Microsoft Clarity takes on Google Optimize and Analytics

4 min. read

Updated onApril 4, 2022

updated onApril 4, 2022

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I am not sure why tech companies keep trying to jump on the success of other tech companies. A couple of examples that spring to mind. Google+, which started because of Facebook, andfailed miserably. AndMicrosoft EdgeHTML, which was developed to counteract Chrome’s dominance, and failed miserably.

Now Microsoft is going to try to challenge Google Analytics and Google Optimize withMicrosoft Clarity. Will this go the way of Edge, or will we finally have an alternative to Google Analytics?

What is Microsoft’s Clarity?

Good question. Sadly, while thewebsiteis active, there is very little information there. I tried to put in awebsiteI own and got the following message below:

So, not exactly an auspicious start as on thehomepage of Clarity, it clearly states, “As soon as you sign in with any of your Microsoft accounts, you will be prepared to add Clarity to yourwebsitein a matter of seconds.”

Maybe seconds mean a different thing in Microsoft land, but when using Google Analytics, mysitesare ready to go in actual seconds. I doubt Clarity is going to be knocking on Google Analytics’ doors any time soon if people have to wait for theirsitesto be approved.

In Microsoft’s defence, in the FAQs they have responded to, “Can anyone sign up? Are there any restrictions?” with, “Since we have just released this as a beta product, we are onboardingusersbased on our ability to provide a great and seamless experience.”

However, according to theBing blogabout Clarity, it looks like this wait period will be a permanent feature. This is a bad idea. I have to wait for Bing to email me to tell me mysitehas been approved?

Well, since I only have a Hotmail account because I useWindows, and I have not checked my Hotmail email in at least 5 years, I’m going to be one of the first to say that if Microsoft doesn’t get rid the wait time and email approval, it’ll become an issue.

More details about Clarity

Having said all that, thewebsitemay not be very active, but you can find more by going to the Bing blog. Here is thelinkagain. And I have to say that in some ways, Clarity sounds quite good. One thing that I reckon will be very useful is the ‘session replay’, where you will be able to see exactly what visitors do on yourwebsite, and more importantly, where they are when they leave.

If you see a pattern emerge, where many visitors abandon yourwebsiteafter reading a particular paragraph in a post, for example, you can then take a look at the offending paragraph to find out what is causing people to leave.

As Bing points out, “Being able to replayusers’ mouse movements, touch gestures and click events allows you to empathize withusersand understand their pain points.”

Wrapping it all up

There is a lot more information. If you head over to the blog about Clarity, you can read more cool stuff. There is also a video that gives you an idea of what Microsoft is trying to do.

To be honest, I hope Microsoft succeeds with Clarity. There is a general rule of thumb that a dominant player in any market is a bad idea for consumers. Let’s hope Clarity is a success, if for no other reason than to be an alternative to Analytics.

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Outlook will let users create custom account icons so they can tell their accounts apart easier#

Microsoft Clarity takes on Google Optimize and Analytics#

What is Microsoft’s Clarity?#

More details about Clarity#

Wrapping it all up#

With KB5043178 to Release Preview Channel, Microsoft advises Windows 11 users to plug in when the battery is low

Copilot in Outlook will generate personalized themes for you to customize the app

Microsoft will raise the price of its 365 Suite to include AI capabilities

Death Stranding Director’s Cut is now Xbox X|S at a huge discount

Outlook will let users create custom account icons so they can tell their accounts apart easier

Microsoft Clarity takes on Google Optimize and Analytics

What is Microsoft’s Clarity?

More details about Clarity

Wrapping it all up