| Many Webmasters have never bothered to view | | | | your website to be 100 percent compatible with |
| their website's server log. Ignoring your server log | | | | every operating system and web browser in use |
| is like flying with a blind pilot. You may still be | | | | today. That would require either using only plain |
| cruising along, but you have no idea where you | | | | html (version 3) or using browser detection code |
| are or where you're headed. If your website is on | | | | and creating a dozen variations of each webpage. |
| a free host, you probably don't have access to | | | | Use your server log's platform and user agent |
| the server log. However, if you pay for your web | | | | data to decide which browser your web pages |
| host, or if you own the server, you almost | | | | should to be designed to be compatible with. Your |
| always have some access to the server log.In | | | | statistics will probably show that 90 percent of |
| this article, you'll learn what kind of information a | | | | your website's visitors are using the latest or the |
| typical server log provides, how to analyze that | | | | previous version of Internet Explorer.Country |
| information, and how to use that information to | | | | InformationGood server log analysis software will |
| steer your website in a direction for growth and | | | | tell you which countries your website visitors are |
| success.The actual data in the server log is just | | | | located in. Analysis of the server logs shows that |
| that, data. Data is of little use without an | | | | visitors are located in every country, village, and |
| application to compile, categorize, analyze, and | | | | hamlet on the planet. This leads to the question, |
| turn it into useful information. The power of | | | | should you create multiple variations of each |
| server log analysis software varies depending | | | | webpage to accomodate visitors from other |
| upon the web host, and it's not related to how | | | | nations? It depends upon your business and your |
| much you pay for hosting service. I have seen | | | | resources. The fact is that the language of |
| some very low budget web hosts with powerful | | | | business and commerce across the planet is |
| server log analysis software, and some expensive | | | | English, and I receive frequent email, in English, |
| web hosts that provide only a limited utility.The | | | | from all over the planet.Important Ways to Use |
| importance of the server log analysis software is | | | | Server Log InformationWebsite DesignRemember |
| second only to up-time reliabilty when it comes to | | | | when the typical website had a gray background |
| web hosts. A web server log can tell you who is | | | | and a single image in the middle of the page? |
| visiting your web site, where they're coming | | | | Today, that would be below the standard for a |
| from, what operating system and web browser | | | | kids website on AOL. Does your server log |
| they're using, what pages of your website they | | | | "platform" and "user agent" statistics tell you that |
| are viewing, and much more. A smart webmaster | | | | most of the visitors to your website are using |
| performs a regular monthly analysis of the | | | | Windows XP with Internet Explorer Version 6, |
| valuable information contained in the server | | | | while your website is designed for Windows 95 |
| log.HitsSome webmasters brag about the number | | | | and Internet Explorer Version 4? Can you afford |
| of "hits" their website receives, but hits | | | | to be presenting a website that looks outdated?I |
| themselves are not important. For example, when | | | | think it's a mistake to design a website that |
| a search engine spiders your website, it generates | | | | requires your visitors to have the latest |
| a hit for every page it visits. There are ways to | | | | bleeding-edge technology. On the other hand, if |
| generate millions of hits on a website without | | | | the rest of the web is using ASP (Active Server |
| anyone ever actually viewing a single page.The | | | | Pages) to generate custom webpages on-the-fly |
| important statistics are "page view hits" and | | | | that use CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) to create |
| "unique visitors". Server log analysis software | | | | webpages that resemble slick magazine pages and |
| should tell you how many times each page was | | | | DHTML (Dynamic HTML) to provide interactivity, it |
| viewed. Anaylyzing the popularity of individual | | | | might be time for you to investigate those |
| pages tells you where to place your most | | | | technologies.If your website is a business site or |
| important advertisements, and what kind of new | | | | E-commerce site, the visual style and technical |
| content you should add to your website.The king | | | | level of your website reflects the quality of your |
| of all statistics is the number of unique visitors | | | | business or service. To determine the proper |
| your web site receives. When it comes to selling | | | | visual style and technology level of your website |
| advertising or joining the most exclusive affiliate | | | | requires you to monitor three things.1. Your |
| programs, a high number of unique visitors each | | | | competitors. You want to look as in-style as they |
| month is the statistic that gets respect.Good | | | | do, but avoid following them down the road to |
| analysis software will tell you how many pages | | | | bloated plugins (Macromedia Flash). 2. The portion |
| each visitor viewed and how long they stayed on | | | | of your audience using broad band Internet |
| your website. The goal is to develop content that | | | | Access. Less than half of U.S. Make sure your |
| gets your visitors to stay longer, a quality | | | | webpages load within 20 seconds over a 56kbps |
| sometimes referred to as "stickiness".A statistic | | | | modem connection. 2. Your server log platform |
| related to hits is "bandwidth". This is a complicated | | | | and user agent statistics. Your web pages need |
| statistic because you want more visitors and that | | | | to be designed to be compatible with the current |
