It usually doesn't take much to spot websites that need some work done...but recently I've stumbled upon another useful tool.

The GA? Firefox Plugin checks web pages to see if they have Google Analytics installed.  This is intended for webmasters to debug their own sites, but I think it's useful for spotting sites that are underperforming.  Even if a site has a clean design and interesting copy, odds are that if Google Analytics isn't installed then the site isn't properly focused.  I haven't encountered a better analytics tool yet, and like most Google apps, it is free and easy to use.

Thus, next time I'm browsing and I come across a corporate site where the little GA? icon is grayed out, I might just shoot them an email detailing a plan to increase their web presence's effectiveness.