- Without knowledge of how your website is performing today you cannot make logical decisions about how to improve your Internet marketing return-on-investment.

Website owners are faced with many choices when selecting a website data tracking software (web analytic) package. The choice of the package that will meet your needs depends on the questions you would like answered. For example:

• How many visitors does your website get per month?


• How many visitors for you receive from Google, MSN, Yahoo or a destination site such as Thomasnet.com?


• What keywords do visitors use to find my site?


• How are visitors entering and exiting your website?

There are two basic types of website data tracking software (web analytic) packages: server side (or host dependent) and client side (or self contained). Both have advantages and disadvantages.

Server-Side (or host dependent) tracking software

Usually offered by your hosting services, sometime as part of your hosting package, these tracking software packages analyze log files which are created when a visitor arrives at and navigates through your website.

• Advantages of server-side tracking packages:


• You don't have to modify your web pages in order to use this software.


• Often this type of software is available for free is or for a minimal cost. Ask your host if they offer a server side package.

• Disadvantages of server-side tracking packages:


• Saving and storing server logs requires a lot of space, especially if your website receives a lot of traffic.


• Server side tracking software is unable to track visitors to web pages served by proxy servers. Proxy servers sit between a client application, such as a web browser, and the server hosting your website. Proxy servers intercept requests for your web pages and fulfill these requests by delivering cached version of the page.


• Some server side tracking packages count visits by search engine spiders. This tends to overstate the total amount of visitors and skew the number of pages viewed visit and path data.

• Advantages of client-side tracking packages:


• Client side tracking packages do not require storage space on your web server (assumes that you use a third party hosted solution.)


• Captures all visitors including visitors viewing pages served by proxy servers.

• Disadvantages of client-side tracking packages:


• Requires that a developer add the code to all pages of your website.

Regardless of the type of tracking software you select it is important that you do select and use one. Without knowledge of how your website is performing today you cannot make logical decisions about how to improve your websites performance and improve your Internet marketing return-on-investment.