New ForeSee Results service follows visitors as they negotiate web sites

In a usability test, consumers brought into a lab setting negotiate a web site while the site operator observes their behavior. ForeSee Results has introduced a new service that provides site operators, including e-retailers, with the same information about the behavior of consumers using a site remotely.

The service called CS SessionReplay records in movie format what site visitors see and do, including what they click on, how they scroll through pages and the forms they fill out. The aim is to provide detailed data about actual user experiences without the expense of on-site usability testing. The service also allows the site operator to choose which visitors are most important to follow.

“This product extension will incorporate a whole new dimension of analysis for our clients that raw data alone cannot provide,” says Drew Bennett, senior product director at ForeSee Results. “Our unique methodology identifies the sessions that are of most use and relevance; actually watching the session provides additional depth and color to understanding the user experience.”

ForeSee Results, which measures consumer satisfaction with web sites, acquired the technology behind CS SessionReplay last fall from software development company Nitobi.