NONE: visits vs. hits
visits vs. hits
Florida Internet Marketing Group (flmarket_at_igc.net)
Fri, 26 Jul 1996 00:29:30 -0400
Hello,
My name is Chip Crawford and I am the General Partner of the Florida Inter=
net Marketing Group. This is my first post to the this mailing list so ba=
re with me:^) I have been following this list closly and I thought some o=
f you intersted in "hits vs. visits" might be interested in how we address=
this issue to our clients.
We use some unique reporting tools that help detail this information on a =
visit basis that use the log files "access_log" (CLF), "referer_log", and =
"agent_log" and also support the "combined" log format (which is the most =
useful). The tools are set up to be run daily and the updated reports bro=
wsed by the user. We have been working with the developer to polish them =
up for different architectures and different log setups..
One of the real advatages of these tools is that it is designed to be a lo=
g magement tool that you can place in your "cron tab" that helps rotate th=
e log files so they don't become so large and cumbersome as well as produc=
ing archived detailed reports on the activity of the server and/or the sit=
es.
As regards to the "hits Vs. Visits" issue, I believe we best address this =
issue using these tools by looking at the number of unique hosts against t=
he number of requests by the host's and then comparing that to the number =
of requests for each page within your site or server. Now, we know that a=
unique host may or may not be "unique" but you can get a good idea of tha=
t by looking at the number of requests that host asked for...(I know that =
if you are looking for numrical exacts this may not be good enough to adre=
ss that issue) What we do is take that information and then compare that f=
rom week to week, month to month, and page to page, to look for trends rat=
her than exact actuals. What this allows us to do is very simply look for=
trends in the site and monitor our marketing efforts of the site. If we =
watch a site over a period time you can determine traffic flow, what cont=
ent people are most interested in, how well the site directs people throug=
h the site, and where we loss people. You can monitor specific hosts i.e s=
earch engines, you can compare periods of time to deterimine wether or not=
a recent marketing effort worked or not...
Also, with the referer_log and especially the "combined" log format (whic=
h NCSA 1.4 and higher suport) you can also see exactly wether or not an In=
ternet advertisment actually worked by listing the pages that referered t=
hem to you... For example: if I buy an ad banner on infoseek's web site t=
hen I can go to my Referer Report, I can see how many times infoseek sent =
someone to me... Over a period of time I can monitor that and see if I was=
truly getting the increse in traffic flow I thought or was promised... Wi=
th the Referer Report I now have leverage in re-nagocations with ad selers=
, I can show actual residuals to my client for links they bought, and I ca=
n more wisely choose my marketing efforts. This is one of the great advat=
ages this media truely has over any other, no more nonsence about circluat=
ion, viewerships, or "impressions", we can know actuals and we can make bu=
ying decissions with a clearer understanding of what were getting....GOOD.=
..
Now, after reading all of this you just might want to know where you can l=
ook at these tools... You also might think I am a NUT and/or a bad speller=
.. In both cases your probably right... So, if you have comments on any=
or all of the above information I would love to hear from you... I surely=
don't claim to know much... And I am not totally sure that this is the b=
est way to do this, BUT it is the best way we have come up with and our cl=
ients are very happy..
So, if you want to look at them you can go the the Developer's of the tool=
s web site at: http://www.cutternet.com
and take a look at the "WEBMETRICS" tool, or you can go look at the report=
s for one of my clients at : http://www.flmarketing.com/webmetrics/pnr/ind=
ex.htm ...
Thank you for your time and I hope hear from you soon,
Chip Crawford
General Partner - Florida Internet Marketing Group
www.flmarketing.com
chip_at_flmarketing.com
