When the treemap was first introduced to adCenter Analytics Beta (it was called Project Gatineau back then), I didn't see the value. Using the size of a rectangle as a visual cue to the importance of a page ranked by page views, entries, exits, or bounces was novel but, well, I simply didn't get it.
Then I was shown the value of the treemap
as an alternate method of navigating my data.
Now I'm a believer.
The thing I found most challenging about the early beta was the number of clicks required to navigate my blog's directory structure. Each sub-directory required two clicks, one to select the directory, the second to choose between viewing the contents of the directory or the demographics. With a relatively deep directory structure (I know, usually not a good idea for a web site), drilling from top to bottom can was time consuming. No doubt there were good reasons for the design (How else could you incorporate demographics for every metric?) but, given my short attention span, it took me too long to get from the top to the bottom of the hierarchy. Then I was shown the value of the treemap as a different way of navigating my data. Now I'm a believer.
adCenter Analytics Treemap.The size of the page box represents its relative value for the selected metric.
A Visual Approach to Web Analytics
The basic Treemap Traffic View under Pages & Content in adCenter Analytics is interesting but not especially impressive until you fly your cursor over the map's terrain. A window instantly displays data relevant to the page: page name, page views, visits, how many times the page served as an entry to the site - or an exit, and the number of bounces. (In adCenter Analytics, as with most analytic solutions, a bounce is considered a web session with a single page view. In other words, one page is both entry and exit, no matter how long the visitor lingered.)
You can load the treemap view
for any level with a single click.
The magic begins when you click on a page. The map comes alive. Besides the data displayed in the flyover, there is a hyperlink to the web page. That may not be a religious experience in itself but its useful when you need to confirm the mapping between data and web page. What's more moving is the recursive path or breadcrumb trail at the bottom of the window. Each level in the directory hierarchy, from root to branch, is linked to the recursive path. You can load the treemap view for any level in the path with a single click, cutting short the linear progression down the path otherwise required by the directory structure.
Page detail is revealed by a click, including the ability to load any level of the directory path.
You can also toggle selection of the page. A selected page in the treemap changes color and acts as a landmark while you're navigating the terrain.
Perhaps you're not yet a believer? But wait, there's more...
Flying Deep into the Data
One challenge for a graphic representation of web data is the sheer volume. It doesn't require a very large site before the treemap view of your page traffic becomes hopelessly cluttered. Fortunately, there's an elegant solution.
The zoom control is a simple slider in the treemap toolbar. Sliding the control from left to right magnifies your view of the data, reducing the size of the data set. Less data, less clutter.
The Toolbar, the treemap's joystick.
Toggled selections remain as a landmark as you navigate this more restrictive view. Your current window on the larger landscape is represented by a red rectangle in what’s essentially a map within a map located beside the zoom slider. This map within a map orientates you to the surrounding terrain and also provides a means of navigating that terrain by simply dragging the rectangle across the pane. It acts exactly as you would expect.
The treemap toolbar allows you to shift focus from page views, to entry pages, exit pages or bounces. It also allows you to segment your view of the data by demographics:
The treemap view provides all the data you'd get drilling down through the directory structure. Even the percentage of visits is represented in the treemap by the size of the rectangle representing the page.
Since its introduction, the treemap has evolved. Much of that evolution is due to feedback from users like you. It now represents a unique view of your data that can provide insights you might miss otherwise. It's equally useful as an alternate means of navigating that data. And frankly, it's fun flying over data like a flight simulator. Treemaps are available for both Pages & Content as well as Referrals.