This workgroup focused on tracking of visitor interaction with rich media content (Flash, SilverLight, AJAX), as well as other non-browser-based web mediums such as RSS, with Webtrends. The group also explored how to interpret these interactions to gain insight into visitor engagement.

Key takeaways:

• When tagging any rich media, clearly define the interactions you will be tracking and assign them appropriate URLs and parameters. Each interaction does not always need a unique URL. You can use parameter values to record interactions with a single object defined by a URL. It’s also important to consider what constitutes a page view and what doesn’t, and set your WT.dl values and Page View definitions in your profile accordingly.

• Proxy-based log generation technology such as Atomic Labs Pion is an excellent alterative to tagging, especially with technologies such as RSS that don’t have client-side execution of code. Hebron described how Pion's distributed platform enables it to capture millions of data points in real time from hard-to-reach data sources. It has its own embedded HTTP server to support the collection and delivery of real-time event streams to and from your own web server.

• Implementation of tagging in Flash and SilverLight can be difficult and time consuming. There is a great demand for plug-ins to automate some of the work, and allow tracking independent of JavaScript logging files.

Hebron offered several tactics that attendees could experiment with immediately. He suggested using parameter values to record interactions -- rather than distinct page views with unique URLs -- and parameters to record analog interactions with scale values, such as percentage of the video that a visitor views.

To leave comments, please login or sign up to the Engage Network at the top of this page.