Web Analytics: The Ultimate Indicator of Your Website's Health

written by: Maneet Puri; article published: year 2007, month 12;

In: Root » Internet » Web services

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What is Web Analytics?

Web Analytics is a quantitative indicator of consumer behavior on a website. It identifies visitors, analyzes the reason of visits and tracks their movement inside the web pages until they leave the website. Hence, the Web Analytics helps a webmaster keep track of the visitors and their preferences in order to devise the future strategies to boost the acceptability of their websites.

Typically, there are three different methods in which the web analytics can provide information about the visitors’ movement within a website. The first one is in terms of collection of visitors’ data; the second one is by tagging each page with java script, and the third one by combining the first two to produce a more reliable results and relevant data.

How does this work?

While a visitor requests for a file, the server log records several files for each visit. However, the page-tagging script considers the page as a whole seen by the visitor. This way, the web analytics is able to identify whether the visitor is a new or repeat visitor. Irrespective of the methods it follows, the web analytics will be able to find out the following information as well:

  • Length of time a visitor spends on the website.

  • The keyword phrase that guides the visitor to the website.

  • The IP address of the visitor and the country which the visitor belongs to.

  • The entry and exit time of the visitor.

The difference between the performance of Log File and Page Tagging

  • Log file analysis is already available in the server whereas in page tagging, the information is captured and stored in the service provider’s server. It can be viewed on service provider’s website. Google Analytics and ClickTracks are the examples of page-tagging web analytics.
  • If you follow the page-tagging techniques, then your site may face browser incompatibility problem as you have to install java script on every page of your site.
  • Since log files enter transfer of all files including images and scripts, some parameters such as hits and page views shown by log file may not be as accurate as page tagging web analytics.
  • Log file web analytics is able to keep track of failed visits whereas Page tagging web analytics does so only when a page is successfully displayed.

Advantages of Web Analytics

A web analytics program gives you the accurate health status of your website. It tells you about your potential visitors and their demographic profile, the most relevant keywords and keyword phrases for which you should optimize your site, the pages which are visited the most, the length of time that a visitor spend on your website, incoming links and so forth. There is simply no better way to get direct feedback from your end-users than installing a suitable web analytics program on your website. A good web analytics program helps you get the accurate data about the visitors to your site and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of your website as well. It truly pays to install a web analytics program.

About the Author:

Maneet Puri is the chief of Day Robinson Services India, an emerging web development India company specializing in web design India services, web optimization services and other web based application services and solutions. Maneet has over 10 years of substantial industry experience in developing, designing and managing websites that are built upon various latest web-based tools and cutting-edge technology. He also offers advice on web development and web application services.

Maneet Puri heads LeXolution IT Services (LIT), a renowned web and KPO solution provider in India. He is an expert of web based applications which include web design, web development, and website maintenance services. Besides, he has also successfully added KPO to his company. He has efficiently handled many off-shore projects related to web design, web development for his overseas clients. If you want more information on web application services offered by LIT, visit www.lexolutionit.com or visit the blog all-that-web-demands.blogspot.com.

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