Enable Multi-Screen Tracking
Analytics techniques haven't kept pace with the rapidly evolving techniques of Responsive Web Design (RWD) and server side adaptive design. Google Analytics will provide information about the device model (i.e. iPhone or Galaxy S4) or whether the device is classified as a mobile, tablet or desktop, but this isn't often sufficient to make informed design decisions to improve a web page or site. Consider click through rate (CTR) on advertising. How do you know if adverts on a 3 to 4 inch diagonal screen performs better or worse than a 5 to 6 inch diagonal screen? You don't without some enhancements.
Smashing Magazine
When we re-engineered 51Degrees version 3 we wanted to create a device detection solution which was equally at home driving enhanced analytics as it was optimising user interfaces. We've achieved this with support for client side technologies, and easy to implement techniques to reduce the web browser overhead by recording usage information server side.
Following the general release of V3 the most excellent folks at Smashing Magazine approached James to write a “how to” article detailing why and how Google Analytics (ed: other analytics solutions are available) can be enhanced to better support multi-screen tracking providing greater insight into the capabilities of devices accessing a web site.
The article is available on the Smashing Magazine web site.
Read the Smashing Magazine Article51Degrees Users
Many 51Degrees users originally deployed device detection to optimise user interfaces via either redirection to a mobile optimised web site, or adapting page content based on the device screen size or other factors. It's never been easier to upgrade web site analytics using the same technology and existing deployment. CMS that support 51Degrees like Dot Net Nuke, Wordpress, Drupal, Umbraco, Ingeniux and Sitecore can all easily be upgraded in a few hours. There's never been a better time to make more from your use of 51Degrees.