Re: Browser tracking

From: John Charlesworth <jcharlesworth_at_bellacoola.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 12:56:46 -0600 (CST)

JIM MESKAUSKAS ASKED:
>Is there a way to find out if the people who visit a site
>click on the Netscape bookmark to get there? I know the
>clicked-to site can track their users' referral URLs, but is
>there any way to know if it comes from the bookmark?
>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There used to be (on older browsers) but now you'll see the
same referrer whether the person types in your URL or uses a
bookmark. (some Macs still show the name of the local
bookmark file as the referrer when bookmarks are used)

However, there are several ways you can track repeat
visitors (i.e. bookmark usages), but you've got to use some
programming to capture it:

1) Use a cookie. If a visitor already has the cookie set,
but shows no referrer, then they probably came from a
bookmark (or a type-in).

2) Better yet, append an automatically-generated unique
session ID to each URL (e.g.
http://www.mediasmithinc.com/?1999031025987 which includes
the date). If someone requests a page *without* a session
ID, your page-generation script would: a) create a new
(unique) session ID

b) create a new page with this session ID append it to all
its links (so you'll propagate this session ID as they move
through the site)

c) redirect the user to the new "tagged" version of the
page.

Now, if they bookmark the page, their bookmark will also
have the unique session ID included--you'll be able to track
bookmark usage by seeing outdated session ID.

Of course, this all requires programming (rather than
serving up static HTML pages) so you need to ask yourself
whether its worth it....

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
.../j

---------------- <mailto:jcharlesworth_at_bellacoola.com> ----------------
John Charlesworth, President BellaCoola Software Corporation

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Received on Thu Mar 11 1999 - 14:05:43 CST