32 replies to this topic

[LoneRegister]

Hi Everyone, Good morning.

What software do you use to track things like where customers who purchased came from?
Where your leads are coming from?
etc?

Currently I use WebTrends LogAnalyzer - Good for a general picture - but no ability to track a session.

I created my own software to track users on my website.

What packages out there give you what you need?

[Black_Knight]

I think my favourite to date is NetTracker, which allows fully detailed drill-down with ease. Defining your own custom reports and queries is a cinch too, so it is certainly one of the most versatile log analysis applications I've ever used.

[Adrian]

I found a programme called WebLogExpert that involved little more than telling it where the log file was and the URL of the site to setup.

There is a free version which isn't as powerful as the full version though I was so impressed with how easy it was to use and how clear the reports were that I fairly quickly bought the full version.

It gives imformation about paths that people follow through your site as well which I guess is what you were on about and the full version allows you to customise reports. Though I've not tried that bit yet, its only the last couple of months I've had the opportunity to play with them!

Webalizer is supposed to be very powerful if you know what you doing, its one for setting up on the server yourself rather than downloading the log file locally as with WebLogExpert. The host I've been using has Webalizer as standard with all hosted pages though I've not been as impressed with its reports.

[Christian_SEO]

Hi Kevin,

We use WebTrends and are currently evaluating http://www.statomatic.com 's product, which show a lot of promise.

:!: But your question was about something that goes beyond these poor anylizer's ability,as far as I know... And that is to not just track a user, but to say for example, that I see this user came from Yahoo, now show me where he went and what he did.

Or show me all the users that came from Yahoo and report on their movements.

Or show me all the traffic that centers around our "specials" page, and include a summary of where they came from.

Is that it?

Did you say you are able to generate that kind of information? :idea:

:twisted: I'll tell you what, I'll help you refine and market that little puppy and we can go into business together....! I know about 200,000 marketing-types that will pay mondo buckaroonies for a system that will give them that.

It's not a webmaster thing , it's a marketing thing :roll: , and it's pretty cool.

Thanks,
Christian

[sanity]

I'd give my vote to Funnel Web Analyzer. I still don't think I've ever found a program that gives me everything I want but this one is not bad.

[SEO Guy]

I have always used log anylizer, I am now considering updrading to the 7.0 product. There is a lot of filters and methods for tracking - I am working on filtering users by SE.

I don't think the people at Webtrends even now how to fully use the program.

[LoneRegister]

Ok - loganalyzer pro SEO Guy

What I'd really like to get my LogAnalyzer program to do is only include the sessions that click to my "Shopping_Cart.asp" page.

How can I set this up?

Much thanks in advance.

[Black_Knight]

Kevin, if you are running an Apache web server, there is a far better option available to you (one that is overlooked by almost everyone)...

You can get an Apache mod that writes the logs as an SQL database (MySQL by default I think) which then makes detailed drill-down and fantastic analysis as easy as devising your own SQL queries. To my mind there is no better solution available at the moment.

[LoneRegister]

Thanks for the reply - but I am not running Apache.
I have to use ASP - and the emulation/support for ASP is not up to speed on non microsoft servers.

Anyway - not to start a religious arguement about web servers. So please don't start all posting about how great X server is. I know your servers are all better than mine.

Seriously - I kinda don't care.

damn - I threw my back out practicing my golf swing and the back meds have me kinda loopy/talkative. So anything I write should be held against me later when I am sober and am actually embarrassed by my comments. :shock:

[SEO Guy]

Hey Kevin,

No problem - in your webtrends you gave to go into your filter settings and set it up to allow or disallow based on user activity. The user activity can be based on an ID string that certain commansd create. Send me an email if you need more details.

[jarvster]

I am looking for a suitable solution at the moment as well - for my own site, but also to be able to offer people who I will host on my brand new server (whooooo!).

I looked at webtrends but it is so darn expensive. e.g the log analyser is $500 but the licence doesn'y allow you to distribute reports outside of your company.

The main thing I want to do is to focus on which se's are providing traffic with what keyphrases and if poss, drill down per session to see the path that particular session used.

Nettracker is very nice - but also darn expensive

[Black_Knight]

Check out the Remote Log analyzer recommendations discussion for other solutions, jarvster. The Analog solution (especially combined with Report Magic) is attractively priced indeed - being free.

