12-14-2003, 01:27 PM
So, which free traffic analysis tool should you choose? Should you go for log file analysis or a hosted tracking service? All the approaches we've looked at can give you useful information about your site's traffic, but some are more appealing than others.
Analog has been doing traffic analysis for years and it's great that something so powerful is still available for nothing. Unfortunately, it's not the most beautiful or user-friendly bit of software you'll come across, and even the addition of Report Magic's pretty graphs aren't enough to make the log analyser an attractive option. We preferred the good looks and simplicity of WebLog Expert Life--it might not be configurable, but it should give most small site owners all the traffic information they need.
The trouble with log file analysis is that you need access to your server logs. Some hosting companies might not be happy to give you these files, but even if your logs are available you might find that downloading them becomes a bit of a chore. Log file analysis h much better if you can install the software directly onto your own server.
The four traffic monitoring services we've covered don't require any software installation or access to log files. They offer up to the minute information about the people that visit your site, and you only have to log in to a Web-based interface to see your stats.
The features offered by these hosted services vary--most offer limited functionality for free, demanding money to release the really juicy stuff.
FreeStats was particularly poor, giving site owners little useful information for free and asking them to add a monstrous banner ad to their lovely pages for the privilege. Of course, companies don't want to give away all their best stuff for nothing, but a better basic service might encourage more people to give FreeStats a try.
If someone could nudge Extreme and remind the developers that it's 2003, then perhaps they'll get around to updating their service. It might be popular, but there are much better alternatives around these days. Site Meter could also do with a facelift, but at least it provides you with detailed information about your visitors. The email reports are good too, and there are a couple of other original features that make it a decent choice. Once again, though, the free service is designed to lure you into paying for something better, and that can be frustrating if you're not prepared to fork out.
But StatCounter is totally free--and what's more, it offers loads of features that you'd only expect to find on expensive commercial services. Its friendly site provides plenty of help to get you started, the online interface is clear and simple, and the option to use an invisible counter is a teat bonus if you don't want anything interfering with your carefully laid out design. It might not go into the kind of depth offered by the likes of WebTrends, but StatCounter is an excellent free service that we'd highly recommend.
COPYRIGHT 2003 EMAP Media Ltd.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group
Analog has been doing traffic analysis for years and it's great that something so powerful is still available for nothing. Unfortunately, it's not the most beautiful or user-friendly bit of software you'll come across, and even the addition of Report Magic's pretty graphs aren't enough to make the log analyser an attractive option. We preferred the good looks and simplicity of WebLog Expert Life--it might not be configurable, but it should give most small site owners all the traffic information they need.
The trouble with log file analysis is that you need access to your server logs. Some hosting companies might not be happy to give you these files, but even if your logs are available you might find that downloading them becomes a bit of a chore. Log file analysis h much better if you can install the software directly onto your own server.
The four traffic monitoring services we've covered don't require any software installation or access to log files. They offer up to the minute information about the people that visit your site, and you only have to log in to a Web-based interface to see your stats.
The features offered by these hosted services vary--most offer limited functionality for free, demanding money to release the really juicy stuff.
FreeStats was particularly poor, giving site owners little useful information for free and asking them to add a monstrous banner ad to their lovely pages for the privilege. Of course, companies don't want to give away all their best stuff for nothing, but a better basic service might encourage more people to give FreeStats a try.
If someone could nudge Extreme and remind the developers that it's 2003, then perhaps they'll get around to updating their service. It might be popular, but there are much better alternatives around these days. Site Meter could also do with a facelift, but at least it provides you with detailed information about your visitors. The email reports are good too, and there are a couple of other original features that make it a decent choice. Once again, though, the free service is designed to lure you into paying for something better, and that can be frustrating if you're not prepared to fork out.
But StatCounter is totally free--and what's more, it offers loads of features that you'd only expect to find on expensive commercial services. Its friendly site provides plenty of help to get you started, the online interface is clear and simple, and the option to use an invisible counter is a teat bonus if you don't want anything interfering with your carefully laid out design. It might not go into the kind of depth offered by the likes of WebTrends, but StatCounter is an excellent free service that we'd highly recommend.
COPYRIGHT 2003 EMAP Media Ltd.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group