Website analytics are a treasure trove of information about your site's visitors. They reveal where your visitors are coming from, the keywords they use to find your site, the number of visitors, the most and least viewed pages, and even the web browsers they use. While this may seem like comprehensive data, many analytics tools are complex and don't present the data in a user-friendly manner. Moreover, there's a wealth of additional information that could be harnessed to yield more insightful results.
By integrating cookies with your server's raw statistical logs, you can gain a more detailed understanding of your visitors' behavior. For instance, you can track a single user's activity over a period of time, knowing exactly which pages they visited and when they made a purchase or subscribed to your newsletter.
While cookies are commonly used by affiliate programs and online shopping carts to track user actions, their use in conjunction with server log statistics is less common.
Combining cookies with server logs allows you to monitor every marketing strategy. You can determine if your pay-per-click placements are converting visitors into buyers or subscribers. By using different domain names, you can track all your offline promotions from start to finish.
This knowledge can help you decide whether to continue with your current marketing strategies or try something new. It could revolutionize the way business is conducted online, as every marketing investment, every page created, and the entire flow of a site could be tracked and understood.
Understanding your visitors' behavior can significantly change how you market to them. If a visitor purchases a product, you can suggest other products they might like, similar to Amazon's approach. Even for sites that don't sell products online, this strategy can be beneficial. If a visitor enjoys a particular article, you can suggest similar articles. By tracking the exact path people take through your site and comparing it with your desired response, you can tweak your site to increase this response.
Despite the availability of technology to provide such detailed and valuable information, most analytics programs do not offer this format. The technology that enables this level of detail is either custom-made for specific, well-funded companies or is prohibitively expensive.
In my opinion, the reason for this is that the average site owner is unaware that this information is available. Without apparent demand, the likelihood of seeing this kind of analysis tool in the near future is slim. However, as more site owners become aware of the potential of detailed analytics, we may see a shift in the market. For more information on website analytics, check out this comprehensive guide by Moz.
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Is a $299 Listing Fee Worth It?
The first paragraph of this article discusses the recent price increase of LookSmart's "Express Submit" program from $199 to $299. This service guarantees a review of your site within two business days. The "Basic Submit" program, which ensures a review in eight weeks, has also seen a price hike from $99 to $149. The article explores whether these increased costs are justified, considering the potential benefits and drawbacks.
