The amount of traffic your business website receives could be the difference between having a substantial online presence and simply being an Internet ghost.
Luckily, there are plenty of ways to keep track of your website traffic so you know the exact size of your online audience.
So, what are the best methods for measuring your traffic and what kinds of information do these methods provide?
Hit Counters
Although it may be an outdated form of tracking website traffic, hit counters are also pretty effective when it comes to real-time traffic. They’re easy to install, easy to follow, versatile, and in most cases, free.
Hit counters can either be setup to provide unique page views or all page views. Not only that, most hit count providers have customizable templates giving you the ability to tailor your counter specifically to your website.
Google Analytics
The Google Analytics application is geared toward marketers as opposed to webmasters, so it’s an easy-to-use form of traffic tracking. Google Analytics takes the guesswork out of web analysis by providing a straightforward user interface that generates detailed statistics on your website’s traffic.
Although the Google service is offered free of charge, there’s a more in-depth premium version available for a monthly fee. Whether you choose the premium version or not, Google Analytics tracks various website referrers from social networks to search engines.
Another great feature with Google Analytics is its ability to provide informative and detailed statistics on email marketing campaigns as well as pay-per-clicks, which makes it extremely versatile too.
Alexa Internet
Alexa Internet is an Amazon-based company providing detailed information on commercial web traffic. Similar to Google Analytics, Alexa uses a toolbar that collects and analyzes the browsing data of over 30 million websites worldwide.
The Alexa toolbar works with browsers such as Internet Explorer and Google Chrome, gathering traffic data for use in its global website rankings. Alexa Internet also features real-time web traffic metrics, bounce rates, and information on the amount of time visitors stay on a site.
Nielsen NetRatings
Since 1950, the Nielsen Company has been the leader in audience measurement systems. So, it’s no wonder the television-based ratings company has already made the transition to the Internet and website traffic.
Neilson uses what it calls a “360 degree view” for measuring website traffic that takes into account everything from brand advocacy, consumer behavior, advertising effects, and social media trends to provide the most detailed website traffic analysis available.
Unlike the other website traffic tracking routes above, Nielsen NetRatings concentrates on characteristics across a multitude of demographics. In other words, Nielsen measures the people behind the machines, because at the heart of all website traffic is a living, breathing audience.
So, if you’re lost when it comes to the amount of traffic your websites receives, try one of the tools above and get back on track with your website and its audience.