- How about a general repository for us to share filters? I'm thinking of something along the lines of the way Google offers widgets and gadgets and whatnot for iGoogle and Desktop. I've created some and gone out and found some out there that did things I didn't even realize were possible; why re-invent the wheel?
- I find the breadcrumb navigation somewhat lacking. There's a lot of times where I'm digging down deep to the keyword level, and I want to go back just one step, and I end up back about four levels, or worse yet, where I started.
- Much more help on setting up to track other types of campaigns (MSN and Yahoo PPC, online campaigns, offline campaigns)
- For those of us who are working with clients (as opposed to just our own accounts) it would be really great to be able to set up some kind of a demo account with some demo stats (or have one available) to show to clients. To be honest, they'd rather have me show them the benefits step by step with an account that looks like their traffic and their sample products than sit through your presentation. I can't show one client another's data, and they just don't seem to get how useful and important this information is unless they can see it and click on it and I can explain it in terms of their business.
Ok, that's for starters. I have more.
Many thanks!
AWA
Basically the ability to see the "search funnel" people have used to arrive at our site from various searches that eventually lead to a sale.
I seem to be having a problem this week with my account timing out in a very short period of time (like five minutes or less) and having to log back in. That's annoying. No reason I shouldn't be able to sit there for at least ten minutes while I take a phone call without having to log in again.
netmeg, I am asking around as to why this might be - and will post again if I learn anything substantive. Just out of curiosity, has anything changed at your end? Browser? browser version? Especially heavy gravity there in Michigan this week?
(ork, ork - as you would say!)
AWA
It is true that I have a whole bunch of Google Accounts, since I have to maintain separate ones for my clients, and I'm in and out of them all day, but my primary Google Account has most of the GA accounts I'm responsible for linked to it. And that's the one that times out.
Feature 1:
Web Form tracking
- Abandonment rate
- Most common form errors
- Days to completion
- Time to completion
- Completion Rate
I'm sure there are more metrics that could be extrapolated, but a way to measure forms in Analytics would be great. I can't tell you how many times I've argued that we are asking our visitors for too much information and simplifying a form would increase registration rates, orders etc...
Feature 2:
Long tail keywords. Currently using an advanced filter you can extract the exact query on Google that resulted in a visit to your account. Especially so far paid search. For example keyword broad match shoes, but I get visits for blue shoes, red shoes, old shoes, goodie two shoes etc.. I want to see those in Analytics. With the filter above you can, however for some reason goals don't showing for long tail terms.
Feature 3:
Closer integration with Website Optimiser. Like the site overlay report, but you can see website optimiser information in Analytics. Speaking of site overlay, instead of showing the current version a heat map like crazyegg.com have would be more beneficial.
That's all I can think of for now.
Let me start by saying that all the latest feedback is now copy/pasted in this evening's Advertiser Feedback Report, and will be on its way in an hour or two.
And, as always, please accept my thanks - first for your thinking, and secondly for taking the time to post your ideas here.
I love it when that happens.
--------------------------------------------------------
Then just to veer a tiny bit off-topic the the arc of this thread, regarding this issue:
I seem to be having a problem this week with my account timing out in a very short period of time (like five minutes or less) and having to log back in. [...]
[...] I've tried it in both FF and IE. My Chrome hasn't worked right since the AdWords Editor started working (but that's another issue) And it happens at work and at home, so that's four different computers right there. Sometimes I have to log back in just going from say, Traffic Sources to ECommerce, or from one profile to another. Other times it's fine, but it's happening more and more often. [...]
I've consulted with a number of folks across disciplines on this, and am not coming up with any other examples of GA users reporting this - nor any great suggestions either.
When I had only the first post to go on, one colleague suggested the ever-popular clearing of cache and cookies. But then I read about the four computers, and was not so sure. Unless they happen to have always had the same things done with them. Worth a try on one?
Then, another colleague IM'd me back as follows:
[...] [Is it possible] that she has her email or some other google service open in one window (under a different login than her GA account)and then when she tries to access her GA account, it asks her to log back in? This is because at a given time, only one google account can be accessed. So if you access GA from one account and Gmail from another account, you have to log back in each time you go between services.
I said this seemed unlikely, netmeg, as you are quite sophisticated - and you didn't mentioned having changed your habits from one week to the next. Still, I pass it along.
In any case, where we finally landed is that it may be best for you to consult with the support folks through the usual channels - and have them take a look at the account(s).
So, that's where I am so far. ;) I tried, and I will also keep my eyes and ears open.
AWA
We relaunched a client's site last week, everything completely new. We don't have the GA code in yet (which is another story) and the GA account shows as flatline since the relaunch. However, when I do a status check for the code, it says the code was found and it's receiving visits. I've looked at the source code for the pages - the GA code is *not* there because my senior tech hasn't put it in there. So does GA actually only check the first time (when we first created the account) or is it looking at a cached page, or...? I would think when I clicked on the Check Status link, it would perform another check. But if it did, then it somehow got the wrong information.
(still being logged out periodically, just haven't had time to concentrate on that recently)
I am not able to answer your question, I am sorry to say - not being sophisticated enough with GA - but I have already pinged GAA to see if get any insight from an an actual expert.