[jarvster]

I've been looking at NetTracker a lot more over the last month or so - setting up a server with the demo. I have to say that it is the probably the best bit of software that I've ever looked at for web analysis. The beauty really is in the detail to which you can drill down to an individual user session or drill back up using another variable.

The added extras that you can use, such as an ISAPI filter 'plugin' which you can set up to drop a cookie which nettracker uses to check repeat visitors etc. (very useful if you are using IIS but static .htm files). Or even get a data conduit to link up the data to your database of purchases/customers (mmm, a little work on the privacy policy needed if you go down this road )

I am going to be setting up a dedicated server to run the enterprise version. The licencing policies are to be praised also - if you buy a 5site licence for £675 and later want to go up to a 10 site licence then you just pay the difference between the two, which I think is quite fair.

I'd say the main drawback is that it does require a fair bit of technical knowledge (+ access to your server) to do the fancy bits, as it is really a web-based app rather than desktop software.

Hope this is of interest to others who may be looking at similar systems.

[Black_Knight]

You don't know how happy I am to hear another extol the virtues of NetTracker!

It seriously is about the best piece of kit I've ever found commercially available, but because of its costs, very few fellow SEOs have ever had the chance or desire to give it a test-drive.

However, if anyone out there really wants the best - NetTracker is a very serious contender.

[Web Diversity]

Ammon,

We are another that love NetTracker. Not only that we resell it through the new UK Distributor Internet 21.

Way back at the beginning of the thread someone asked about tracking the people that just buy from you.

Well, one of the things that Nettracker is great for is to have that page as the end point and create a report to show you the paths that all people took to get to that page, so you can see the time it takes your average buyer, which search engine they came in, what keyword they used, so you can focus your marketing efforts on the stuff that you know to work, rather than guessing.

If you have large logs files, you can set it up on your server to be real-time and I just love drilling.

We are using the "marketing" reports section to monitor all activity on PPC. So if you see a predominance of one page visits for a keyword, you work on the creative, the landing page, or you get rid of the keyword, but without the data, your blind.

Because our customers use the software as well, we don't need to snag logs remotely, and can have discussions on the phone with clients, looking at the same data, in real time, vital if you have a new campaign that you need to monitor closely in the early stages.

I don't think we've scratched the surface of what the product could do, but for the money I don't think there is anything better.

Anyone from here that wants to buy with a discount, let me know.

[aspwiz]

I came across a real time monitor of IIS logs.

It lets you see in real time who is on your website. It flags up spiders and lets you see referring URL's, etc

here's the link :- http://www.whos-on.net/

It does have other features but sadly I found it to be a little bugged.

I really want to know if there is an alternative to this real-time software??

[sansonj72]

I have been using webtrends/webposition free version. However, my new site uses a color for the background, and thier little ad looks silly on the page. Thus, I was thinking about finding a new free service, or paying for service.

However, webtrends paid service looks costly. Is it?

Reduced Pricing Exclusively For WebPosition Gold users: Page views per month Pro Version
Price per month Enterprise Edition
Price per month
0 - 1,000 $9.95 $14.95
1,001 - 25,000 $19.95 $29.95
25,001 - 50,000 $39.95 $59.95
50,001 - 75,000 $49.95 $74.95
75,001 - 125,000 $59.95 $89.95
125,001 - 150,000 $99.95 $149.95
150,001 - 250,000 $99.95 $149.95
Every 1000 page views over 250,000 $0.50 $0.75

Do you all have any current tips on a service that will help me find keyphrases people are using to find my site?

[Black_Knight]

What are your needs, what would be nice options, and what is your budget?

[sansonj72]

Let me see if my needs make since via text to you. I come up with key phrases in my head, and then I work on getting them ranked. However, I am always looking for key phrases that people are using to find my site. Thus, I need something that will show me key phrases and search engines. I really do not want to spend more that $10 a month on it.

[Black_Knight]

So you only want to track referals?

Then use Analog (freeware) because that's just a basic feature of any option.

If you'd wanted to track visit paths, specific interactions, which keywords led to actual sales, etc you'd need something better, but just basic referal comes with everything so use the freeware.