Using Google Analytics? Here's a tool that I find useful.
September 3, 2009 at 8:33 am
by BrianI recently started using a plugin for my browser (Mozilla Firefox
3.5), which allows me more control over the data that Google Analytics
has collected for me. For more information about what enhancements are granted and where you can add this plugin, click the read more link.
This simple plugin is located at the following URL : http://www.vkistudios.com/tools/firefox/betterga/index.cfm.
You'll need to download Mozilla Firefox in order for this plugin to work : http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/personal.html.
What the plugin enhances?
- When first visiting your Analytics account, the "extra step" of clicking the "Access Analytics" button is removed. Now, when visiting the Analytics page you're brought straight to the data set.
- Allow you to expand the data set full-width so you can focus on analysis.
- The ability to search for content pages becomes a sidebar item for you to quickly access.
- Allows you to open multiple profiles in tabs quickly. (while viewing a profile)
- Said to allow exportation to Google Spreadsheets, however I was unable to get this to work.
- Said to convert percent values to absolute values, however I was unable to get this to work.
- Ability to quickly compare a date range to a data set from the previous year.
- I find this one of the most important tools this plugin adds. Allows you to sort a specific column within the frame of what you're looking at. i.e. You can show the top 100 most viewed pages and then sort by bounce rate.
- You can see how many users used various Social Media tools per page. example shown below :
Cool plugin, Brian. I had not heard of this one. I like the social media feature.
@Nolan : I like the social media feature, but I really wish I knew how they manage to track those metrics. I'll have to have a conversation with you about how these plugins work. It just seems like the sky's the limit with Google Analytics due to the ability to manipulate the data via javascript plugins.
Thanks for the link Brian, I'm going to check it out. The only potential drawback is that if it's that useful, I'll probably trip myself up the next time I walk a client through the GA interface!
@Eric : You are welcome!
Here's a cool report to look at :
Content > View top landing pages. (show 100 results)
Then use the miniature arrows and sort those 100 results by bounce rate (or any metrics they offer) from highest to lowest.