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Promote / Marketing		 Web Server Statistics

What are web server statistics?
Web Servers are Computers with installed software to host web sites (ex: apache).  Web hosting software not only hosts web sites but it also generates log files for each time the computer or its contents is accessed (Access Log Files), or attempted to be accessed (error log file).

Error Log file (Web Server Generated Text File logging error events)
The Error log file is important because if a image or web page is missing, corrupt or for any other reason fails to load the hosting software will generate a error log file.  You can look at your error file to find and resolve problems fast with your web site.

Access Log File (Web Server Generated Text File logging Access events)
The Access log file is essential to a web sites success.  Every time a site, page, image, or other file is accessed a log file is generated to provide information detailing the access event. This means for every visitor, page view (when a web page loads in someones browser window), click, or basically anything which would trigger an event or response from the web site server the information is stored in a Access Log file.
 

What is Web Log Analysis Software?
Anyone who is serious about having a successful web site(s) on the Internet must have Web Log Analysis Software. Web Log Analysis software does exactly that...  it analyzes your Web Server Statistics (log files) and organizes them into a neat and comprehensive format.  It is possible to open your log files in a text editor but given the large amount of unorganized text it is extremely difficult to gather any useful information.

Web Log Analysis software will sort out all the information for you.  Disregard useless information, and organize all meaningful information. 

Examples of things you can see and know from using Web Analysis Software
 

  • General Summary - Overall Summary of your web sites visitors and accessability
  • Total Hits - Total number pages and files accessed or attempted to be accessed
  • Total Files - Total files accessed or attempted to be accessed
  • Total Pages - Total Pages viewed
  • Total Visits - Total number of Visitors to your site
  • Daily Statistics - Organized into Daily Statistics
  • Hourly Statistics - Organized into Hourly Statistics so you know which hours of the day your site receives the most visits
  • Entry - Which pages on your site are the most common entry points
  • Exit - From which pages most visitors leave your web site
  • Referrers - From which web sites are you receiving visitors
  • Search - From which search engines are you receiving visitors
  • Countries - Which countries are your visitors coming from
  • Monthly Report - Organized into Monthly Statistics
  • Domain Report - From which domains are you receiving visitors
  • Failed Referrer Report - Know which pages and files are not loading correctly
  • Referring Site Report - Know where visitors to your site are coming from
  • Browser Report - Which Web Browsers are being used to view your web site
  • Browser Summary - A summary of browser report to know which web browser is most used by your visitors
  • Operating System Report - What computer operating system your visitors are using
  • Status Code Report - Status codes are a variety of error codes so you can locate and fix problems fast
  • File Size Report - Know how much space is being accessed and know how much bandwidth you are using
  • File Type Report - Know which file types are being accessed the most
  • Directory Report- Know which portions of your web site are getting the most or least amount of visits

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    These are just a few of the things you can have detailed information about.

    The Most important are the sections which let you know how many visitors you are receiving and how they are finding your web site. This is extremely important when it comes to marketing your web site. When promoting your web site(s) there is nothing more important than knowing which promotional efforts work and which are a waste. Many times you will see on Television a add for some item and the address will be www.blahblahblah.com/TV  <-- they do this so the advertiser can see exactly how many sales were generated from thier television advertising campaign.

    Web Log Analysis software can also gather additional information from referring sites. With the best web log analysis software not only can you see which search engines are sending visitors to your web site(s), but you can also see that keywords they are typing to find you!!

    Of all the Web Log Analysis Software I have seen (and I have seen MANY). I have to say I am most impressed with 
    Wusage By Boutell , thier live online wusage example can be seen here. (NO I DO NOT HAVE ANY AFFILIATION WITH THEM AND I DO NOT EARN A DIME FROM RECOMMENDING THEM). 

    Other popular Web Log Analysis Software: Webalizer, AWStats

    The importance of Web Log analysis software can not be over stressed

    However, if for some reason (which there should be none) you are unable to get access to your log files you can also use simple Visitor counters.

    Counters (Visitor Counters)
     
     

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