Alpha Testing Measure Map: A Blogger’s Stats
For the past week or so I’ve been alpha testing a stats program that you’ve likely heard of, Adaptive Path’s Measure Map. So after testing it out a while, I’ve decided to give you all a basic rundown of this thing.
First off, let me explain what exactly Measure Map is. We’ve already said it’s a stats program, but we also know there’s tons of those. Why would I want another one?
Here’s what they say about themselves:
Measure Map helps you understand what people do at your blog, and what influence you are having on the world.
Adaptive Path have found a niche, and they’ve developed for it. Namely, bloggers. Measure Map integrates with WordPress, MovableType, Typepad, Blogger, Typo, or just about any other blog software you’re running. The app runs on their servers, so you don’t have to worry about any of that sort of stuff. All you need to do is follow their simple instructions in placing some JavaScript in different places on your blog to start tracking.
And true to form, Measure Map doesn’t just track your normal hits, links, etc., Measure Map gives you info related specifically to blogging. Let me give you some screenshots to show what I mean (note these have been sized-down some to avoid breaking this page):
This part of your dashboard. As you can see, not only does it give you info on your visits, but on your posts and comments as well. Your dashboard will also show you your most popular posts, and allow you to really track your traffic in relation to your posting:
This is currently my favorite feature. The red bars, obviously, represent your traffic. Hovering over one of the bars will tell you your number of visits for that day. See the gray sliders? You can drag these to where you wish in order to select the days you want to view stats about. Sweet AJAX will then kick into effect and update the page your are viewing (such as your dashboard or a more in-depth page) to show stats related to that time period (just trust me, it’s awesome). Each pin (one of which is being hovered in the screenshot) represents a post. Hover over one, and you’ll see a box like the one shown above with info on the post. Clicking one of these boxes will bring you to a page showing more in-depth info on that post, such as the links in and number visitors it attracted (and, of course, the time period being reported can be changed by moving those sweet sliders).
There are some great features still on the roadmap that will help even more in getting to know your blog and its readers, but I’ll save talking about those until they come out. Remember, this is still in an alpha stage.
Now before I close, I’ll address an issue that I just know somebody is bound to ask if I don’t talk about it now. And that is:
How does it compare to other stats programs? What about Mint?
Those of you that know me and/or have read this blog for a while know that I’m in love with Mint. You also know that I don’t really like Google Analytics that much (though I have used it occasionally), and am known to use Awstats once in a while. Measure Map is not making me ditch any of these, but it does make a great addition to this circle. It’s not currently a “do-all” sort of app, but that’s the beauty behind it. It’s built specifically for helping bloggers, and that’s just what it does.
Ummmm sounds yummy
Sounds interesting. I’ve been using Slimstat and love it. A fork of Short Stat, it gives me just about everything I need to know about my blog. A quick primer, Sean Inman of Mint developed short-stat, and as I said, this is an expounded fork of that. Requires some manual installation, but the step by step instructions on the install script are easy to follow.
Still will try MM when available. Thanks for the insight.
Looks cool. Thanks for the review!
Hey, you have a minor spelling error in your mesuremap link.
Whoops, thanks for pointing that out.
Hi Eliot,
you have a great website here.
I just wanted to ask you to please help me with my blog because its completely dead, how did you get so many people to comment and share? any advice would be awesome.
Im a friend of Zeerus, and have started my freelnace business a few months ago.
thanks
Francisco
Francisco, the easiest way is to comment on others’ blog before you want somebody else to comment at your blog. And also, don’t comment for the sake of commenting.
Elliot, you seems like quite careless when building links. Remember to double check next time!
@Francisco: Like EngLee said, you just gotta go out and post intelligent comments on other related blogs, as well as post links in your signiture on forums, and do the same there. Also if you want comments, you’ve got to encourage them. Ask your readers questions, and value their imput.
@EngLee: Yeah, I’ve been pretty sick lately with a fever and junk, so I’m probably not at my best.
Are you ever at your best elly lol j/k. Ok ya, I dont have a real blog [mine is on bloggger.com] but I may sometime here shortly so, ya, thanks for the review.
Measure Map does work with Blogger.
That’s quite interesting that you’re a Minter too, so am I. I’d like to try this Measuremap, but it seems a bit redundant. Is there a significant difference you think?
Oh yeah.