There are some additional add-on services which are easier to use and whioch provide more graphical interpretation of the data, but these usually cost. But, here's the good news: there is great tool and they offer a free version. The site is plain talking, easy to understand, and they include a demo tour where you can see just some of the free features.
It's called Site Meter
Site Meter's comprehensive real time website tracking and counter tools give you instant access to vital information and data about your sites audience.
With the detailed reporting you'll have a clear picture of
- Who is visiting your site
- How they found you
- Where they came from
- What interests them
- ..... and much more
It's easy to install tool so you can soon be seeing who is watching you!
Also, see such info as:
- How many visit total, this month and today
- How many pages in the last hour
- How long they stayed, and ...
- The pages they viewed
With the free version the details are limited to the last 100 visitors and includes the browser they used, their location, their IP address, entry and exit pages, monitor resolution, time of visit ... and so on.
Your site will need to display a site meter but they offer about 10 different ones and they can be tiny and very unobtrusive. Check out the 'Meter Options' link on the left nav bar.
Click the Site Meter link and look around for yourself. Take a look at the comparison chart on the sign-up page and you'll see that you get a lot of vital information. Sure there are one or two others worth paying for, but perhaps upgrade later once you discover whether it's the right service for your needs.
Just Found Another One!
Since writing the above, I have just discovered another one, namely StatCounter. It's packed full of useful and powerful tools to help you make better decisions about your website. A list of the features is given - just click on a feature for more detail (and also check out the Live Demo for a hands-on look!).
StatCounter also allows all users to install an invisible counter on their site. This is important if you wish to include StatCounter code on your site without it interrupting the design of your site. Check this out too.
I'm going to add them to a couple of sites I am launching in the next few weeks, so I'll let you know which I prefer and I'll post a comparison here.
Until next time
John Gordon
Marketing Magic
http://www.theacademyforprefessionalentertainers.com/
