We are clearly well past innocent "golden age" of Internet - Darwinian economics have become order of day today. Any company worth their salt must maintain a web site as an information resource and/or to generate incremental ecommerce revenue. Qualified traffic is name of game, as it's oxygen that keeps a good ecommerce web site thriving. Consequently, it's very important to have an understanding of your web site traffic or visitor activity; i.e. baseline information that includes number of visitors during specific time periods, originating location (domain), where visitors went on a site and how long they stayed on specific sections or pages of a web site. The de facto industry standard traffic analysis tool application is Web Trends, manufactured/supported by netiQ, Inc., which we will focus on in this article.

Fundamentals and Jargon Watch

All traffic analysis tools rely primarily upon information that is extracted from log files; i.e. files that are maintained on your server which show where a visitor came from, what keyword(s) they used to find your site (if applicable), what Operating System and Browser versions they are using, etc. There are literally hundreds of excellent log file analysis tools that can be located via CNet's Download.com or TuCows - both sites are excellent resources for software and information.

It's critical in today's bottom line business environment to have ability to analyze web traffic (visitors) and patterns and then integrate this knowledge with your overall business processes - what do you pay for traffic, is it converting (people are buying your goods and services), how long are people staying on specific sections or pages of your web site, what marketing expenditures are working and which aren't!

You know your entering reality distortion field (we marketing types need to justify our fees & services) and need to raise your jargon filters to stun level when you here and/or see these keywords; i.e. clickstream traffic (fancy way of saying traffic or visitors delivered via mouse clicks to your web site), ebusiness solutions (meaning - selling your products/services via an ecommerce site) or my all-time personal favorite, "ebusiness intelligence" (what's ebusiness and what determines if it's "intelligent").

Traffic Counter Applications

First and foremost, do you really need a comprehensive product like Web Trends (more on different applications later) or can you get by with a click (traffic) counter application like Hit Box? The latter company provides a free plain vanilla traffic counter which can be easily set up in minutes via your web site. Hit Box is a great product and used by hundreds of thousands of web sites, so it may be sufficient for your business, if you just want very basic info ("Page Views and Daily Unique Visitors) and don't mind advertising for another company via your web site.

But, there are some downsides to utilizing Hit Box, you must install their "button" on your Index (home) page and it only provides you with basic traffic information (how much per day with a forecast based on these numbers). You can upgrade to their HitBox Professional which is very similar to Web Trends basic application ("Web Trends Log Analyzer") - but, you have to pay for this service on a traffic basis which can get expensive, depending on your overall traffic.

Web Trends Applications and Interface

Here are 5 successful marketing techniques you can use to increase your sales. All of them are simple to use. And they're effective for building any businesses.

1. KEEP ADDING SOMETHING NEW

Every time you add something new to your business you create an opportunity to get more sales. For example, something as simple as adding new information on your web site creates another selling opportunity when prospects and customers visit your site to see new information.

Adding a new product or service to list of those you already offer usually produces a big increase in sales. The added product increases your sales in 3 different ways:

** It attracts new customers who were not interested in your current products and services.

** It generates repeat sales from existing customers who also want to have your new product.

** It enables you to get bigger sales by combining 2 or more items into special package offers.

2. BECOME A VALUABLE RESOURCE

Look for ways you can be a resource for your prospects and customers. Supply them with free information. Help them do things faster, easier, less expensively. You get another opportunity to sell something every time they come back to you for help.

3. SEPARATE YOURSELF FROM YOUR COMPETITION.

Find or create a reason for customers to do business with you instead of with someone else offering same or similar products. For example, do you provide faster results, easier procedures, personal attention or a better guarantee?

Determine unique advantage you offer to customers that your competitors do not offer. Promote that advantage in all of your advertising. Give your prospects a reason to do business with you instead of with your competition and you'll automatically get more sales.

4. PROMOTE THE END RESULT