How do you evaluate how your Help topics are used?

Question

We write Help Topics for proprietary programs and are interested in evaluating if the topics are being used and how they are being used. We were able to get statistics through our client, but they tell us only how many times individual pages (topics) are being read.While this helps us see if usage is going up or down from month to month, there is little else we can get. They do not want code written on individual pages (for instance, Google Analytics). We would like to develop the most usable product we can and are wondering how you evaluate the effectiveness of your programs - and how you might follow through to "upgrade" your Helps to meet the users' needs.

Thanks a lot.

johndaigle · Answer

Hi friedlandersHere is a method that may provide what you need plus some extras you may not have thought of. It is particularly useful because you mentioned you did not want to put code in every topic (like Google Analytics, etc.)While it costs extra and requires more setting up, the Adobe RoboHelp Server 8 solves a couple of your problems:Content "Optimization" - Using RoboHelp Server Analytics to improve content.It requires no code be written in your topics.The end-user does not have to "do" anything such as click a button, send an email or fill out a form (it's passive)Feedback Reports (summary. There are actually 7 reports) - Usage statistics, how often certain topics are accessed, etc.Search Terms Used - You get a list of the verbatim search terms that are entered into the search box (even if misspelled)Search Terms that return "No results" - perhaps most valuable, because if an author knows someone is looking for info they can't find, the author can then create content to fill the gap or make the existing content more accessible.Another benefit of RoboHelp Server 8 is the ability to create "Areas" for different audiences that are password protected. This may or may not be something you need, but it actually turns out to be quite useful.I am offering a free 1-hour webinar on behalf of Adobe on October 28 that explains this in detail. You can register here:http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/event/index.cfm?event=detail&id=1691131&loc=en_usThe main product feature page is here:http://www.adobe.com/products/robohelpserver/features/John DaigleAdobe Certified RoboHelp and Captivate InstructorEvergreen, Coloradowww.showmethedemo.com

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