If you haven't used it already, you need to be using HTTPwatch or HTTPfox. Both of these tools are effectively, packet sniffers.

All web applications make extensive use of the HTTP protocol (or HTTPS for secure sites). Even simple web pages require the use of multiple HTTP requests to download HTML, graphics and javascript. The ability to view the HTTP interaction between the browser and web site is crucial to these areas of web development:

Httpwatch integrates with Internet Explorer and Firefox browsers to show you exactly what HTTP traffic is triggered when you access a web page. If you access a site that uses secure HTTPS connections, HttpWatch automatically displays the decrypted form of the network traffic.

The advantage they bring to you as a web analytics practioner? You can see what web analytics tags are firing on your pages (and what their respective values are!) - greatfor working out whether you have tagged correctly or not well in advance of the analysis of your data taking place (and the delays we all know can be associated with that!).

More information on HTTPwatch can be found here or HTTPfox here.

Alternatively, you can use Firebug (another free Firefox plugin) or W.A.S.P (Web Analytics Solution Profiler).

Firebug integrates with Firefox to put a wealth of web development tools at your fingertips while you browse. You can edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page. More information on Firebug can be found here.

WASP is the Web Analytics Solution Profiler, a specialized Firefox extension aimed at web analytics professionals who want to do quality assurance and understand how their web analytics solution is implemented. More information on WASP can be found here.

At SPIWEB, we use HTTPfox and W.A.S.P as our tools of choice.