SiteCheck

As web sites become more dynamic, pages assemble themselves dynamically on the visitor's computer based on style sheets, scripts and HTML content from a large number of sources not just the main site. Service vendors for search or video capability, metrics companies to track user behavior, ad companies to serve advertisements, social and community sites, an ever increasing variety of intermediaries 'optimizing' targeting or returns - all frequently participate in the user experience.

In such a situation - the user's experience can be influenced as much by third party content as by the site's own contents - for example if a slow item from a 3rd party vendor impacts the proper display of the site's content. The tendency of various parties to use common sets of javascript from open source libraries can result in the code from different parties interacting in ways that impact the end user - and as a consequence their opinion of the main site.

Such interactions, along with errors in the site's own dynamic code, can increase costs to a site. Items are loaded that are not used or items are re-loaded numerous times when this is not necessary.

Human QA is not good at catching these types of errors. Human QA focuses on whether the page 'looks right' and operates correctly; not whether it is perfoirming needless but potentially expensive operations. And normal QA processes cannot protect against a 3rd party making changes that break already published content.

SiteCheck captures and analyses all requests made by the visitor's browser, whether invoked from the site's HTML or via javascript; for all pages visited. Delayed requests are also tracked.

Displays show the timing of all such requests - a powerful tool to understand the timing characteristics. Details captured include size, timing, mime-type, encoding, status etc., in addition to all HTTP header transactions.

Cookies can be a sensitive issue with users. Estimates put as high as 10% the percentage of users who configure their systems to reject at least some cookies. On the other hand - without the use of some cookie functionality, the ability to provide engaging web site experiences is impacted dramatically.

Legislative changes being driven by the EU 'Cookie Directive' (2009/136/EC) will require operators of web sites to be at least aware of all cookies being used as a consequence of a user visiting their site. What additional obligations may befall the operator will depend on legislation enacted in different EU countries to comply with the directive.

Knowing what cookies - and other tracking technologies - are being used directly and in-directly by a web site is critical information that the site owner should have to make appropriate decisions in this emerging area.

SiteCheck provides valuable insights to enable improved fact based decisions in the areas of:

• Privacy
• Commercial relationships
• Performance impact
• Effeciency
• Cost