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

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?

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?

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

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?

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?

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?

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?

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?

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?

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?

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?

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?

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?

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?

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?

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

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?

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?

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?

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?

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?

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