Technology Tip: Blog Analytics Tools

This weekend I attended Blissdom, a blogging conference that takes place in Nashville each year. While there I had a chance to get together with some of my favorite blogging buddies and swap tips and tricks. During one of the conversations we turned to web analytics.  While many of my blogging cohorts use Google Analytics, StatCounter or Sitemeter, most of the people I spoke with hadn’t heard of my FAVORITE analytics tool, Clicky.

This of course made me think, “I should write about this,” and voila, here I am!

1) What are you talking about?: Web analytics tools allow you to see things like how many people have visited your blog, what posts your readers like the most, where your visitors are coming from and much much more.

2) Do I have to pay for these tools?: You could, but I haven’t seen the need to yet. Most of these tools provide basic services for free.

3)I’m interested. Tell me about these tools: There are several sites that offer web analytics programs for bloggers.  Like I mentioned above, the most popular (IMHO) are Google Analytics, StatCounter, SiteMeter and the fourth should be Clicky. While they all have their strengths (and I use several of them), Clicky is my personal favorite.

About Clicky: Clicky provides you with easy to understand, real time web analytics information, allowing you to view your stats, as they are happening.

Why do I like Clicky:  Easy. There are several reasons:

1) Real time info. I don’t have to wait 24 hours to see what’s happening on my site. I can see it as it’s happening.

2) User friendly. Clicky is very easy to use. No need to try and decode any tech language.

3) Visitor details. I can click on a visitor and view their activity on  my site. As a matter of fact, this part is pretty impressive. You can see how much time they spent, all the links they clicked, how they left, their IP address and more.

4) Twitter Analytics. You can set up searches for terms you want to monitor on Twitter and see detailed info like sender, links, hashtags, etc.

5) Pricing: It’s affordable. Clicky will monitor up to 3,000 page views to your blog for free and up to 10,000 page views for just $4.99 a month. For most bloggers, that’s perfect.

6) Clicky iTool. You can install a Clicky widget that allows you to have a top line view of your analytics on your Google iTools page.

7) Clicky for your phone. You can download an app for your phone that let’s you view your analytics when you can’t get to a computer. Clicky for iPhone; Clicky App for other phones

How does Clicky compare to the other programs?: Great question.  Clicky has a chart on their site that compares several of the programs by offering. Click here to see it: Compare Analytics Sites.

Will Clicky work with your blog? More than likely yes, and it’s super easy to install too. Click here to check: Clicky Integration Details.

Screen shot of the tracking on Clicky: As you can see, Clicky also allows you to label visitors to your site if you know their IP address. This is a screen capture is of my Blog Troll’s activity from last month. Was pretty sad to see it was someone local.

So there you have it. Just a few of the reasons why I like Clicky for analytics.  Have a analytics tool you like best? Would love to know about it as these things are changing all the time.  Please feel free to share it in the comments!

Don’t Fart in the Tub

Tonight the boys learned a tough lesson: Don’t fart in the tub.

You see, tonight was bath night. Like most nights I filled up the tub with warm water and bubbles and the boys hopped in. Traditionally the boys play for 5-10 minutes and then I come in and wash their hair.  Well tonight when I returned to the bathroom, I was greeted with the following (along with laughter):

SM: Mom, BMan farted!  BMan (laughing hysterically): SM farted too!

Me: You boys are gross.

Laughing (cause farting can be funny), I walk over to the tub and squat down to grab the shampoo to begin washing their hair. That’s when I see it….. poop……little flecks of it floating in the water….yes, you read that right. Poop flecks.

You see it seems that someone did a little more than “fart” in the tub.

Ah, it’s good to be home!!

Nashville Bound

This weekend I head to Nashville for one of my favorite blogging conferences, Blissdom.  While the conference will be filled with great sessions, I am most excited about seeing my friends.  You see, while we may talk all. the. time. online, there are only a few times a year that we actually get to be together and Blissdom is one of those times.

