Optimization Resources

Background

Website optimization involves adapting a site so that the underlying code works well and that the site is easily used by people, known as its usability. Improving usability is both an art and a science and resources for analyzing and improving usability are listed here. For Search Engine Optimization (SEO), select that category on the left.

Website Optimization Resources

ClickTale
ClickTale shows how users browse your site—what they click, where they scroll, even where they look. Then it provides this data in an easy to understand format.

Crazy Egg
Similar to ClickTale, Crazy Egg finds out where your visitors click, even if there isn’t a link. This can help you see if visitors are confused by a site’s user interface.

Google Talk Chatback
This free tool comes with iGoogle, which is a personalized homepage. Copy the code into your website and display a badge that lets visitors click and give you feedback.

Google Webmaster Videos
A series of videos on YouTube from Google for people who want to optimize their web sites for high search rankings.

Google Website Optimizer
Free website optimizing tool to improve the usability of a web site. Google offers a surprising amount of help pages.

Kampyle
Install the Kampyle feedback form on your website to get feedback from your customers. It then provides real-time reporting to analyze the feedback you receive. The application allows you to manage feedback into an action plan and to inform your customers of the improvements you’ve made.

Steve Krug
Steve Krug is an expert in defining how to make web sites simple. He explains this in his book, Don’t Make Me Think. Catch some free interviews and presentations at his site.

UserVoice
A voting system widget that integrates into a website. It provides users with the ability to offer feedback and vote on it.