Users

[Overview | Data Types | Users]

This measurement appears in a couple of different tables on the log report. The most common misinterpretation of it is to assume that it means the number of unique visitors to the Web site. What it actually represents is the name of the computer or Internet service THROUGH WHICH users access your site. Hence, the entire subscriber base of America Online could actually be counted as one user. There is no way at present to calculate unique visitors to a Web site because of the complexities of gathering, sorting, and storing that data.

Top Total URLs

This measure of your site's activity is useful for determining which pages of your site are being viewed the most by your visitors. If you discover that the top pages are those devoted to describing your products or services, perhaps you may want to consider replacing a lesser-viewed page with additional product and services information. A handy feature of this table is that each URL is a link to that particular page of your Web site, so you can view it with just a click of your mouse.

Top Referring Sites

A useful table of the report shows the top referring sites. This measure indicates where your visitors are coming from before they visit your Web site. While it is not unusual for visitors to come directly from one of the major search engines, you may find that most of your traffic is coming from an industry-related site that provided a link to your site (see Promoting Your Web Site on Page 19). Knowing how people are finding their way to your site may allow you to make more informed decisions about future promotion options.