Web site analytics usually involves using software that
either analyzes your server log files, or uses cookies to
track users through your website.
Most web hosting packages include some form of analytics,
often Webalizer or Wusage.
These programs typically report:
unique visitors, page views, how many 404 pages (not found)
were served, top exit pages, referrers,
search terms, and user agents.
To really understand how your visitors interact with your
website, you will need more advanced analytics. I would
recommend three options:
Split Testing
Split testing is a software program installed on your server
to split visitors between various versions of a target page,
and then tracking them through the conversion process. Split
testing can increase conversion rates as high as 300%, when
coupled with multivariate testing. For more info, see split
testing.
Google Analytics
If you already are an Adwords advertiser, you can use Google
analytics. Google purchased Urchin software in 2005,
and immediately made it free for Adwords advertisers. Urchin
is a very powerful software program. However, be aware that
Google would then have a vast amount of information about
your website. They would know conversion rate by keyword,
how much you could afford to pay for adwords, and other
confidential information. In effect, they would be silent
partners in your website. If you are uncomfortable giving
Google this information, you should consider option two.
Clicktracks
If you are a little uncomfortable giving all your conversion
data to Google, as I am, then try ClickTracks. Clicktracks
software is available as either a web based, montly
subscription ($25.00/mo) or as a stand alone software purchase
($295.00). I use and highly recommend the software. After
installing the software, you can visually track visitors
through your website, seeing where they click, and where
they go. You can also watch the visitors that convert, and
see how they navigate thru your website. Which clicks lead
to conversions, and which do not. If you do PPC, you can
also track visitors from your campaigns, and calculate your
ROI, by campaign. This type of information is golden, and
recoups the cost of the software rather quickly.
