errors, that is, log analyzers are used to verify data from counters.
John Marshall, founder and CEO of ClickTracks , talks in an interview with Stone Temple about modern web analytics systems and what problems arise when using them.
When John Marshall just started this business in 1999, the web analytics market practically did not exist, and there were only separate statistics programs. Reports generated by them were difficult to understand. The programs were poorly designed and poorly implemented. Marshall had already worked in the software industry for almost two decades - and decided to develop his own web analytics system using the principles of information design by Edward Taft , of which he was a big fan. This is how ClickTracks appeared, which is notable for its simplicity and limited functionality. For the sake of simplicity and clarity, “extra” functions, for example, route analysis through the site, were not specifically included in it. John Marshall positions his development as an “iPod on the web analytics market” (limited functionality, fewer buttons, and most importantly - design and convenience).
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The disadvantage of script counters, says Marshall, is the difficulty of implementing scripts on all pages of the site and the difficulty of further supporting this system of collecting statistics. For example, a user can change the structure of the site, add a page - and the system will stop working normally. All this is too difficult technically. In contrast to this approach, ClickTracks is as simple as possible and is intended not for programmers, but for marketers.
For example, instead of traditional reports, ClickTracks displays a web page with numbers next to each link (the percentage of clicks on this link).
With one click of the mouse, you can compare the numbers for new / old users, compare the behavior of those who became buyers and those who did not. In general, you can independently create user groups (for example, those who have viewed more than ten pages on the site), tagging them with tags, and then compare these groups to each other.
A separate module is called "What has changed." On the screen, only those indicators that are strongly increased or have fallen in recent days (attendance of individual pages, search words, etc.) are shown.
A detailed demonstration of the ClickTracks system can be viewed on a flash movie .
Many experts believe that the future belongs to such “non-technical” web analytics systems with marketing terminology. If you look at the terminology of Google Analytics reports, you can see that the developments go in this direction, that is, the statistics begin to speak the language of the business, integrate into it. The same trend is demonstrated by ClickTracks.
Andrei Travin from Spailoga ( video ) once spoke about this trend in his public lecture. The winner in the market of web analytics will be the one who will be able to connect the mathematical terminology of statistics and the terminology of business, which is necessary for the analysis of the site. Modern business is looking for tools for mathematically accurate methods of making money . Internet statistics systems can provide such a tool.
Counters and log analyzers have their own advantages and disadvantages. However, neither counters, nor log analyzers can provide a complete statistical picture of site attendance either.
In general, counters alone cannot provide accurate site statistics, which is why Google Analytics cannot be a universal solution. A good analytical system can verify data from both sources and eliminate errors, that is, log analyzers are used to verify data from counters.
John Marshall, founder and CEO of ClickTracks , talks in an interview with Stone Temple about modern web analytics systems and what problems arise when using them.
When John Marshall just started this business in 1999, the web analytics market practically did not exist, and there were only separate statistics programs. Reports generated by them were difficult to understand. The programs were poorly designed and poorly implemented. Marshall had already worked in the software industry for almost two decades - and decided to develop his own web analytics system using the principles of information design by Edward Taft , of which he was a big fan. This is how ClickTracks appeared, which is notable for its simplicity and limited functionality. For the sake of simplicity and clarity, “extra” functions, for example, route analysis through the site, were not specifically included in it. John Marshall positions his development as an “iPod on the web analytics market” (limited functionality, fewer buttons, and most importantly - design and convenience).
')
The disadvantage of script counters, says Marshall, is the difficulty of implementing scripts on all pages of the site and the difficulty of further supporting this system of collecting statistics. For example, a user can change the structure of the site, add a page - and the system will stop working normally. All this is too difficult technically. In contrast to this approach, ClickTracks is as simple as possible and is intended not for programmers, but for marketers.
For example, instead of traditional reports, ClickTracks displays a web page with numbers next to each link (the percentage of clicks on this link).
With one click of the mouse, you can compare the numbers for new / old users, compare the behavior of those who became buyers and those who did not. In general, you can independently create user groups (for example, those who have viewed more than ten pages on the site), tagging them with tags, and then compare these groups to each other.
A separate module is called "What has changed." On the screen, only those indicators that are strongly increased or have fallen in recent days (attendance of individual pages, search words, etc.) are shown.
A detailed demonstration of the ClickTracks system can be viewed on a flash movie .
Many experts believe that the future belongs to such “non-technical” web analytics systems with marketing terminology. If you look at the terminology of Google Analytics reports, you can see that the developments go in this direction, that is, the statistics begin to speak the language of the business, integrate into it. The same trend is demonstrated by ClickTracks.
Andrei Travin from Spailoga ( video ) once spoke about this trend in his public lecture. The winner in the market of web analytics will be the one who will be able to connect the mathematical terminology of statistics and the terminology of business, which is necessary for the analysis of the site. Modern business is looking for tools for mathematically accurate methods of making money . Internet statistics systems can provide such a tool.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/5089/
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