Wizard control and Google Analytics

[David Evans]

Hi

We are using the Wizard control on a few pages on our web site; we are also
using Google Analytics to trac pages.

It looks to me like the pages with the Wizard control are registering as a
single page as teh user steps through the Wizard. This is a problem, because
the Wizard is the purchase process, and it means we cannot see at what point
the process is being abandonded (if it is abandonded).

We are also using Master pages, and currently the Google site code is
embedded in the template. One work around I can see is to not use the
template for the Wizard based pages, then do a code rewrite of the Google
code on each page load.. This does not sound like fun... ;-(

Any suggestions on working around this?


--
David Evans
InaPlex Limited
www.inaplex.com
Forums: www.inaplex.com/cs/forums
Blog: www.inaplex.com/cs/blogs
Phone: UK: +44 (0)845 617 0206
US: +1 (949)784-0708

 

[Steven Cheng[MSFT]]

Hi David,

From your description, you're using Wizard Control in some of your ASP.NET
pages and found that the Google Analytics can not tracked the step
navigation on those pages(when user move next/previous in the wizard)
correct?

Base on my understanding, this is due to the natural design of the Wizard
control which use postback to change its current Step status and the page
url is always the same(not sure how google analytics internally identify
page records).

So far what I've thought is a possible workaround which may require some
additional code for your page:

1) I'm not sure whether same page url with different querystring parameter
will make Google Analytics identify them as different page requests. If so,
you can customize your Wizard control as below:

** convert the "StepNavigation" template to your custom one, remove the
default Next/Previous button and add your own postback button

** in the postback button's click event, you manually use Response.Redirect
to redirect to the same page but with different querystring indicate which
step shoud the wizard control be at. (if no querystring, wizard will always
stay at first step)

2) If the same page url with different querystring not work, I'm afraid you
may consider use multiple pages and each page just represent one version of
the wizard step(have a fixed step set for the wizard on each of them) and
your custom Wizard's step button handler will redirect the user to the
proper page based on the current step index.

How do you think of this?

Sincerely,

Steven Cheng

Microsoft MSDN Online Support Lead



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[David Evans]

Hi Steven

Thank you for responding.

Your suggestion is good, but I do not think Gogle Analytics does track query
strings as separate pages.

I have to say, I am not sure that the Wizard control is worth the trouble it
causes...

Regards

David

 

[Steven Cheng[MSFT]]

Thanks for your reply David,

If so, I think using multiple page may be the poential solution. Anyway, if
you have any further questions need help, welcome to post here also.

Sincerely,

Steven Cheng

Microsoft MSDN Online Support Lead


This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.



--------------------

From: "David Evans" <[email protected]>
References: <[email protected]>

Subject: Re: Wizard control and Google Analytics
Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:25:57 -0000