seo conversions Archives - Gravity Search Marketing

Compare Web Analytics Tools

February 2, 2008
by Gradiva Couzin

With so many web analytics options out there, it’s easy to get lost. Here, we list some solutions you should know about, and point you in the right direction for more information.

Google Analytics

Google’s free offering offers a plethora of web analytics information for small businesses. We recommend it as a starting point for any do-it-yourselfer looking for a quick and inexpensiveway to understand the goings-on within their site.

Go to Google Analytics
Read more about it on Clickz.com: “Google Analytics: Rising Tide or Tsunami?”
Read a May, 2006 review on e-Commerce Guide
Read an Aug, 2006 review by Manoj Jasra comparing Google Analytics and VisiStats

WebTrends

WebTrends is one of the best-known names in web analytics, offering comprehensive tools that can be deployed as client-side (they call this “on-demand”) or server-side (they call this “software”) options. WebTrends is known for being high-end (ie, expensive) but has a variety of packages available.

Go to the WebTrends website
Read a 2004 review on PC Magazine
Read WebTrends Small Business Reviewed on Atlas-Tuesday IT blog
Read an infoworld review.
Read Aug, 2005 info about various Web Stats Packages on webmasterworld forum.

Omniture

One of the biggest names in web analytics, Omniture offers a variety of comprehensive web analytics packages.

Go to the Omniture website

Read a white paper comparing HBX and Omniture’s SIteCatalyst

Read a product review on Infoworld
Read a 2004 review on Phil Windley’s Technometria
Look at all of their industry awards

Visual Sciences, Previously WebSideStory – Now Owned by Omniture

WebSideStory become Visual Sciences and was acquired by Omniture, however, many people are still using their legacy analytics systems.

Read a white paper comparing HBX and Omniture’s SIteCatalyst
Read an IT World Canada Review of HBX Web Analytics 2.5
Read a June 2003 review of Hitbox Enterprise
Look at all of their industry awards

ClickTracks

ClickTracks is known for offering a reasonably priced solution with many of the same features as the bigger names, in a more visually appealing format. They have a faithful following of satisfied customers. They offer both client-side and server-side options. ClickTracks offers a free version of their product.

Go to the ClickTracks website
Read a 2005 review on Mike’s Marketing Site
Read a 2005 review on SearchEngineGuide.com
Read about the free version of the product in a 2006 Searchday article
Read Aug, 2005 info about various Web Stats Packages including ClickTracks on webmasterworld forum.

Coremetrics

Coremetrics offers only the hosted (client-side) web metrics solution, which can simplify the choices your organization must consider. They offer a special version of their system for each of these vertical markets: retail, financial, and travel services.

Go to theCoremetricswebsite
Read a product review on Infoworld
Read a case study and interview on a biz that chose Coremetrics.

Unica, formerly NetTracker

Unica NetTracker offers client-side (they call it on-demand) and server-side (they call it software) solutions.

Go to the Unica website
Read “12 Cool Things You Can Do With Unica’s Netracker Insight”
Read a customer review of a biz that chose NetTracker
Read Aug, 2005 info about various Web Stats Packages including NetTracker on webmasterworld forum.

Performancing Metrics

Originally developed for bloggers, Performancing Metrics also offers a free version of their product.

Go to the Performancing Metrics website

Measure Map

Another free web analytics tool designed specifically for blogs. (not signing up new customers as of 10/9/2006, but you can sign up to be informed when they begin offering accounts again)

Go to the Measure Map website

AWStats

AWStats is a free logfile analyzer. If you pay a monthly hosting fee, it’s very possible that the statistics program that comes with your hosting is AWStats. This program requires a great deal of technical expertise to set up; it is not for the average website owner!

Go to the AWStats website
Read a review at Pay-Per-Click Universe
Read a 2003 review which includes some technical details

Additional Resources

For a comparison of several tracking solutions, see this 2005 article: Web Analytics Products
A report that compares 73 web analytics services (prices $399/$549 as of 9/2006): www.idealobserver.com
The Web Analytics Buyers Guide 2006 is $179 at http://www.e-consultancy.com
Costly report by Forrester covers all the biggies. $995 at http://www.forrester.com/Research/Document/Excerpt/0,7211,36675,00.html

ask the experts

Ask the Experts: How Should I Integrate Articles Onto…

December 31, 2007
by Gradiva Couzin

Q: I would like to create an area for our customers to read articles or news about our industry and our company. Should I institute some kind of blog format so that customers can comment on stories or articles? Will this be complicated to set up? Is there any advantage over standard web pages for posting articles?

A: Many people wonder whether to use a blog format for posting articles online, or whether a classic, tree-structured website navigation is better. We’d look at this situation from a few angles: where it fits into your conversion goals, your available labor, inbound link potential, and target audience preferences. Here’s a bit more on each of these:

Conversion Goals
If you are developing content that is clearly helpful in driving conversions, such as “Perfect sizing tips for your baseball cleats” or “Which is the right softball for you?” then we’d argue that it belongs on your site as an article. This is our gut feeling, because we think this type of content is generated less frequently and tends to appeal to a newbie audience, so it’s just better suited for a static page within your global navigation.

On the other hand, if you have “newsy” content – promotions, events, etc., that is meant to engage interested visitors and spark return visits, then it would be perfectly reasonable to post the content in a blog format. Similarly, if you often post brief commentary and observations, industry notes and links, rather than longer, essay-like research and articles, a blog would provide a better venue.

Do you have both conversion-minded articles and news items? You can always create a hybrid situation in which you use the blog primarily for news, but create a post on the blog containing a “promo” for, and a link to, every new article you create.

Your Available Labor
You sound concerned about technical work involved, but what about writing work? Do you have the writing staff to keep a blog current and populated with compelling content? Is blog-style content generation realistic for your particular industry and company? A lot of companies use blog authoring software to post their press releases, which is perfectly kosher, but that kind of arrangement rarely comes close to using the blogosphere to its full potential.

Inbound Link Potential
We think it’s reasonable to assume that a well-written, interesting blog will generate more links than articles, because you can generate more discussion on a compelling and dynamic blog than in a static article.

Notice how we went overboard with the adjectives there? “Well-written, interesting, compelling, dynamic?” Just a friendly reminder that content is king no matter how you add it to your website.

In order to gain the full benefits of integrating a blog into your existing site, you should make sure it is part of your domain, i.e. yoursite.com/blog. Then, start linking out to other relevant blogs. The blogosphere is a two-way street: you should link out if you want to get links in.

Target Audience
Think about your target audience and how comfortable they would be with your choice. Would your internet-savvy audience find a classic navigation boring and old-fashioned? Or would your more traditional or newbie audience get lost trying to use page tags as navigation? Keep a clear eye on your target audience and your long-term business goals, and make your choice accordingly.