Why you need analytics in your Flash/Flex content

I've had the chance to get a lot deeper into the web analytics world these past few months. I took a class taught by Clint Rogers where we explored analytics in general and its possible applications to online education. It was a paradigm-shifting experience.

To be simple and direct: web analytics is powerful, powerful stuff. I knew of analytics before; heck, I'd even used Google Analytics a time or two. But once you start to understand the power behind using data to drive your content and design, it's hard to imagine why you ever wouldn't put analytics tracking in your content.

A caveat: obviously for a lot of our client work it may not be feasible (or even legal) to put analytics tracking into someone else's stuff.

But, if you make content that's your own, or if you work for a company that produces its own content, or even if your consulting company can get access to do it for your clients, then you absolutely should do it. Really, you can't afford not do.

Here's why:

1. Make Smarter Decisions
How many times have you sat in meetings where decisions, even very important decisions, were made because of how people "felt" about things? "I really feel the user will ..." or "I'm sure that they won't look at that," or "Here's how our user experience should feel."

Think about how ridiculous this is. One person, or even a group of people, can never determine how their end users will use, view, navigate, or treat their products without observation or testing. Unless there are some really sweet marketing techniques I don't know about, it's impossible!

You need data to drive your decisions. Here's a great example. In the Elearning world, we've built content for organizations that had tight constraints on the amount of rich media involved. They told us they had to assume that we were dealing with an older demographic of users with dialup connections. A major decision about the quality of content was decided without any recently-obtained supporting data. If we'd had analytics in front of us for their content we could have said "You're absolutely right," or "You're crazy, 95% of your users have DSL or better!"
If you are publishing your own content, how much more important is it, then, to know your personal return on investment? Can you say with confidence that the addition of that Flash banner on your homepage increased sales by 17%? Not without analytics.

2. Prove Your Worth
Is this ever more applicable? Your boss calls a meeting of all developers and announces that there are going to be some cutbacks. You've worked your butt off for this company. You've made some really cool stuff. You might just get canned.

Enter analytics. Don't just plead your case to your higher-ups, prove to them that your content has made a difference. Show them the increase in sales conversions because you knew it would be a good idea to place a search in the top corner. Show them how more usable your RIA is than the old system. Show them how much money it made them. Show them the data that proves Flash is more valuable than a cheaper alternative.

Or, if your economy happens to be jumping through the roof at the time of reading this, then you be the one to call the meeting. Show your company how much you have made them, and how much you think you're worth. Again, this is powerful stuff.

3. The Future
Web analytics is growing. More and more companies are relying on web analytics to make their online content stronger and more effective. Analytics will become, faster, smarter, better, and yes, cheaper. You and your company will need to be as efficient as possible. You need to be sure your content is optimized, that its useful, engaging--that it works. You simply can't do it to the extent necessary without web analytics. Not only that, but in a few years, you'll be looking like a dinosaur amidst your competitors.

Getting Started

Google Analytics
If you're just getting started, think about using Google Analytics. It's free, super easy to use, and getting more powerful all the time. Here are some resources:

• Google Analytics
• Website Optimizer
• Conversion University
• Google Analytics and Flash -- Jesse Warden
• Google Analytics and Flash -- Google

Omniture
If you or your company already have access to Omniture, it's a fantastic resource. Here are some resources for Flash/Flex integration with Omniture:

• Omniture
  
• RIA Tracking with Omniture and ActionSource

Impressions of KioskCom

So while everyone cool was enjoying themselves at FTIC in Toronto, I was obligated because of current business ventures to take a week off of an incredibly busy work schedule to attend KioskCom in Las Vegas.

Although not directly Flash related, there have been an increasing number of Flash-based kiosks out there, and I thought it would be important (besides business ventures) to see what Flash's place is in the self-service industry. As of yet, Flash is still somewhat a novelty in this area, although I think it will continue to gain ground in the future for sure.

The conference was essentially two days, although it was scheduled for three. The third day consisted of a self-service tour through Las Vegas, a hotbed for pioneering technology in the self-service industry. I figured I would see enough on my own.

Although at times a little dull, the conference was actually quite useful for me. The exhibitors were many, and there were some pretty dang cool technologies on display for potential buyers--not to mention the catered lunch was surprisingly good. Some cool technologies to note:

• an entire PC that is about the size of a small paperback book, built for heavy usage (they had it connected to chords that were constantly throwing it around as it played a DivX rip of Pirates)


• Touch screen technologies that are starting to attract some attention, some using infrared or sound to detect touch as opposed to traditional pressure-sensitive methods


• Displays that go above and beyond the common methods of digital signage--one was on seamlessly integrated onto a display window at a Polo retail store


• Some crazily complex and cool remote kiosk management technologies (although ridiculously expensive, and in some cases, impractical)


• Some cool integration of 3D and live video (one booth took a 3D model of a storm trooper's helmet and put it on the subject in the camera)

Some useful sessions focused on common kiosk problems, useful and innovative implementations of kiosks, and overall trends and issues facing the industry.

It wasn't a bad way to spend a couple of days.

Phidgets in Flash

I'm not exactly a hardware guy, and I'm definitely no electrical engineer. That's why I got pretty excited the other day when I was able to use Phidget's RFID card reader with Flash to make a card reading application.

Working on interactive kiosks in my employment has been a lot of fun, and we've been exploring using Flash and .exe wrappers to make some cool kiosk applications. This card reader presents some cool possibilities, including language switching on the fly for international users, admin access with a card swipe, the list goes on. Plus, they offer documentation, Flash API's, and examples of how to integrate their stuff with your applications. It looks like they're pushing Actionscript 3.0 as they've stopped releasing AS 2.0 versions with their updates.

So if you're in a similar line of work, go check out some of the hardware that Phidgets offers.

Is it time for a switch? (iPhone)

My least favorite word of the day is "Cingular."

Call me a tech-geek, nerd, whatever you want. My F5 key is getting worn down, waiting for updates from San Fransisco. I see "iPhone," after my 250th refresh, and the whole world changes. The rumors are confirmed. I can't wait to get rid of my pocket PC with a crappy OS (guess which) and buy into the iPhone revolution. Then it happens. A single word, printed at the bottom of the screen: "Cingular." It's over. I'm in bondage to Verizon, I've practically sold my soul, and it will take a near act of heaven to release me from the "contract" I just signed only a few months ago.

Is it worth the switch? Believe me, if it weren't for the iPhone, I wouldn't even be considering this. I end up traveling a lot some of the more, let's say, "remote" parts of these United States, and Verizon seems to be the only carrier with enough coverage to help me out. I guess the "network" mumbo-jumbo isn't just marketing.

So please, send your comments and suggestions. I know it's completely off-topic compared to our previous posts. But what are your opinions, thoughts, rants about your cell phone providers? Is the Cingular going to crimp the iPhone's style?