This document discusses setting up and using Google Analytics and the Microsoft Silverlight Analytics Framework (MSAF) for tracking usage data in Windows Phone apps. It covers creating Google Analytics accounts and properties, configuring MSAF in an app, and tracking common events like pageviews and custom events. Useful tracking options are also outlined, like tracking app versions, reviews/sharing, and monetization events. Links to relevant resources are provided.

1. Knowing is Understanding
A road trip through Google
analytics for Windows Phone

2. Who is
Tom Janssens

3. Who is?
• Name: Tom Janssens
• Independent consultant
• Starting indie game developer
• www: http://www.blugri.com
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/blugri
• Twitter: @blugri

4. Google
Analytics
Account Setup

5. Google Analytics – Account setup
• Accounts
• Web Properties
• Profiles
• Filters
• Advanced Segments
• Dashboards

6. Google Analytics – Account
structure

7. Google Analytics – Accounts
• You can only start 20 accounts
• Given access to unlimited accounts

8. Google Analytics – Web
Properties
• An account can have only 50 properties
• Web Property = tracking code

9. Google Analytics – Profiles
and Filters
• Limited to 50 profiles (over all properties)
• Filters incoming data
• Filters executed in order of definition
• Always keep a profile with all raw data

10. Google Analytics – Advanced
Segments
• Isolate and analyse your analytics data
• Default or Custom Advanced Segments

11. Google Analytics – Dashboards
• Sticky to login
• Configuration sharing
• Widgets added via filters
• Export and Email

12. Google Analytics – Dashboards

13. Google Analytics –
Multiple apps
• Use advances segments
• Or filter on e.g.
– Page title

14. Google Analytics –
Going live
• Go to marketplace • Or scan QR-code
• Search “sudoku”
• Search this icon
• Download and
start!

15. Microsoft Silverlight
Analytics Framework
For Windows Phone

16. MSAF
• Web analytics Framework
• Supports
– Silverlight, WPF and Windows Phone
– Offline scenarios
– Pageview and event tracking
– …
• Extensible
• Get it from http://msaf.codeplex.com/

17. MSAF

18. The code
C#

19. Adding it to your application
• Add the code to your App.xaml
<Application.ApplicationLifetimeObjects>
<!--Required object that handles lifetime events for the application-->
<shell:PhoneApplicationService
Launching="Application_Launching" Closing="Application_Closing"
Activated="Application_Activated" Deactivated="Application_Deactivated"/>
<Analytics:AnalyticsService x:Name="analyticsService" WebPropertyId="UA-12345678-9"
AutomaticPageTrackingEnabled="True" />
</Application.ApplicationLifetimeObjects>

20. Adding it to your application
• And to App.xaml.cs
<pre class="brush: csharp;">
public partial class App : Application
{
private AnalyticsTracker _tracker;
public AnalyticsTracker Tracker
{
get
{
if (_tracker == null)
{
AnalyticsService service = null;
foreach (var obj in this.ApplicationLifetimeObjects)
{
if (typeof(AnalyticsService).Equals(obj.GetType()))
{
service = obj as AnalyticsService;
break;
}
}
_tracker = new AnalyticsTracker(service);
}
return _tracker;
}
}
}

21. Application properties
• Google Analytics: 5 custom variables
public class AnalyticsService : IApplicationService
{ Key 1: ProductID
private readonly IApplicationService _innerService;
private readonly GoogleAnalytics _googleAnalytics;
public AnalyticsService() Key 2: User defined
{
_googleAnalytics = new GoogleAnalytics();
_googleAnalytics.CustomVariables.Add(
new PropertyValue
{
Key 3: User defined
PropertyName = "Device ID",
Value = AnalyticsProperties.DeviceId
});
... Key 4: User defined
}
}
Key 5: User defined

