May 22nd, 2007
Must-Have Tools
The web analyst is the consummate jack-of-all-trades. Be sure to stock your toolbox well:
Text Editor
My favorite is UltraEdit (www.ultraedit.com).
A good open source alternative is JEdit, a Java-based text editor (jedit.sourceforge.net).
Packet Sniffer
My favorite is HTTPWatch (www.httpwatch.com).
A good, free alternative is Fiddler (www.fiddler2.com).
FTP Client
My favorite overall is FileZilla, an open source client (filezilla.sourceforge.net).
Screen Capture
Truly, nothing beats SnagIt (www.snagit.com).
Windows Vista now comes standard with Snipping Tool.
Microsoft OneNote is a great note-taking utility, and comes with a screen capture tool.
Spreadsheet Plugin
Most “enterprise” analytics tools have some kind of Excel Client. This is often one of the most underutilized and undervalued tools available to analysts. If your analytics app offers an Excel Client, then be sure to learn how to use it. Excel Clients are especially good for creating dashboards.