While you may have a beautifully designed web application capable of delivering high quality services to its users, if its functionality or performance is lacking, then few will experience the true potential of this application. Although it's possible to manually monitor and manage all of your web applications, the necessary tasks to maintain a functional application are far too complex for most IT departments to effectively handle. This is where web application monitoring services come into play. While the final deciding factor on what service is best for you is solely based upon your individual needs, the following are universally true when it comes to finding the best web application monitoring service.

Synthetic User Testing

Before launching your application, or when you're adding new components to an established application, it's essential to see what the users see without having to actually test an app with live users. The most effective web application monitoring service is one that allows synthetic user testing. This feature allows you to interact with the application as if you were a user. Along with being able to visually and physically maneuver throughout the application, the best solutions are those that provide in-depth insights and analysis of the synthetic experience so fixes and improvements may be made before the app goes live.

Automatic Application Server Monitoring

The most important feature you should look for in an application monitoring service is its ability to continuously monitor the application server to ensure optimum performance and functionality. While monitoring the server for fluid transactions and events is essential, you should also make sure the service provides effective diagnostic services. You'll find that this feature will save you and your IT department hours of work seeking out errors and issues within the application server.

End-to-End Monitoring

When a user interacts with your application, there are countless errors that can develop. All it takes is one error for a user to abandon his task and search out a different website, such as your competitor. Keep your visitors satisfied while ensuring the entire transaction process is seamless by using an application monitoring service capable of delivering end-to-end monitoring, as well as code-level monitoring. It's only when your service is able to monitor the beginning-to-end events of an application that you're able to have a fully functioning app.

Error Prediction Triggers

Perhaps one of the most important advancements made in the web application monitoring industry is its ability to predict errors and issues before they actually occur. This is vital when it comes to creating a sense of continuity with the response and activities of your business and web applications. When a service is able to identify errors before they can negatively impact users, you're able to stop a negative experience before it even begins - one of the greatest features any monitoring service can offer.