Crunching site traffic numbers may be the most boring, soul-sapping, creativity-killing task that falls on web developers and site managers. The reality is, that site data is a powerful tool in the web design process. These numbers won’t tell you what to do, but they’ll tell you what’s happening. And while Google Analytics is the industry standard in site metrics, there are plenty of other options. Today I want to highlight a slick application called Chartbeat.
There are three things I really love about this tool. First of it gives you real-time website data. Sure, Google Analytics has slowly been adding the ability to see real-time stats. But this app is all about live, on-the-fly data. As a result, it has an incredibly unique and useful data layout.
Second, it’s simply gorgeous. Using Chartbeat is actually enjoyable; you don’t feel like your knee-deep in data you can’t possibly process. The visual approach to transforming numbers into meaningful visual indicators is nothing short of brilliant. It makes watching your site’s activity fun. And it makes the process of finding meaningful insights downright pleasant. The main point of the app is to monitor your site’s daily activity, but you can glean some very helpful insights by literally watching your site in action.
Finally, Chartbeat is fast and responsive. Updates to the data happen as you look at the page. So you don’t have to hit refresh to see new numbers. You can watch the changes happen.
If you’re looking for a slick alternative (or addition) to your site analytics package, I highly recommend you check out Chartbeat.
More information on website analytics
- UX designer Stuart Silverstein will dive deep into competitive site analytics and how they influence design decisions at the HOW Interactive Design Conference East, September 27–29 in Washington, DC. Check out his session and the rest of the program.
- Another HOW Interactive Conference speaker, Christopher Butler, focuses on Google analytics in his on-demand DesignCast.
