Are you getting the full picture from your analytics? - Mobile Analytics

I recently upgraded my mobile, finally, after the long 2 year wait we have with mobile contracts in SA. While it has a bigger screen, higher screen resolution, and is 3G compatible, it`s not as feature packed as the models higher in Nokia`s N Series range, but hey, my N73 rocks :). Instead of the standard GPRS for internet access on my mobile, 3G presents a faster connection speed, and to my amazement (yes I did know about it, but we need to test/play with things before we realise what they can do), webpages load faster than before. No more waiting to get to the office or home for internet access. I can now browse the internet fairly quickly on my mobile to find what I need at the exact moment I need to, wherever I am. Now, I realise that I`ve been slow to reach this stage in mobile technology, because other mobile users have been enjoying this benefit for quite some time, and it`s made me wonder if we in the SEM industry have taken note of this.

We all know that mobile search is on the rise, we`ve read articles and stat reports stating that the major search engines are acquiring companies and new technologies to challenge this new era of search for many months now, but are we actually doing anything about it? Do you currently know how many people visit your website using their mobiles? If not, you should consider whether you`re really getting a true reflection of your website analytics, which will enable you to make an informed decision regarding the next steps for your site

For those that didn`t know, the bigger mobile analytics companies out there (Bango , Amethon , GetMobile and Mobilytics), have been using mobile tracking technology since 1999. Concerns arise when it comes to tracking stats for mobile users, as normal tracking options available make use of JavaScript, cookies or filtering through log files. JavaScript is not supported by all mobile browsers, and those that do support it, may have trouble viewing pages on their mobiles. Adding tags to the site so that you can access data from mobile users can strain page loading times, as well as the overall experience for mobile users.

Most talked about options:

According to Amethon, “Mobile Analytics captures the underlying TCP/IP traffic allowing analysis of HTTP, WAP and other relevant protocols”, which requires the use of a dedicated server. There are three options available: Operator Edition, Hosting Edition and Site Addition, where the Site Addition is targeted towards mobile marketers.

Bango makes use of a temporary redirect through a Bango site, where the mobile data is collected before users are then redirected to the original site. This does not affect the user experience at all, as it is done so quickly, although leaves a concern from an SEO point of view.

Mobilytics makes use of a tag, which is inserted on the pages you wish to track. Mobilytics algorithms query data captured from servers, and then filter it for relevant information. The stats provided are highly accurate and can determine the handsets and search engines used, as well as search terms, and even whether the visit came from a desktop or a mobile browser. Note: Mobilytics is in beta testing, and is not available to the public yet.

Based on what I have been reading, there is potential to get the most out of analytics for a website and ensure you cover all possible browsers. Google analytics does track mobile browsers, as long as the mobile browser or OS supports JavaScript. The data can be seen through your browser breakdown within Google Analytics, although it`s not very accurate if the reporting does not cover older handsets that are not compatible with JavaScript.

I tend to lean towards the free options (within reason). We make use of Google Analytics for almost all our clients, which provides a wealth of data without any additional costs to the client. Google Analytics can handle reporting on certain handsets as the sample/screenshot listed below, although not completely accurate due to the JavaScript issue mentioned earlier.

Browsers which can be seen in Google Analytics (just to name a few)
ELNK-TA-WIN / (not set)
HTC-2125 / Windows
HTC-3100 / Windows
Mozilla / AIX
Konqueror / FreeBSD
Konqueror / (not set)
HPiPAQhw692x / Windows
SAMSUNG-SGH-I607 / (not set)
HP iPAQ hw6500 / Windows
HPiPAQhw6900 / Windows
HTCP3300-Mozilla / Windows
HTC_TyTN Mozilla / Windows
HTC_TyTN_II Mozilla / Windows
IBrowse / (not set)
LG-TU720 Obigo / (not set)
MOT-MOTORAZRV82GB_CMCC / Linux
TyTN Mozilla / Windows

At the moment I do not think many people or businesses see the potential of mobile search, in SA, for instance, I know of only 2 clients that have launched mobile sites and are seeing the returns. It is time to start taking web accessibility and mobile search into serious consideration.