Website traffic statistics

Website traffic statistics are generated from server downloads.

Hits and page views

A hit is generated by a browser downloading a file from a server. The file may be the web page itself. But it could be a file downloaded by the web page. Such a file might be an:

• image
• external stylesheet
• external javascript

Errors and cached elements also generate hits.

The statistics you get from server log files usually give you the number of hits and the number of page views. Because they are dependent on arbitrary page layout, hits are not a useful website traffic statistic. But the number of page views is the number of pages that have actually been downloaded from the server.  This tells you the number of actual people that have looked at pages, an obviously useful result.

Unique Visitors and Repeat Visitors

A server can determine the IP address of a visitor. BY looking at the number of IP addresses accessed in a certain time period,  you have a measure of the number of unique visitors to your site. 

• By calculating the number of times the IP address appears, the server can tell you the number of repeat visits in that session.

Because IP addresses are dynamic, the server cannot give you the number of repeat visits over several sessions. Basically, the repeat visitors statistic gives you the number of pages the each visitor opens on your site.

Entry Pages, Exit Pages and Session duration

The entry page is the page the visitor arrives at. The exit page is the last one viewed before the visitor leaves the site or is timed out. Therefore, you can tell where you are losing visitors.

Given the time of entry and exit, you know how long people are staying on your site. If visits are of short duration, you have a problem!