Author:Jerry West
Ever see the "hit counter" at the bottom of a web site? Or the claim of "We get 80,000 hits a month?" What does it all mean and is it accurate?
In a word, no.
What is the difference between a hit and a visitor? The difference between a
"hit" and a "visitor" just may shock you. A "hit" is not a visitor but a hit on
the web server. What is a hit on the web server? A graphic, java applet, the
html file, etc. So, if a site has 79 small graphics on the page -- including the
html file, every visitor to the site registers as 80 hits on the server! So,
80,000 hits translates to just a 1,000 visitors. Big difference, isn't it?
Unfortunately, many web site owners tell you the "hits" to purposely make you
think that a "hit" is a "visitor". Don't be fooled again.
What about using counters? The problem with counters is they are set up to
measure "page views" not unique visitors. After all, we are more concerned with
unique visitors on the web. Counters can be manipulated easily.
For example, if you visit a web site and you see a counter, press the "Reload"
button. Does the counter increase by one? If so, the counter is worthless. Do
you see what the webmaster can do? Just sit there all day and hit reload and
increase the hit count. But why do that? Counters can be set at any starting
value. Just start it at 3,123,984 and show your friends what a great site you
have. Or do you?
We suggest that you not have a counter on your site. But, without a counter, how
do you know what your traffic is?
Use a web traffic analysis program.
Your web host should automatically provide you with a traffic analysis program.
For some of you, their freebie may not be enough to tell you all that you want
to know.
For an in-depth discussion on web analysis and tools, see our article on
Understanding Web
Traffic Through Log Files.
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2000, 2006, WebMarketingNow.com
Jerry West is the Director of Internet Marketing for Web Marketing Now. He has
been consulting on the web since 1996 and has assisted hundreds of companies
gain an upper-hand over their competition. Visit
http://www.webmarketingnow.com
for the latest in marketing tips that are tested and proven.
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