In the meantime - we've got at least six hours before I send the Advertiser Feedback Report this evening, and I'll happily include an feature requests that appear before I hit the 'send' button.
Thanks in advance. ;)
AWA
However - I would like it even better if I could set it to more than ten lines, and have it STAY wherever I sent it. That actually goes for all of Analytics. I typically set everything for at least 100 lines, and it's a real pain to keep resetting. Please save it till or unless I decide to set it back to the default.
With relation to your other problem, if one of the product names or fields you use for E-commerce transactions inserts strange characters or line breaks it may stop certain transactions for happening in Analytics.
I've seen this problem when people dynamically insert values and it isn't preformatted to handle the finickyness of Javascript.
Features I would like to see:
Movers and Shakers - Visual report on keywords / referrers showing which ones are improving and declining in popularity.
Showing if they are improving or declining across search engines eg: Google.com sent more visitors for this keyword during this period, but Yahoo! send less visits for this period than previously.
I like EpikOne's notes feature ganotes.xpi plugin for Firefox.
Reporting on Affiliate activity in Analytics. You can enter an affiliate in E-commerce transactions, but I have no idea how to view this information in Analytics?
All of the above posts are now copy/pasted into this week's Advertiser Feedback Report, which goes out in a couple of hours.
This has been such a busy week that I haven't had a chance to get to WebmasterWorld nearly as much as I might of hoped, for which I apologize. But is sure is great to see this feedback. Thanks!
By the way - an off topic update:
You and I have probably both noticed that GAA has been, uhm, not here much lately. Well, my valued colleague has moved up the ranks a bit, but the good news is that it looks as if he may be back to posting here again at some point soon - with an even more direct line to the right folks than before.
Fingers crossed.
AWA
With relation to your other problem, if one of the product names or fields you use for E-commerce transactions inserts strange characters or line breaks it may stop certain transactions for happening in Analytics.I've seen this problem when people dynamically insert values and it isn't preformatted to handle the finickyness of Javascript.
Thanks, but I don't think this is the case. It works for some transactions and not for others, and there are no special characters or breaks in the products.
Also thank you for the script, but as it uses greasemonkey, I'd have to be running FF for it to work - I have various Google accounts I have to keep running simultaneously in different browsers to be able to stay in them, and the account I run in FF isn't my Analytics account. I'd hope that eventually Google would see it as a desirable option to add, if enough people chime in that they want it.
Today's report goes out in three of four hours from the time I write this - and I'd be pleased to pass along any additional feedback posted before then.
I'll check back again just before I send the report.
Thanks!
AWA
I now have several clients who sell products based on a subscription model. I'm struggling with a way to assign the entire value of the subscription to the transaction, in order to accurately gauge the ROI. All it picks up is the initial charge (usually the first month). In some cases, the transaction covers a known period of time (say, a year) but in other cases it's month-to-month, so all we can use is an average. I know this has to be a very common issue; it would be great if Conversion University or the GA Blog could post an article or articles on this topic. Or help with some filters, or *something*. It's only going to come up more and more in the future.
Yep, I got one for this week (you almost guessed that, right?) [...]
Got it, thanks! (And I hoped more than guessed.)
(And yes, I will check back in again...)
AWA
Heheh. Only kidding.
All other feature requests welcomed as well, of course. The report goes out in about 28 hours. 'Plenty of time' as we say in the feedback biz. ;)
By the way, this may be a good place to mention in advance that I'll be away from AdWords - and this excellent forum - starting Monday, December 22nd and returning Monday, January 5th
AWA
Other than that, I got nothing. Been a busy week. I did give you something in the AdWords Feature item tho.
Ok, I'd like Google Analytics to get me a vacation at least that long. [..]
Hahahhah, netmeg. Or, as you might say, "Ork, ork" :)
Any other GA requests, anyone?
AWA
Or not, if not. :)
As an aside, I wanted to say once again that I'll be away from AdWords - and this excellent forum - starting Monday, December 22nd and returning Monday, January 5th. During that time the Advertiser Feedback Report will also be on vacation.
The report will next be sent on Thursday January 8th - and any feedback included in this thread during my absence will be happily included in that edition.
Best regards to all - and thanks!
AWA
It's necessary to allow people to see my stats at times but it's none of anyone's business how much I'm making from adsense.
Thanks!
Still plenty of time for additional ideas from one and all. The report gets sent in, oh, about six to seven hours from the time I post this.
Thanks!
AWA
At any rate, in 2009 I would like to see a series of tutorials or posts on building filters that's geared towards busy normal people (not uber geeks or math freaks) Think Analytics Filters for Dummies; a filter-building wizard would be even cooler!
I have a bunch of filters I use; most are ones I've figured out through trial and (much) error or snagged from someone else. The tutorials I've come across are time consuming, and not always easy to understand.
There have been more than a few times that I just stared at my Google Analytics screen, knowing that I'm about a quarter inch away from the information I *really* want, I just don't know how to write something to get over that quarter inch.
Note to all: the Advertiser Feedback Report goes out later this evening - in about 5 hours from the time I write this - so please feel free to add any additional product suggestions/ideas for the Google Analytics team before then, and I'll happily pass your thoughts along, verbatim.
Thanks in advance.
AWA
AWA
