[WEB4LIB] Web site traffic software

[Mark Pecaut]

On Wed, Apr 04, 2001 at 10:35:28AM -0700, Ellen Andes wrote:
> I just joined this listserv and it looks like there is a lot of good
> information here.  I am looking for software that will help us  get
> statistics on Web site traffic.  For instance, what sites do students access

Web traffic on your site?  This is all in your webserver logs.  You can
use logfile analysis software to produce nice looking reports.  Two very
good free ones are webalizer 
http://www.mrunix.net/webalizer/
 and analog 
http://www.analog.cx

> most?  We have some of this through our database vendors, but I am hoping to
> see where students are looking for information when they are not working
> through our licensed databases.  Two software packages that I am aware of

If you want statistics on which web-based databases people are using 
the most, you have to count clickthroughs (ie, how many people are clicking
links on your site to other sites).  Your weblogs won't have this information.
To capture this you have to point your links to a clickthrough counting script
that logs what you want and sends the user where they want to go.  We have 
something that does this, written in perl.  I am re-writing it in ASP (bleah!) 
to log things to an Access Database.  I am happy to share either system, 
if you are interested.

> are Access Watch and Counter.com. I'd appreciate suggestions from those of
> you who have used this type of software or know of a good product.

For some good information on tracking users, see 
http://www.arsdigita.com/books/panda/user-tracking

-Mark
>  
> Ellen Andes
> Reference & Circulation
> Richard Bland College Library
> 11301 Johnson Rd.
> Petersburg, VA. 23805
> 
> 804-862-6227
> FAX 804-862-6125
> eandes at rbc.edu