This year marks my 3rd trip to Nashville for the conference and I am sure it won’t be my last. I want to thank my friend Amy for giving me her ticket.  See I was having a brain-fart and had decided I wasn’t going to attend. When Amy found out she couldn’t go, she offered me her ticket and I’ve not been able to stop thinking about the trip since! I head out at 1p.m. today with my blogging pal Susan of Working Moms Against Guilt fame.

If you are a blogger who’s considered attending a conference before but just hasn’t, here are a few photos that represent why you should.  (Hint: You will meet and connect with the most.amazing.women.ever.)

Yo Gabba Gabba, LIVE (Ticket Giveaway)

Yo Gabba Gabba! is coming to Cincinnati, and I’ve got a pair of tickets to giveaway!

That’s right. DJ Lance Rock will be boppin’ into town on March 20 for two shows – 2pm & 5pm at the Aronoff Center downtown.

If your children aren’t watching Yo Gabba Gabba! yet, it’s a catchy show hosted by DJ Lance Rock, that uses music to help teach children different life lessons. For children, some would say Yo Gabba Gabba! is addicting, some might event call it hypnotizing . The show has a huge cult-like following (I know my 4 yr old LOVES it) and has attracted the attention of celebs like “my boyfriend” Jack Black (I love School of Rock) and SNL’s Rachel Dratch.

I wanted to use a video of the show, but they are restricted on YouTube. You can view their YouTube page and check them out, here. I did find this video of the Yo Gabba Gabba! gang in the new KIA Sorento video that’s coming out during the Super Bowl.

YO GABBA GABBA! LIVE!: THERE’S A PARTY IN MY CITY!

Saturday, March 20, 2010 – 2PM & 5PM
Aronoff Center for the Arts
Tickets are $25.00 and $35.00
Tickets: Available on Yogabbagabbalive.com or CincinnatiArts.org; at the Aronoff Center ticket office.

Gold Gabba Party Packages are available for $99.00, which includes premium seats, a meet and greet with the Yo Gabba Gabba! characters, a special entrance to theater, and much more.

WIN IT —One lucky Mommy Bits reader will win a pair of tickets to Yo Gabba Gabba! Live!: There’s a Party in my City at the Aronoff. Tickets are for the 5p.m. show.

There are several ways to enter, you can do one or all of them for additional chances:

1. Leave a comment sharing one of your favorite dance numbers/songs from the show.
2. Add my blog to your blogroll and leave a comment letting me know you did so.
3. Follow the Mommy Bits blog on Facebook’s Networked blogs (left side bar, click follow this blog) and leave a comment letting me know you did so.
4. Post about my giveaway on Facebook and tag me on your post (Shannan Boyer)
5. Subscribe to my blog, and leave a comment letting me know you did so.
6. Follow me on Twitter – @Shannanb, and leave a comment letting me know you did so.
7. Tweet  about this giveaway and leave a comment letting me know you did so.
8. Follow Yo Gabba Gabba on Twitter: YoGabbaGabba or Facebook Yo Gabba Gabba

Submissions are due by 5 pm on Wednesday, February 17th, 2010. Winner will be selected using a random number generator. Contest open to greater Cincinnati residents only. Winners will have 48 hours to respond.

Thank you to Yo Gabba Gabba!  for providing me with tickets to There’s A Party in my City!

Wordless Wednesday – Adult Swim

For more Wordless Wednesday entries, visit:

Wordless Wednesday or 5 Minutes for Mom

Asking for Help.

On Friday something really scary happened.

My Dad was let go from his job. He’d been there for 4 years.  He was a model employee.  It was a complete shock, as a matter of fact, we are all still in shock.

I am sharing this with you because I am asking for help.  I am asking each of you to lend me 2 minutes of your time to look over his resume, and if you know of a lead that he might pursue, to let me know. I don’t often ask for things, but for my Dad, I have to make an exception. See I feel like part of this could be my fault.

