Do you Firebug? If not, you should! [Research Nerd Alert!]
I did a search and didn't see any direct threads on Firebug, so I thought I'd start one. This Firefox plugin is a GODSEND.
Specifically, one feature I rarely ever see anybody talk about anywhere is the Net panel.
This feature tracks every single URL involved in loading the current page, and it lists every HTTP request and response header, as well as the actual response content (HTML, image, JSON, binary data, etc)
I know I know... it sounds complex if you're not a programmer... but it's not just for webbies!
If you're checking out your niche competition, maybe a sales letter, or walking through a whole sign up process of somebody's IM that impresses you, open up Firebug's Net panel and note the data that comes through on every page.
You'll see tracking URLs, what data they're caching at a cloud service, what affiliate bugs are implanted in the page, how many 302 Temporary Redirects you were pumped through to get to where you are... and on and on.
If you want to dissect someone else's successful system, this tool is wildly useful. Check back a month later on the sites you know are doing well. What has changed? Now you're generating a road map of what the "big boys" are doing in their business. Now you have new options and ideas on how to grow your own business.
The internet's architecture is mostly open. You just have to have the eyes and tools to see it. Learn, implement, improve, repeat. Beauty!
Here are a couple quick overviews on the Net panel:
Firebug and Network Monitoring
Software is hard | Introduction to Firebug: Net Panel
That second one is pretty in depth. But if there's anyone here that needs more extensive info, PM me. I was considering putting together a blog post about it and would be happy to do so if enough requests come in with questions that aren't answered in the above links.
Enjoy!
To growth and success,
Max Leadford
Specifically, one feature I rarely ever see anybody talk about anywhere is the Net panel.
This feature tracks every single URL involved in loading the current page, and it lists every HTTP request and response header, as well as the actual response content (HTML, image, JSON, binary data, etc)
I know I know... it sounds complex if you're not a programmer... but it's not just for webbies!
If you're checking out your niche competition, maybe a sales letter, or walking through a whole sign up process of somebody's IM that impresses you, open up Firebug's Net panel and note the data that comes through on every page.
You'll see tracking URLs, what data they're caching at a cloud service, what affiliate bugs are implanted in the page, how many 302 Temporary Redirects you were pumped through to get to where you are... and on and on.
If you want to dissect someone else's successful system, this tool is wildly useful. Check back a month later on the sites you know are doing well. What has changed? Now you're generating a road map of what the "big boys" are doing in their business. Now you have new options and ideas on how to grow your own business.
The internet's architecture is mostly open. You just have to have the eyes and tools to see it. Learn, implement, improve, repeat. Beauty!
Here are a couple quick overviews on the Net panel:
Firebug and Network Monitoring
Software is hard | Introduction to Firebug: Net Panel
That second one is pretty in depth. But if there's anyone here that needs more extensive info, PM me. I was considering putting together a blog post about it and would be happy to do so if enough requests come in with questions that aren't answered in the above links.
Enjoy!
To growth and success,
Max Leadford
-
khtm -
Thanks
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[999578].message }} -