22. Reading the manifest
public class PhoneHelper
{
const string AppManifestName = "WMAppManifest.xml";
const string AppNodeName = "App";
public static string GetAppAttribute(string attributeName)
{
try
{
var settings = new XmlReaderSettings { XmlResolver = new XmlXapResolver() };
using (var rdr = XmlReader.Create(AppManifestName, settings))
{
rdr.ReadToDescendant(AppNodeName);
if (!rdr.IsStartElement())
{
throw new FormatException(AppManifestName + " is missing " + AppNodeName);
}
return rdr.GetAttribute(attributeName);
}
}
catch (Exception)
{
return "";
}
}
}

23. Pageview Tracking
public class AnalyticsService : IApplicationService
{
private readonly IApplicationService _innerService;
private readonly GoogleAnalytics _googleAnalytics;
public AnalyticsService()
{
_googleAnalytics = new GoogleAnalytics();
_googleAnalytics.CustomVariables.Add(
new PropertyValue
{
PropertyName = "Device ID",
Value = AnalyticsProperties.DeviceId
});
...
_innerService = new WebAnalyticsService
{
IsPageTrackingEnabled = true,
Services = { _googleAnalytics, }
};
}
}

24. Pageview Tracking
• Basic tracking
– For apps with many pages
– Shows in analytics as pagename.xaml?p1=v1
• Realtime analytics

25. Event Tracking
public class AnalyticsTracker
{
private AnalyticsService _service;
public AnalyticsTracker(AnalyticsService service)
{
CompositionInitializer.SatisfyImports(this);
_service = service;
}
[Import("Log")]
public Action<AnalyticsEvent> Log { get; set; }
public void Track(string category, string name, string actionValue)
{
Log(new AnalyticsEvent
{
Category = category,
Name = name,
ObjectName = actionValue
});
}
}

26. Event Tracking
used for pageviews
public void TrackPageView(string pageViewName)
{
// Avoid double tracking
if (_service != null && !_service.AutomaticPageTrackingEnabled)
{
Log(new AnalyticsEvent
{
ActionValue = pageViewName,
HitType = Microsoft.WebAnalytics.Data.HitType.PageView,
Name = "CurrentScreenChanged",
NavigationState = pageViewName,
ObjectType = pageViewName,
AppName = Analytics.AnalyticsProperties.ApplicationTitle
});
}
}
}

27. References
• Google.WebAnalytics
• Microsoft.WebAnalytics
• Microsoft.WebAnalytics.Behaviors
• Microsoft.WebAnalytics.Navigation
• Microsoft.SilverlightMediaFramework.Compat
ibility.Phone
– Replaces:
• System.ComponentModel.Composition
• System.ComponentModel.Composition.Initialization
• System.Windows.Interactivity

28. Tracking
options
Useful tracks

29. Useful trackings
• Reviews and Sharing
– Event Tracking
– Get insights where to place your share /
review buttons

30. Useful trackings
• Version Tracking
– Updates vs new downloads
– Sticky users vs user growth
– Store current version in isolated storage

31. Useful trackings
string installedVersion = AppSettingsAndStatistics.Instance.ApplicationVersion;
string currentVersion = Analytics.AnalyticsProperties.ApplicationVersion;
if (installedVersion == null)
{
AppSettingsAndStatistics.Instance.ApplicationVersion = currentVersion;
((Sudoku.App)App.Current).Tracker.Track("Installation”, "New",
string.Format("new version: {0}”,
Analytics.AnalyticsProperties.ApplicationVersion));
}
else if (!installedVersion.Equals(currentVersion))
{
AppSettingsAndStatistics.Instance.ApplicationVersion = currentVersion;
((Sudoku.App)App.Current).Tracker.Track("Installation", "Update",
string.Format("old version: {0} - new version: {1}",
installedVersion,
currentVersion));
}

32. Useful trackings
• Application events
– Game modes
• Game controls
• Levels played / Difficulty
– Use of Hints, Tips, …
– Advertising
• Providers
• Number of ads displayed, clicked
– …

33. Resources
Links

34. Links
• https://www.google.com/ads/agencyedge/
• http://msaf.codeplex.com/
• http://www.windowsphonegeek.com/news/
analyze-the-use-of-a-wp7-app-with-
google-analytics-and-microsoft-silverlight-
analytics-framework-msaf