5 web-based tools for improving user experience

Posted June 13, 2009 by Brian Cray

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As always, my roundups are very small because I focus on quality over quantity. You can keep your 54 of this and 88 of that. Here’s 5 high quality web-based tools for improving user experience that I think are simply the best at what they do. And you’ll get no less from me.

1. Userfly

Userfly records random user sessions with javascript that you can replay and watch. Userfly is second only to watching your visitors use your site in person. Visit Userfly and signup for a free account.

2. Uservoice

Feedback directly from users is a gold mine when it comes time to decide how to improve your design or add features. Uservoice makes it possible to garner user feedback and ideas because users can add and vote on them. The issues most important to your users naturally bubble to the top. Visit Uservoice and signup for a free account.

3. Notable

Creating the best user experience takes a team of pros from different backgrounds. Notable facilitates collaboration by providing the ideal place for people to provide feedback of the design—right on top of it. Notable is in private beta, but stop by and request an invite or be patient for its anticipated release.

4. Google Analytics

The more data we have about our users the better, and there’s nothing more bread and butter than solid web analytics. Lucky for us Google provides Google Analytics as a totally free and totally powerful web analytics service. If you’re not using it already, sign up for a free account right now.

5. Crazy Egg

While Userfly will tell you where users clicked, it’s focused on individual sessions. Crazy Egg is click overlaying on steroids, offering an overlay of where all users have clicked as a heat map, a list, a standard overlay, and a new “confetti” mode. Visit Crazy Egg and signup for an account starting at only $9/month.

About the author

Brian Cray is a Columbus, Ohio-based web entrepreneur & consultant. View some of Brian’s work in his portfolio and learn how to make kick ass websites by reading his blog.

Brian Cray: Measurement-driven, user-focused web entrepreneur & consultant