Tracking is enabled, so why configure tracking code

Hi,

Thanks for being open to my feedback.

I am a retired professor and I say that not to blow my own horn but to say I have had a lot of experience in tech and documentation.

My feedback is not meant to criticize, just for you to consider to take or leave:

The way the plugin is documented it seems to me is from the perspective of coders who know the plugin inside and out and dont put themselves in the shoes of a new user. They seem to think because they know a tracking code is required that user will know that as well, somehow 🙂

It seems that it is assumed that a user will know that a tracking code is required, and many other things.

If you consider your competition to be Goog analytics and you assume your users are coming from there, then you could assume that users will know about tracking codes.

But that is not a good assumption for the following reasons:

Many users may not know a thing about tracking and have never used a tracking plugin and so have no idea about a tracking code.

Many other tracking plugins dont need a tracking code, they may have less features than yours but still a user may be used to using a plugin that does not use a tracking code.

So I would suggest that it must be explained:

1) A tracking code is required

2) What a tracking code does

3) How to get a tracking code

before your plugin says

4) Configure the code

and only then

5) Say that Tracking is enabled.

And to say Tracking is enabled when no tracking code has been configured is IMO not clear. Tracking is enabled means to me it is working but it cant be working if there is no tracking code. Presuming again, that a tracking code is needed.

Also when I look at the config option there is a text area field with a whole bunch of html and code and it seems very complex compared to eg being used to just entering a numeric code in a Goog analytics plugin. So that needs to be explained or simplified.

I think there are a lot more suggestions but I dont have more time for this unfortunately.

A good way to develop better instructions would be to get an external writer who does not know yuor plugin to write the instructions because then it would be step by step from a new user’s perspective, or at least sit down with some new users and have them go thru the plugin and then document all steps they need help in understanding.

Hope that helps 🙂

If I am direct it is not meant to offend, just to be clear.

Hi Thomas,

I am trying out your plugin further and am getting very frustrated and I’ll explain why:

In my OP I asked:

If tracking is enabled, why do I need to configure my tracking code?

With eg Google Analytics, I have to get a tracking code from them. I have not gotten a code from you. So how could I configure it?

Is this required or optional?

You said thanks for the feedback but my questions have not been answered.

So again:

1) If tracking is enabled, why do I need to configure my tracking code? If I do not config my tracking code, is tracking working?

2)
With eg Google Analytics, I have to get a tracking code from them. I have not gotten a code from you. So how could I configure it? Do I need a tracking code from you? Or not?

3) Is this required or optional? Well, is it?

3a) Anohter huge issue is your terminology – a tracking code could be a code like I would get from Google analysitc which as unique code eg 34386252. Eg a Key, an API key.

Or tracking code could be code is in programming code.

I am thinking I need a key? Is that what you mean by trackng code? Or do you mean the HTML/JS code you show:

<!– Matomo –><script type=”text/javascript”>var _paq = window._paq = window._paq || [];
_paq.push([‘trackPageView’]);_paq.push([‘enableLinkTracking’]);_paq.push([‘alwaysUseSendBeacon’]);_paq.push([‘setTrackerUrl’, “\/\/reviseelbow.tastewp.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/matomo\/app\/matomo.php”]);_paq.push([‘setSiteId’, ‘1’]);var d=document, g=d.createElement(‘script’), s=d.getElementsByTagName(‘script’)[0];
g.type=’text/javascript’; g.async=true; g.src=”\/\/reviseelbow.tastewp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/matomo\/matomo.js”; s.parentNode.insertBefore(g,s);</script><!– End Matomo Code –>

I have been thinking all along I need a key from you, and to get a key I need to register and then you send me a key.

And then somehow I have to enter/edit this key into the code above……

In addition:

4) I am now in the Settings > Tracking page. It shows this code:

<!– Matomo –><script type=”text/javascript”>var _paq = window._paq = window._paq || [];
_paq.push([‘trackPageView’]);_paq.push([‘enableLinkTracking’]);_paq.push([‘alwaysUseSendBeacon’]);_paq.push([‘setTrackerUrl’, “\/\/reviseelbow.tastewp.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/matomo\/app\/matomo.php”]);_paq.push([‘setSiteId’, ‘1’]);var d=document, g=d.createElement(‘script’), s=d.getElementsByTagName(‘script’)[0];
g.type=’text/javascript’; g.async=true; g.src=”\/\/reviseelbow.tastewp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/matomo\/matomo.js”; s.parentNode.insertBefore(g,s);</script><!– End Matomo Code –>

4a) So why do you show that?

4b) Do I need to edit it before Saving Changes? It is in an editable textarea field.

4c) If so, how?

4d) It is not a simple one line piece code – do you really expect people to learn every piece of it and edit it properly?

4e) Currency: US dollars? What the heck does that mean? Are you going to track how much currency the visitors have? If so would you not need access to their banks accounts? Currency of what? My payment to you? How can you expect payment for a optional free plugin?

The only help says “Currency to use in reports” – Ok so a typical analytics report show page views, visits, visitors, visitor geolocation info, etc. NEVER have I seen a currency column in a analytics report. So what is it? $ per page? $ per visitor? $ amount based on what calculations? No explanation of this.

On top of that I mentioned earlier that your docs not for this WP plugin but you dont bother to mention that in the docs, so people have to read some of the docs to figure out it does not apply to the plugin.

Is there any docs for this plugin?

REALLY REALLY SMH at all of this now. The only reason I am spending so much time on this and enduring all this annoyance is because I dont see many other options other than Google which I prefer not to use……

If there are other good options I would have abandoned trying your plugin at the first instance….

It should have taken 5 minutes to set the plugin up – I have spend already an hour or 2 on my posts. Gotten nowhere, you didnt even answer my original questions, Really frustrating since time is money.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 2 months ago by wpfan1000.

con·fig·ure (kən-fĭg′yər)
tr.v. con·fig·ured, con·fig·ur·ing, con·fig·ures
To design, arrange, set up, or shape with a view to specific applications or uses

To say “Configure the tracking code” implies that one needs to design, arrange, setup:

<!– Matomo –><script type=”text/javascript”>var _paq = window._paq = window._paq || [];
_paq.push([‘trackPageView’]);_paq.push([‘enableLinkTracking’]);_paq.push([‘alwaysUseSendBeacon’]);_paq.push([‘setTrackerUrl’, “\/\/rss-test-site.local\/wp-content\/plugins\/matomo\/app\/matomo.php”]);_paq.push([‘setSiteId’, ‘1’]);var d=document, g=d.createElement(‘script’), s=d.getElementsByTagName(‘script’)[0];
g.type=’text/javascript’; g.async=true; g.src=”\/\/rss-test-site.local\/wp-content\/uploads\/matomo\/matomo.js”; s.parentNode.insertBefore(g,s);</script><!– End Matomo Code –>

I hope you can understand that I why I thought I had to edit the tracking code.

But that is not actually the case. No edit is needed in many cases.

I would suggest a rewording…..