| causes bandwidth to go up. On the other hand, | | | | most popular operating system and web browser |
| high bandwidth consumption makes your website | | | | version.Webhost PerformanceWeb hosts provide |
| repond slower (and most web hosts charge extra | | | | two basic kinds of service, shared hosting and |
| for bandwidth beyond a certain limit). What you | | | | dedicated hosting. If your website is on a shared |
| want is to design your web pages so they use | | | | host, there may be hundreds of other websites |
| bandwidth efficiently, and you want to be on the | | | | sharing the same computer as your website. This |
| lookout for people who are stealing your | | | | limits the performance of your website. Many |
| bandwidth (usually by linking to images on your | | | | web host providers use "bandwidth throttling" to |
| web site).ReferrersGood server log analysis | | | | prevent one website from hogging all the available |
| software will provide you with the URLs of the | | | | bandwidth.As your website grows and attracts |
| webpages that people clicked on to get to your | | | | increasing traffic, it will need more of the host |
| website. This is extremely valuable information. If | | | | computers processor time and more bandwidth. |
| you are receiving a high volume of traffic from | | | | Monitor your server log hits, and bandwidth |
| another website, you can almost consider that | | | | statistics. At some point, your website may hit a |
| website to be your business partner. It would be | | | | performance wall and you may need to move to |
| to your advantage to find ways to make your | | | | a higher grade of hosting, or a different web host |
| website more useful to the referring website. For | | | | company to continue growth.When moving to a |
| example, learn what the topic of the referring | | | | different web host company, don't trust the |
| website is and place more related content on | | | | specifications they provide. Check several |
| your website.One common method of aiding | | | | different web host directories that let visitors rate |
| referrers is to place a reciprocal link on your | | | | web hosts. If several different web host |
| website. However, don't bother placing the | | | | directories have many users that give a web host |
| reciprocal link on a "links" page with hundreds of | | | | company a high rating, that's the company you |
| other links (a link farm). If you can't provide an | | | | want to trust with your website.Website TopicAs |
| honest reciprocal link, it's better to do nothing. An | | | | you analyze certain website server statistics (for |
| honest reciprocal link might be a page containing a | | | | example, "page view hits", and "top search engine |
| review of the referrer's website, and that page | | | | keywords") and make adjustments, you may find |
| should contain only a few other links.Search | | | | the content of your website drifting away from |
| StringsGood server log analysis software will | | | | your original intent. At some point, you may have |
| provide you with the keywords and search | | | | to decide, Am I going to chase traffic and change |
| strings people entered at a search site to find | | | | the topic of my website, or am I more interested |
| your website. One way to get more traffic to | | | | in focusing on the topic of my choice?If the |
| your website is to provide more content related | | | | original objective of your website was to make |
| to the top keywords. If getting more traffic is | | | | money above all else, then let your visitors steer |
| your single goal, there are websites that will | | | | your website's content. There's nothing wrong |
| provide you with a list of the current most | | | | with that. Everybody's got to make a living. But, if |
| popular keywords entered into search engines. | | | | the original objective of your website was to be a |
| Then you can provide more content related to | | | | resource on a subject that you are passionate |
| those keywords. This gets involved with the | | | | about, then you may need to reassess the |
| subject of "Search Engine Optimization" (SEO).SEO | | | | content of your website.I would reccommend |
| is a science in itself, covered in other articles, but | | | | having the best of both worlds. Stick to content |
| I will reveal a secret trick as an example of SEO | | | | related to the subject of your website, but |
| tactics. Starting with a top keyword, generate | | | | delineate a wide enough scope of the topic so |
| every possible misspelling of that keyword and | | | | that when your server statistics point out an |
| place those at the top of your webpage with the | | | | opportunity to increase traffic, you have rules to |
| text color the same as the webpage background. | | | | guide you.In this article you learned some of the |
| (Note: I don't use that trick or any other SEO | | | | types of information you can mine from your |
| tricks myself because if you get caught the | | | | web server log and some powerful ways to use |
| search engines will penalize your website.)Platform | | | | that information to steer your website in a |
| and User Agent Good server log analysis | | | | direction for growth and success. If you are one |
| software will tell you which operating systems and | | | | of those webmasters who has never bothered to |
| which browser brands and versions people are | | | | view their website's server log, you now know |
| using to access your website. At the time of this | | | | that you have been overlooking some gold |
| writing, the most common operating system is | | | | nuggets.--Permission is granted for the below |
| Windows XP and the most common browser is | | | | article to forward, reprint, distribute, use for ezine, |
| Internet Explorer version 6. However, you will find | | | | newsletter, website, offer as free bonus or part |
| a wide range of operating systems and browsers | | | | of a product for sale as long as no changes are |
| accessing you website. Unfortunately, they are | | | | made and the byline, copyright, and the resource |
| not all compatible.The fact is, you can't design | | | | box below is included.Copyright(C) Bucaro TecHelp. |