If there's a first commandment of doing business, that's
it. Knowing customers is easy in a brick-and-mortar store. Talk to
them, size up their clothing, hear how they form sentences. A
traditional storefront owner knows a lot about who's stopping
in, but how do companies on the Web know their customers when all
they amount to are wispy cybervisitors?
The good news: Every Web site visitor leaves a trail that, when
properly analyzed, will tell you the country of origin, browser and
platform used (such as Windows 98), Internet service provider and
more. This data is collected by Web hosting services in a
"Log" file, but only hard-core techies could ever have
the patience to scroll through a log, because it contains a
mind-numbing avalanche of details. Your Web hosting service
probably provides-free of charge-a basic analysis of those logs. If
so, the company will run the log through interpretive software and
tuck the output in a folder that's usually called
"Stats."
Better analysis is easy to come by using third-party software
tools designed to dissect log reports and automatically produce
spiffy, usable reports that will tell you not only which countries
are producing visitors but also those visitors' ISPs and more.
Top choices among analysis tools include:
- WebTrends Log Analyzer: This program offers a cool tool
set, including a "geographical profiling" tool that
allows for tracking visitors' specific cities of origin. Get a
trial download from www.webtrends.com. Cost: $399 (all prices
street).
- HitList Professional: You can get some 40 types of
reports in a few mouse clicks. It's a full-featured, fast and
easy-to-use tool. Get a trial version at www.marketwave.com. Cost: $395.
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Before deciding to buy, ask yourself whether you really need the
level of analysis being offered. Many low-traffic sites don't,
and, for them, the free files provided by their servers may be
sufficient. When traffic increases to more than 100 visitors per
day, you probably need more fine-tuned analysis, and it's time
to buy a more sophisticated tool-but not before then.
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