Website Statistics – How to interpret what visitors are doing on your site

Posted by Webmaster Blog 28 September, 2009

The flood of web masters to the web that began seemingly ages ago, in the primitive, early days of the internet, has scarcely abated in the ensuing years. New web sites based on every possible conceivable topic known to man are established every day, flooding the web with page after page of text, graphics and internet lingo. But how much of this traffic actually earns anyone money? How does the web master know and understand what exactly is happening when web surfers actually arrive at the web master’s site?

This is the point where website statistics comes in. Web analytics is the practice of tracking a web master’s internet traffic website statistics and cataloguing the users according to their surfing habits, geographical location or any number of other optional statistics. The method of recording and assimilating this data is different from web master to web master as there are many vastly different types of website statistics software available, some of it free, with other, more powerful versions offered for a fee.

Most important to the web master is tracking incoming traffic. Knowing where the traffic comes from and in what volume is the core concern that drives the website statistics software development effort, as this data indicates the web master’s earning potential from that particular web site. Knowing how visitors arrived and who referred them is critical to the web master’s advertising and promotional efforts. After extrapolating the available traffic data, the web master can ascertain the most beneficial method of advertising and marketing and react accordingly. Access to this type of user data is a great help to the web master’s efforts at achieving the best possible return on investment.

Knowing where traffic originates from is only half the battle, as discovering how traffic behaves while physically perusing the web site is one of the critical elements of any website statistics strategy. If web site traffic isn’t clicking on a particular ad, the web master might wish to replace it, or exchange it for a more visually appealing ad, or some other form of content. In this way, the web master can keep his or her web site operating at peak efficiency, simply by constantly reviewing the website statistics and tweaking the design and settings of the site as needed.

Finally, the third major function of website statistics tracking software is to determine where web site visitors go after they leave the web master’s site. this data can assist the web master in determining whether or not affiliates are paying the correct amount, or if users are displaying a particular favorite ad or other point of exit. Also, the preferences of users can be easily determined by which in context links and ads that the potential customer clicks on. Utilizing this data, the web master can once again adjust the design and structure of the web site to more accurately reflect the preferences of his or her audience for maximum impact.

By monitoring the web master’s website statistics, these three critical elements can be determined. Knowing where web traffic is coming from, how it reaches the web site, what it does while it’s there, and finally, where the traffic goes when it leaves, can be the saving grace of an otherwise inexperienced web master. By focusing on website statistics, a mundane and under performing site can be transformed over time into a marketing powerhouse.