Analytics for 3rd party JavaScript widgets -

i'm trying find best approach analyics on 3rd party javascript widgets - i.e. tools , content distributed number of arbitrary users, include widgets html snippets tags.

on same domain

note widgets do not load iframe element has document loaded external site. instead, load content dom of host page - i.e. treated being on same domain host.

analytics fragment of host page

so, essentially, want track stats (such widget views, user clicks , custom interactions within widget), want track stats fragment of host page widget. don't want track clicks on host page outside widget.

i want stats collated together, stats widget on site aggregated of widget on site b , site c, etc.

questions

1. is possible use google analaytics in custom way satisfies these requirements? or not possible separate ga rest of data collected on host page?
2. if possible use google analytics, there problem if host page uses ga (with different ga profile id), or possible keep them safely apart?
3. are there other analytics packages out there suited widget stats tracking, meet these requirements?
4. or, how else approach problem of obtaining stats these widgets?

ga can used this, though since free tool, bit limited compared other tools out there. example of other tools out there yahoo web analytics (ywa), omniture sitecatalyst, , webtrends.

most of tracking tools out there have ability custom link , "event" tracking. lookup necessary snippet of code custom link tracking , put wrapper function executed in onclick event (or add event listener, etc..).

the first thing want decide "events" want have widget(s). mentioned counting "widget views". that's easy enough do: put snippet of custom code on page widget embedded on.

but beyond that...does clicking button count single event? each button signify different event? etc... also, there custom values want associate buttons, product id or description or whatever.

another important thing ask when deciding on want track "how actionable data?" there little can't track, there lot of things aren't useful making real business decisions.

for example, sounds overall wanting try measure user interaction widgets. i'm sure idea figure out how useful, engaging, etc... people, can figure out whether it's worth further developing them or throwing money @ them or dropping them. fair enough. remember make events goal-oriented. knowing how many times user clicked button isn't useful because isn't actionable. knowing how many times people completed process or step, etc.. more actionable.

once have made list of want track , when, can start building custom code.

with ga, there 2 main ways track events , metrics: through steps/goals, , through custom variables. way setup steps/goals ga have ga match url of page is. example, if have newsletter signup form, form page might signup.html , confirmation page might signup_confirmation.html. setup goal in ga interface. goal match signup_confirmation.html , have step signup.html. can see how many people viewed form , completed vs. abandoned it.

you can use same tracking method events, pushing virtual page view ga.

here article detailing how push virtual page view:

http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=55521

but basically, whenever event happens (like view of widget, click of button, etc.. execute following javascript:

pagetracker._trackpageview(’virtual url here’);

main thing note method can organize/categorize/provide hierarchy data passing delimited values. rollup data different widgets/sites.

the 2nd way record events custom variables. making use of custom variables during events provides lot of reporting possibilities , flexibility. here link how use them:

http://code.google.com/apis/analytics/docs/tracking/gatrackingcustomvariables.html