Google Analytics and TL

[billhector]

One thing I'm good at is working with Google Analytics. I develop strategies for my clients to collect and use data to make decisions. On site updates, if I have the chance, my designs are based on analytics data.

So .. I am wondering how people are using TL and Analytics. I am having real problems doing things I do with other sites, like creating events (which requires editing specific links and adding an 'onclick' javascript within the <a> element.

I think for TL really take off in the business world, including ecommerce, there needs to be some good Analytics tools and strategies.

Thoughts?

[qrczak]

So .. I am wondering how people are using TL and Analytics. I am having real problems doing things I do with other sites, like creating events (which requires editing specific links and adding an 'onclick' javascript within the <a> element.

These "specific links" where you want add 'onclick' are ce_links or from some module or add manually to article? Maybe it can be done via modyfication some template?

[Ben]

Bill,

Do you mind giving us some examples of when you might need to trigger events? Are you talking about lighboxes and such?

While it's more difficult to quantify, heatmaps are excellent ways to visualize people's interest on a page.

[billhector]

Thanks for responding to this important (I think) topic ...

In some cases I could edit a template, but in many cases that would seem cumbersome, especially with the site that is always developing. Making using TL and analytics easy is the way to go, I think.

I think I have found a good way to track one type of links --outbound links -- with events. Using mootools and the DOM, we can have outbound links tagged on the fly using this technique:
http://davidwalsh.name/mootools-goog...outbound-links

BUT! there's a problem using this and typolight: no way to use the googlesitemap extension with this technique. There needs to be options to create additional parameters to the default analyitics code, which is then only written for non-logged in site users.

Similarly with this extension, there needs to be options of where to put the code: either in the footer or header. If you do ecommerce, you HAVE TO have the code in the header. Some other advanced techniques require putting the analyitics code in the head.

Ben, yeah, I am thinking about lightboxes, flash movies, or really just about any link. Unless I'm missing something, there is no easy way to tag the <a> element that TL outputs itself (and stop that for logged in users).

Heat maps ... I don't find those useful in all circumstances ... some clients that are hip to data want DATA. Giving them a picture without data doesn't work. And I don't entirely trust them either.

Actually, I have found something better than heat maps: http://www.clicktale.com/. They offer a free trial ... it's a real time video of what people are doing on your site ... you literally watch the actions of people, including clicks, where people put their cursor, what they stop to read ... everything. Using click tale and analytics is a very powerful combo.

Specific example: using analyitics I saw that a landing page wasn't keeping people ... people we're reading the content and stayed on the page just seconds. Why? Click Tale to the rescue. I watched a sample of videos (with the free version you get just a sample) and saw that there was too much content on the page, even though this was content they SHOULD have been engaged with. The page would load, people scrolled down to the bottom of the page (seeing all the content), then left on average 15 seconds later. By chopping that content up and using better copy writing I increased engagement on that page to 1.5 minutes. Not great, but a big improvement.

So ... this is all just to say, and keep the conversation going, that to make TL attractive to business customers, we need to have good site user data capturing techniques.

What else to people have?!

[Valerie24]

Google Analytics and TL
by billhector » Wed Nov 04, 2009 10:17 pm

One thing I'm good at is working with Google Analytics. I develop strategies for my clients to collect and use data to make decisions. On site updates, if I have the chance, my designs are based on analytics data.

So .. I am wondering how people are using TL and Analytics. I am having real problems doing things I do with other sites, like creating events (which requires editing specific links and adding an 'onclick' javascript within the <a> element.

I think for TL really take off in the business world, including ecommerce, there needs to be some good Analytics tools and strategies.

Thoughts?

Now it's absolutely evident that business needs the specialists in this field, you're lucky to know this tool!!! I'm sure you have lot's of job offers this tool is so popular now!

[jan.theofel]

Hello,

So .. I am wondering how people are using TL and Analytics. I am having real problems doing things I do with other sites, like creating events (which requires editing specific links and adding an 'onclick' javascript within the <a> element.

The google analytics extension comes in version 1.3.0 with new features which might fit your need. I published a beta version in the German community some time ago.

Please contact me at contao@theofel.com if you have questions or if you need further features with I might add to the extension.

Jan