There's gold in them there log files!
August 2, 1999
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Every Web site has a different set of goals,
but there's one thing we all
have in common: We want more traffic! Although a
sure-fire way to build Web
site traffic quickly remains as elusive as a
sure-fire way to predict stock
prices, there are some tried-and-true methods
that can help you build your
Web site traffic slowly but surely.
The ambitious site owner will use various promotional
tactics on an ongoing
basis, but this article is not about any one traffic-building technique.
It's about using your Web server log files to direct your efforts and
measure your success. You don't have time to
do everything, so you need to
figure out what works, and spend your time
accordingly. Careful analysis of
the information in your log files can give you lots of promising
traffic-building ideas, and also help you measure which ones live up to
their promise.
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There are as many different reasons for having a Web site as
there are businesses or individuals, and every site has a
different set of goals. There's one thing we all have in
common, however: We want more traffic! If you're selling
products online, then more traffic means more potential
customers. If you're advertising a product or service, more
traffic means more people get your message. If you're running
an ad-supported site, then more traffic means more page \
impressions, and more money in your pocket.
If I had some sure-fire way to build Web site traffic quickly,
I'd be fabulously well-to-do, just as I would if I had a
sure-fire way to predict stock prices. There are some
tried-and-true methods, however, and while they can't
create instant success, if applied diligently over time,
they'll help you build your Web site traffic slowly but
surely.
- Submit your site to the
search engines
and directories, re-submitting periodically.
-
Study how the search engines work, and tweak your site to try
to maximize your search rankings.
-
Solicit links from related sites.
-
Run ads on appropriate Web sites and mailing lists. These may
be paid ads, or banner swaps with related sites. Automated
banner exchange programs like
LinkExchange and
HyperBanner
are also useful.
-
Build a database of press contacts, and send out press
releases about newsworthy events concerning your company or
your site.
-
Participate in discussion groups and mailing lists that are
relevant to your business, and discreetly plug your site and
yourself.
-
Constantly develop good new content. This is the only sure way
to grow traffic in the long run, but it also happens to be a
lot of work.
The ambitious site owner will use all of these tactics on an
ongoing basis, but this article is not about any one
traffic-building technique. It's about using your Web server
log files to direct your efforts and measure your success.
A good marketer can always think of lots of things to do to
promote a site, far more than could ever be accomplished with
the time and money available. You can't do everything, so you
need to figure out exactly what works, and direct your
efforts to the most effective tactics. Careful analysis of
the information in your log files can give you lots of
promising traffic-building ideas, and also help you measure
which ones live up to their promise.
Contents:
How Log Files Work
Mining that Data
Insights from your Error Logs
Where are they coming from?
Who's sending them?
How Log Files Work
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