Four and half years ago my Mom & Dad were living in Georgia.  My father had just been downsized from his job and was in the process of looking for another. At the same time this was happening, I was pregnant with the B-Man.

It was at this time that I began talking to my parents about moving to Cincinnati to be closer to us and the boys. I thought it was  fate that Dad was looking for work right at the time when our family was growing.  What better time to relocate right?  My parents agreed and moved to Cincinnati.  Unfortunately with the job market the way it was, my father ended up having to take a  job at a warehouse in Florence. This is the job that let him go on Friday.

So how is it my fault that he’s in this position?

Well little did I know that when I was working to convince my parents to move to Cincinnati, my Dad was considering a job he’d been offered by the company that had just let him go, in upstate New York. A job in his field.  A job that would let him use his expertise.

And he turned it down to come to Cincinnati.

Who knows. If he would have taken that job, he might still be there today and not dealing with being unemployed again.

So this is why I am asking for help.  If you even have just one minute today to look at his resume, I would appreciate it. You never know what might come to mind. Perhaps you know someone who could help him? Perhaps you saw/heard about a job that might fit his skill set?

Here is a link to his resume on Google Docs.

To all of you who have offered your thoughts and prayers to my Dad and our family, I cannot thank you enough.  It means more to me than I can convey in words.

Shannan

Wordless Wednesday: Build-A-Cat

For more Wordless Wednesday entries, visit:

Wordless Wednesday or 5 Minutes for Mom

Lights, Camera Action!

The other day when the boys asked to borrow the flip camera, I had no idea something this cute would result.  They had told me simply that they wanted to video tape their stuffed animals. Check out this adorable (I may be biased) video they created for the “Kentucky Animal Shelter.” You’ll have to watch it the whole thing if you want to catch some of the B-man’s comedy efforts!

Mouthwatering Monday – Slow Cooker Potato Soup

Happy Monday everyone!

So with the crazy work week and all the chaos in the kitchen this weekend (see this blog post), I wasn’t able to whip up anything “mouthwatering” last week. I mentioned this on Twitter last night and my friend Carla generously offered to let me share her slow cooker potato soup recipe (adapted from two different recipes). She’d tweeted about it earlier in the week and I’d drooled over her Twitpic.  This is one recipe you can bet I’ll be making soon!

INGREDIENTS

• 8 cups peeled, diced potatoes
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 6 ounces bacon, cooked, drained, crumbled
• 8 ounces low fat cream cheese
• 3 cans fat-free chicken broth
• 1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS

In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, combine potatoes, onion and bacon. In large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup and pepper, stirring until blended. Add soup mixture to slow cooker and stir to blend. Cover. Cook on low heat for 10 hours or high heat for 5 hours. Before serving, mash some of the potatoes to thicken the soup. Serve with a dollop of fat-free sour cream and chopped green onions or chives. Makes 8 servings.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (1 serving = 1/8 of recipe)

• Calories: 261
• Fat: 8g
• Carbohydrates: 32g
• Sodium: 1001mg
• Cholesterol: 22mg
• Fiber: 3g (leave skin on potatoes for an extra gram of fiber)
• Calories from fat: 30%

This post is part of Mouthwatering Monday. Click on the link and check out more great recipes!

Tackling the Pantry: Auditioning for A&E’s Hoarders

This weekend the husband and I decided to take on what we thought was a ‘little’ project, painting our pantry closet. Unfortunately, what we thought would take 2-3 hours, ended up taking 3 coats of paint, 6 rolls of shelf-liner, about half our sanity and 2 full days.

These are photos of what our kitchen looked like all weekend.  It was so overwhelming.  If you know me, you know that I cannot handle having stuff out all over the place. It was so hard to do anything and cooking was pretty much out of the question.  I think if the producers from Hoarders would have seen it they just might have been calling…..

UPDATE: My friend Andi asked to see pictures of the newly organized and no-longer overwhelming pantry.  Props to my husband Marty for doing 98% of the painting.  I had it easy – was in charge of the organizing.