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WEBSITE STATISTICS: WHAT IS RECORDED IN A LOG FILE
Every request from a client browser is recorded in the
server's log files. For a busy server this can result in
hundreds or thousands of entries being recorded per
hour. Depending on the server and how it is configured,
the following information is typically recorded.
- Address of the computer requesting the file
- Date and time the request was made
- URL of the file requested
- Protocol used to request the file
- Size of the file requested
- Referring URL
- Type of browser making the request
- Operating system used by the requesting computer
Below is an actual example of a log file entry.
T59982.nsuok.edu - - [13/Jan/2005:13:39:12 -0500]
"GET /athletics/ HTTP/1.1" 200 9980 "http://www.nsuok.edu"
"Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows 98)"
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Information |
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What it stands for |
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T59982.nsuok.edu |
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Address of the computer requesting the file |
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[13/Jan/2005:13:39:12 -0500] |
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Date and time the request was made |
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/schedules/openspring.html |
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URL of the file requested |
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HTTP/1.1" |
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Protocol used to request the file |
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200 |
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successful GET |
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9980 |
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Number of bytes |
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http://www.nsuok.edu |
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Referring URL |
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Mozilla/4.0 |
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Type of browser |
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Windows 98 |
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Operating system |
USAGE STATISTICS THAT CAN BE
DETERMINED
The data contained in a log file can be analyzed in
various ways. This information can provide the
following statistics.
- Number of requests (hits)
- Total number of files served
- Total number of kilobytes downloaded
- Types of files downloaded (HTML, GIF, JPEG)
- Total number of times a file was requested
- Unique number of IP addresses requesting files
- Breakdown of domains requesting files
- Status of each request (successful, failed, or redirected)
- Totals and the averages for specific time periods
(hour, day, week, or year)
- Browser version making the request
- Referring page – how did the user reach this page
INFERENCES THAT CAN BE MADE
Advanced Web traffic analysis software can even
provide behavioral data about
visitors. By taking a closer examination of log files this
software can help: 1) identify when visitors are leaving
your website, 2) understand visitors buying patterns and
content interests, 3) sort visitors by demographics and
browsing behaviors, 4) quantify the mix of visitors
including the number of new, repeat, and unique
visitors, and 5) help companies optimize their marketing
dollars. Listed below are other statistics that can be
determined.
- Top paths through the site
- Single access pages
- Top exit pages
- Top entry pages
- Most active organizations
USAGE STATISTICS THAT CAN NOT BE
DETERMINED
While many statistics can be compiled by examining log
files, there are still some types of data and inferences
that can not be derived from log files.
- Most individual identities such as a persons age or
gender are not recorded. While it is possible to
capture a user's name and e-mail address, this
information is typically not recorded since there is
no way to verify the accuracy of this information.
This is because the IP address recorded does not
necessarily correspond to a person. It could be an
Internet Service Provider where multiple users are
all represented by a single IP address, or a spider
retrieving documents for a search engine.
- Where the user went next is not recorded. The
only way to determine where the user went next
would be to examine the log files of the next site the
user visited.
- The reasons requests are made is not recorded.
The motivations for a user visiting a site, how the
user felt about a site, and how files viewed were
used are not recorded.
Today many large scale caches are used to help reduce
the response and download times. This implies that if
the browser finds the file at any intermediary cache, then
the request will not be recorded in the server where the
original document is located. Similarly, if a site is
mirrored, then the log files from all sites must be added
together.
|
 Statistics Software Programs
There are way too
many reasons why you should run your own tracking
system. But let's summarize the ones we've
mentioned until now.
Allows
you to see what advertising sources
produce the most traffic.
Gives you
detailed stats on where and when your
hits come from.
Helps you
Better market your products, offers
and/or services
Allows
you to send out links using your own
domain name for instant recognition, and
you can name your link to reflect what it
is you are offering. This allows people
to know where they are going, and who
they are dealing with.
Script Is
Super easy to install
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