I have been doing a bit of housekeeping on Standardzilla lately and was mildly amused when I checked my analytics code which contained no less than 7 separate analytics code snippets.

I am a bit of a sucker when it comes to these trial beta programs, but this is just getting out of hand. Time to re-assess the situation and clean up some of that javascript code.

Some of them I have hardly even used, but let’s have a quick whirlwind tour of Standardzilla analytics and see how they scrub up.

Performance Metrics

I don’t even remember signing up for this one, so I had to Google the URL. After logging in I am presented with some pretty slick, usable statistics of my website. The interface is very friendly and it offers me tonnes of information for a free package.

Summary

Great visual design

Lots of info provided about your website

Great icons for easy scanning of information

Reinvigorate

I waited a couple of weeks to get a trial account for this puppy. Clearly the slickest interface out of the group and jam-packed full of features.

Summary

Too cool for school look and feel to it

Interesting integration with Google Maps for GeoLocation of your users

‘Active Visitors’ feature, kind of useless info for me

Traffic section is a bit complicated and unclear

Session section can get quite detailed, very cool if you want to get granular about your users actions

Robot Replay

This one is dedicated to showing you movies of how your users interact to your website.

Summary

Interesting idea

Gets boring fast

The movies are slow

My Blog Log

Another one I have no recollection of putting this code onto my site, let’s see what it does.

Summary

Dont’ even bother

Google Analytics

Recently redesigned, I have had a Google Analytics account since I started this blog. Most people know this analytics package well.

Summary

Redesign is clean and simple, great interface

Packed with features

Very responsive, not sluggish like some of the others

I predict many new features to come

Mint

The only analytics program I had to pay for out of the bunch. Fairly cheap at $30, and I don’t mind paying for good apps from the development community. Was it worth it?

Quick Summary

The crack cocaine of analytics, quick hits that keep you coming back

Very simple and elegant layout

Real time

Lots of extensions and plug-ins to add more functionality

The hardest one to install of the bunch, but not too hard

For the real hardcore fanatics, check out Doorbell Pepper

ClickTale

This is one I signed up for ages ago, and probably the longest I waited to be invited into their closed beta testing. Heat maps is their specialty, which nobody was doing when I first signed up.

Quick Summary

Clunky, old school interface

Keeps asking for my password, irratating

Slow and confusing

The Ultimate Analytics Package

Well, it’s time to make a decision and get rid of all that messy javascript code in Standardzilla. Here is the summary of my high speed analytics usability test.

Get it off my site, please:

Robot Replay

My Blog Log

Click Tale

Special mention, but sorry you still can’t stay:

Reinvigorate

Performance Metrics

Winners

Mint has got to stay. I love it’s simplicity and it’s all I need for a quick glance at what’s happening on Standardzilla at any time of the day. Real time action keeps me happy, and I know I can build up the features if I want to add plugins someday when I have time. Well worth the money.

Google Analytics stays as my more in-depth, detailed look into what’s been happening to Standardzilla long-term. Other information such as visitors, traffic sources and content overviews are enough information to keep me happy.

The recent redesign has cleaned up the interface and made it easy to find everything. Google’s recent purchase of Feedburner will probably make it in to the features someday as well.

Now, I’m off to remove some javascript.