Suppose someone strolled through your business’s facility with muddy shoes, tracking dirt along the way. Would this be a bad thing, or might it actually be good?

Well, it certainly wouldn’t take long to find the person. All you’d have to do is follow the tracks to see exactly where he went. Along the way you’d also discover what that person was interested in.

Of course, what you do with the person once you find him may well define what kind of businessperson you are: Do you let the guy walk around your place and then leave without commenting? Or do you take advantage of the situation and try to sell him some floor cleaner, knowing that you have a great opportunity for an in-house demonstration?

You may not realize it, but this scenario unfolds every time someone visits your website. It’s not as messy, but the foot tracks are just as telling.

With a little help, it’s possible to track your website visitors just as easily as the person tracking mud through your business. Best of all, by following electronic tracks and studying the usage and visitor traffic patterns, you can optimize your website’s organization and content.

For example, do you know what types of information your site’s visitors are looking for when they come to see you? Or even which pages they view the most? Or what types of information a customer looks for before making a purchase? If not, you’re missing a golden opportunity to clean up.

Tracking site traffic and tailoring your site to cater to customer needs can help you not only attract more visitors but also keep them coming back. Here’s how you track traffic on your website:

There are three basic methods: 1. Hire a Web host 2. Purchase do-it-yourself software, or 3. Use an application service provider (ASP).

Most Web hosting companies provide the bare essentials for tracking and analyzing your website traffic data. They can track basic Web stuff such as dates and times of visits, which pages and files were accessed, the domain name from which the user came, the geographic location of the visitor’s server and the type of browser used.

Web traffic analysis is just one of several types of services that Web hosts provide. Depending on the total service package, your monthly cost can be as little as $10 or as much as $600.

You can also purchase Web traffic analysis software. This type of software takes your website log files and analyzes them, providing much the same Web metrics provided by Web hosts. High-end options even let you create custom reports that incorporate data you track with the basic Web data.

This software gives you greater control over your data, both in terms of being able to better customize your reports as well as to ensure the security of your data. However, it also requires that you install, maintain and regularly upgrade the software yourself. And, depending on your computer comfort level, this can be a bit daunting. In addition, in-house software programs designed for individual and small-business users range in price from a few hundred dollars to several thousand, plus the cost of any extra computer equipment you may require. For larger businesses, the price tag for traffic analysis software can skyrocket to six figures.

If that price tag seems stiff, you may want to rent Web traffic software through an ASP. It can generate up-to-the-minute reports that you can access any time through any Internet connection. And because the whole operation runs on the ASP’s servers, you won’t have to worry about maintenance.

Individual users can sometimes receive stripped-down ASP service for free by displaying an ad on their website in exchange. It’s certainly worth checking out. Just remember, higher-end software will be priced according to the level of service provided and the volume of traffic your site receives each month. Fees can range from $20 a month to several thousand dollars a month.

When it comes to website customers, give some thought to following their tracks. You just might like where they lead you.




POSTED ON: 5/1/2001