But that’s only half the story.

It’s vital to remember that a user’s experience on your site is more than the sum of their clicks. Ideally, we’d all have the chance to sit in the same room as our users, watching their every move then interviewing them about their experience. But besides being somewhat creepy, such one-on-one assessment is rarely practical.

Fortunately, there are a host of web-based tools available designed to collect qualitative data from your users quickly at a reasonable price.

Here are some of my favorites:

Userfly

Price: $0/mo – $200/mo

After getting an account and adding one line of code to your site, Userfly records videos of user visits, letting you see mouse movements, click and form interaction. It’s a straight-forward way to see actual users interacting with your site.

There’s a great demo available to test it out, and the free account gives you 10 captures each month.

ClickTale

Price: $0/mo – $790/mo

ClickTale also records user visits and provides some great aggregate reports to help further understand user behavior. For instance, their form analytics report details where visitors might be giving up on your form. And the heatmaps metric shows which content visitors are actually viewing. What parts of the page do visitors skip? How far down do they scroll?

You also get enhanced information about link clicking behavior. Besides collecting click rates, ClickTale tells you how long users hovered over links and hover-to-click ratios.

FiveSecondTest

Price: Free

FiveSecondTest allows you you to submit your designs for testing. Other users view your design for five seconds, then jot down five things they remember.

While it’s not as comprehensive as some other services, FiveSecondTest provides a really quick overview of how others react to your web page. If you’re designing a landing page, it’s a great way to ensure users are seeing what you want them to see. The basic functionality is free, so it’s worth throwing your design up there and seeing what people think.

It’s just as easy to do a test yourself, so don’t forget to help another designer out and comment on their page.

Loop11

Price: $350 flat fee for each project (up to 1000 participants)

Loop11 combines user video recording with customized usability surveys. Users interact with your site, completing a series of predefined tasks while answering questions about their experience as they go. All interactions are captured, processed and made available in real-time reports.

The process is simple: create user tests for your website (tasks and questions), invite participants (through an invite link), and analyze your results. Loop11 is a good option for a fairly well-developed project, when you have some specific questions in mind.

UserTesting.com

Price: $29 flat fee for each video

UserTesting.com allows you to watch real people using your website, while they narrate their experience. After creating a user test, UserTesting.com finds testers that meet your criteria. Testers then use your website, recording their screen and speaking their thoughts as they browse. Then you get the video, along with a written summary.

Unlike Loop11, you don’t have to find your own testers, but you pay for each user video ($29 flat fee). If you think you’ll have trouble finding testers, or only need a handful of users (under 10), then UserTesting.com might be a good choice for you.

According to Andrew S. Rosen, Chairman and CEO of Kaplan, Inc.,“the new campaign makes a statement that the U.S. traditional higher education system doesn’t always meet the needs of today’s adult learners, mainly working adults struggling to balance jobs, families and education.”

What do you think? Will adult learners respond to a campaign like this?

It’s not surprising they’ve decided to update their image:

Sans-serif font? Check. Accent-colored icon next to text? Check.

Wimpy, nondescript logo? Check!

Don’t get me wrong. Their new logo is attractive, sharp and professional. I wish I could design logos that nice. But it’s a conservative choice (ala Walmart or Xerox) that threatens to undermine their curb-appeal.

Like many other Best Buy fans, I’ve been conditioned to salivate at the sight of that big yellow tag. I can spot ‘em from a mile away, whether I’m zipping along the interstate or navigating a strip mall parking lot.

I’m worried that the new logo, while snazzy, simply doesn’t stick out.

Undoubtedly, they are trying to project a more professional, high-quality image. But at some point, doesn’t the store affect the logo more than the logo affects the store? In other words, hasn’t Best Buy successfully overridden the apparent “cheapness” of their current logo, by simply being a quality store? So, isn’t it better to stick with the iconic image customers recognize, trust and like?

P.S. Speaking of logo changes, check out Pepsi’s new look

But I’m going to take the road less traveled here and declare: I like the new Microsoft ad. No, I’m not employed by Microsoft, and I don’t generally go around singing their praises. It’s just, with all the scathing reactions to this ad, I feel an obligation to defend them.

Sure, I understand the criticism. It’s a $300 million ad campaign, it features the most popular comedian of all time, and….it’s doesn’t really make sense. The ad doesn’t specifically mention anything about Microsoft or computing. In fact, the ad seems to be selling cheap shoes. And, yes, there are subtitles scattered throughout the 90 second spot.

So, what’s to like? Comedy and mystery. The ad is engaging because it lets Seinfeld be Seinfeld (read: funny) while giving Microsoft a fresh style and vibe. The spot is designed to tell a story (at least the first chapter). And it does this well. Stories like this one are effective because they give us a feeling of camaraderie with the company without forcing a sales pitch down our throats. Now, when I think Microsoft, I’ll get an image of Seinfeld checking to see if Bill Gate’s shoes fit well. Believe it or not, this is more positive than the image I used to get.

More than anything, this storytelling ad exudes a sense of mystery. It’s weird and quirky and makes me wonder where the heck they’re going with it. By the end of the campaign, I expect them to have conveyed a specific marketing message. But I’m willing to let them take their time to get there. Utilizing a story arc is just good storytelling.

Certainly, they could ruin it. If the next three spots are equally directionless, even I will lose interest. But, for now, let’s judge the current commercial for what it is – a first installment – and let them tell the rest of the story before we dismiss the entire ad campaign.

Turns out that there is. We started using a service called Twitter (www.twitter.com) last week. This allows us to post what are called micro-blogs. Micro-blogs restrict the writer to 140 characters. That is the full length that is afforded to give an insightful update, or tell a part of a story.

The great thing about them is that they are easy for everyday, busy Joe (or Jane of course). With under 15 seconds you can evaluate the information, and then proceed to the external link if it seems of interest to you.

We currently have two Twitter accounts, one for Ideaworks and one for Bar Essay Prep. You can view them by going to www.twitter.com/ideaworks or www.twitter.com/bar-essays. Feel free to follow us on Twitter and interact, we would love to have you join the conversation!

In short, for easily digestible updates on Ideaworks, go to www.twitter.com/theideaworks. (Only 90 characters!)