MIS 424Professor Sandvig

Overview

Why Analytics? Two major approaches:

Server logs Google Analytics

Why Analytics

Analytics: “the science of analysis”

Web analytics: Analyzing how visitors use your web site

Why Analytics?

Is your site receiving traffic? How do visitors get your site?

Search engine? Which one? Keywords used?

Which page do visitors land on? Which pages did they view?

Link from other site? Direct (bookmark, type url, etc.)

Why Analytics

More questions… How long did visitors stay? Which page did they leave from? How did they navigate your site? Did they buy anything?

Web Analytic Approaches

Two approaches:

1.Server Logs Log of every request to the web server

2.Google Analytics JavaScript embedded in every web page

of site Sends information to Google

Server Logs

Information about every request is logged Time of request Type of request (Get or Post) Requesting domain Requested page Referring URL KB data transferred Status code

200 successful 404 page not found

Server Logs

Logs are very detailed Image requests CSS files JavaScript files favicon.ico Search engine bot traffic Items not found Etc.

Server Logs

•Logs created by IIS

Server Logs

Server Logs

Typically read with Log Analysis Software Example: AWStats

Server Logs

Advantages Extremely detailed See failed requests Attempts to break into server

Disadvantages Difficult to read

Software give statistical information Little information about how visitors use

site

Google Analytics

Add snippet of JavaScript to page User’s browser sends info to Google

AJAX Free Very popular Example:

Sandvig CBE web pages Google Analytics report

Google Analytics

Advantages Free Detailed information about site usage Google AdWords integration

Disadvantage Server Administrator

Only see successful page loads No security breach info Less detail

Summary

Typically use both methods Google Analytics

Site design, usability Search Engine Optimization

Server Logs Security

404 errors Search engine spider traffic