I recently had the opportunity to directly compare products from two of the most respected names in web analytics. Each product has distinct strengths and weaknesses, but perhaps most interesting is how much the designs share in common, as this inside look at the tools will reveal.

Accuracy

My first priority was to analyze the accuracy of each tool. In the past I have been known to dismiss accuracy as unimportant, but with the possibility to directly compare each, very close-up, I simply couldn’t resist. I carefully set out the parameters for my accuracy test, and performed the comparison under the strictest conditions possible.

My test revealed no significant differences in accuracy. Although it’s true the Omniture tool produces a heavier line, ClickTracks is not significantly different. Perhaps crucially, I found both tools equally suited to the demands of an enterprise environment.

User interface

Both tools have a good reputation for user interface design, and I agree the fit and finish is above average. In fact, despite the obvious aesthetic differences (as usual, ClickTracks deviates from traditional design by using a triangular cross-section) and of course different color scheme, I found both tools to be well made. The retraction mechanism is similar, and the buttons have a nice, positive clicking action. Both tools also feature a rubberized grip area, providing increased security.

Unfortunately I was not able to check each tool for compatibility with a pocket protector, but I suspect they would work just fine.

Omniture definitely has more visible shiny parts, for those that find this important

Segmentation

The importance of segmentation cannot be overstated. It’s impossible to get good data without some level of dissection, and this is often where tools show their weaknesses. In both cases the segmented results are acceptable, and it’s relatively easy to recombine them to get the complete picture later.

Segmentation can be applied easily, and then reversed

Summary

Both the Omniture and ClickTracks tools are useful and well made, but the results are only as good as the operator. Our thanks to both companies for supplying these demo versions for us to experiment with.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 4th, 2007 at 12:49 am and is filed under thinking. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.