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Article
Webmaster Resource Guide to Free Counters
© AffiliateSeeking - This article is not allowed to be re-published but can be linked to.
Of all webmaster resources and tools, the statistics counter is one of the most indispensable. Without it, a webmaster won't know much about visitors and how they use a web site. Luckily, there are lots of webmaster resource sites that offer free counters.
Here is what you should look for in a good web site stats counter. Your webmaster resource guide or resource site should tell you which features are included by a particular service and which are not.
- WEB HOST COUNTER. Your web host (free or paid) most likely has a free counter already. Both free and paid web hosting offer a host of free webmaster resources at your disposal when you sign up with them. A free counter is sure to be one of these. Unfortunately, these "package counters" often do little or nothing more than count hits to page. They don't tell you where they came from or what time the hits occurred. Keyword searches may be included, however.
- BASIC INFORMATION. The web stats counter should include basic information about your visitors: geographic location, OS type, browser type and version, time of a visit and IP address.
- LENGTH AND TIME OF VISIT. The counter should time the length of visit and the number of return visits. (Possible only if the visitor has cookies turned on.)
- LOG LIMIT. Free counters must surely have a log limit (otherwise there won't be a reason to upgrade to a pro version). Find out what the limit is, and how it's measured. Is the free counter limited to the last 100 unique visits? 200? If your site gets only light traffic, a small log limit would do. But if you're a heavy user, you may want to upgrade to a premium service later. (Check the webmaster resource site for info and cost of upgrade.)
- PRIVATE OR PUBLIC. Webmasters often don't want their stats made public for some reason. Well, maybe you don't want to the world t know that half of the hits are from you and your family and friends... But whatever the reason, a good counter should give the option to make your stats private. If it's not free, it may be in the premium version.
- PAGE POPULARITY AND SOURCE LINKS. A good free counter must show which of your web pages are most popular and for what (that is, which keywords were used to find them?). The counter must also show inbound links, or web pages where your visitors are coming from.
- MONTHLY, WEEKLY AND DAILY AVERAGES. These are crucial when monitoring your site's performance. A webmaster needs to know if their web site is getting more popular or not. A good counter must include a colored chart that displays number of both unique and returning visits in the past days, weeks and so on. This way you see a trend.
Webmaster resource sites and services abound. Don't pick too many, but stick with a few you really need. Statistics counters are a must for every good webmaster. It is the primary tool for site performance analysis. If you find a free counter you are happy with, consider upgrading if the paid services are good. It's as worth paying for as any other good webmaster resource if you're a serious developer.
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