Business Management Consultant - Stuntdubl Search and Marketing Consulting

If you want to inspire confidence, give plenty of statistics. It does not matter that they should be accurate, or even intelligible, as long as there is enough of them.
-Lewis Carroll

I have listed below my favorite website analytics software packages. I must give the disclaimer that learning stats packages is not a fun experience. If a package is slow or frustrating, I generally don’t stick around too long. I value my time pretty highly, and I don’t want to spend it waiting for information that is only marginally important a large majority of the time. This is one reason other providers (of any software really) should take a page from Clicktracks and study usability first.

The below list is fairly biased from my experiences with stats packages. It’s also based on the criteria of needs I have an an analytics software. I won’t name the handful of packages that I have used that were brutally slow, unreliable, or difficult to interpret.

Statistics tracking is *critical*. For most companies, it’s not important in the sense that you dropped two spots in the rankings, or that a certain product does not convert as well three days before Columbus day. That level of granular reporting is sometimes a cause for the lack of usability in packages. Beware of “paralysis by analysis”. The more time you spend looking at your stats, the less time you are spending developing relevant content and links, which what will help to make you feel much happier during the time actually spent viewing your statistics.

What *is* absolutely important is consistency with reporting. To gauge improvement and trends, you need accurate data that is reliable. The integrity of the data needs to be high. If you switch packages too often, you will not have a good level of consistency and will be comparing apples to oranges due to the various idiosyncracies in each package.

Paid Web Analytics Tools

• Clicktracks Demo - Hands down my overall favorite. I am definitely an evangelist for their products. Any areas they COULD have been faulted on they have listened to their customers and improved. Not only a good stats package, but a good example of how to run a business.
• Net Tracker - Played with a demo and had a booth next to some of their friendly folks once. Nice product with some handy path analysis. Check out their free lite edition
• Visitorville - I haven’t used this extensively, but you gotta give them credit for a fun interface

Free Web Traffic Tools

• Webalizer About as basic as it gets, but very free and easy to use
• Analog Stats Again very basic but free and easy to use.
• Relax - quality referral tracking, thanks to Web Professor

Yes, there are probably many more tools available, and I’m sure some of them are even good. In this case, however, there are lots of CRAPPY tools that I’m always amazed that people have spent money on. Many of the web analytics packages are slow and clunky and don’t really assist with running a business (no wonder so many websites STILL don’t use their statistics more effectively). If you have a package that you’re adamant about (and are not a company rep or someone trying to use your affiliate code) please let me know.

Critical aspects to consider when purchasing Web Analytics Software

Speed of reporting
If I have to wait 5 minutes (or even 2 minutes) for my report it is too long. Initial parsing time is fine, but keep it snappy. Most times, statistical data is needed to backup a brainstorm. Waiting is not very conducive to good creative thinking.

Breadth and depth of reporting - Make it scalable but not overwhelming
You don’t need to know that record cleaning fluid doesn’t sell to Poland on Canadian leap year if you’re a record shop in NYC. You definitely CAN go overkill with setting up your stats packages. Try to start with a scalable product that will cover lots of areas of your statistical needs. Focus on the statistics that will HELP YOU TO IMPROVE ROI. Try to break out each area of your marketing campaigns when possible to get the best and most accurate return on ad spend for each.

Accuracy of reporting
Does the package track visits from your company netowork’s IP address (where everyone’s default start page is your homepage)? How does it determine “unique visitors”? Does it count search spiders and bots as visitors? Every stats package handles things differently, so if you change packages it is important to understand the data interpretation discrepencies, otherwise you might have BIG trouble when going to interpret the data to your BOSS (of course you could look like the HERO if you do it the right way).

Ease of use - Keep the learning curve low
Many people may potentially have to use the program. Probably at least several people should. They all need to know how to use and interpret the data. When a program is difficult to use, or difficult to remember it is very frustrating and counterproductive. You have 73 other things to do, pick a package that is going to make your life quicker and easier.

Know what you need
Your website technology architecture will play a role in which package you pick. I like LAMP myself because it’s less expensive and reliable. Linux/Apache/MySQL/Pearl - PHP - Python. Find out your web platform and how compatible all your elements are. Strategically reducing retrofittings saves lives.

Best Website Statistic Tracking and Logging Resources:

• Which stats package is right for you?
• How to track visitors
• Referral strings - most suspect data on the net
• Stat recognition - valuable information
• How do you improve ROI
• The difference between “above the line” and “below the line” tracking
• Run Webalizer on a local machine
• Tracking and Logging forum at WMW
• ROI and Tracking forum at SEW

Tags: Search Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, SEO, SEO Tools, Analytics, Project Management, Web Stats, Business

Book: Freakonomics by: Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

Subtitle: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

Here’s the scoop: I probably wouldn’t agree with the hidden side of “everything” in the title, but these fine gents do bring some critical perspectives to MANY things. It’s hard to argue the validity of meticulous statistics combined with good sociological observation.

Interpreted Thesis: Interpret everything from many perspectives to find when apples and oranges could be alike. Understand the difference between correlation and causation to be able to better interpret situational analysis.

Topics:
-Economics
-Psychology
-Sociology
-Statistics
-Strange parallels

Extended: This was easily the favorite of the three books I’ve recently read, and the funnest book I’ve read in quite a while. Very interesting perspective brought to some important social topics.

Favorite part:
Endless favorite parts in this one. I am enjoying a partial re-read as I type this. Top notch thinking and educational inspiration.

Favorite portions:
-What teachers and sumo wrestlers have in common.
-Why drug dealers live with their moms
-Where have all the criminals gone
-Guns vs. pools and the perfect parent

Application to SEO:
Look at each industry for the potential gems. Correlation is not causation (critical to SEO). Statistics tell more than the winner’s history.

Thanks for the inspiration to read offline a bit to gray wolf, oilman, and nick.

Book: The Wu-Tang Manual by: the RZA

Subtitle: History and philosophy of the Wu-Tang empire

Here’s the scoop: Rza drops science on life, religion, business, and music.

Interpreted Thesis: A mix of philosophy, art, and science makes for a well rounded individual.

Topics:
-Business
-Production
-Grand spiritual megamix

Extended: RZA led a group of nine individuals into a multi-million dollar corporate empire with the vision of a champion.

Favorite part: Understanding Rza’s vision that took the music industry (and now several others) by storm using leverage and good management.

Favorite portions:
-Learning about supreme mathematics and 5% theory
-Learning Rza’s production tools
-Application of eastern culture to techology, business, and an urban lifestyle
-Discussion of chess boxing
-Imagining a mind that would dream up the Bobby Digital cartoon

Application to SEO:
Vision is critical to business. Having a 5 year plan to accomplish a dream can help to develop daily strategy.

I’m happy to say I’ve taken lots of time lately to read OFFLINE with a handful of books that I will post about shortly. I got a chance to do some reading during a short few day break, and though I’d take the opportunity to write about each of the books I’ve read recently.

Book: Sun Tzu Was a Sissy by: Stanley Bing

Subtitle: Conquer your enemies, promote your friends, and wage the real art of war.

Here’s the scoop: A dry and humourous view of modern coporate business life.

Interpreted Thesis: Life as a corporate executive is shady at best, and not everyone has a humanistic point of view. Business is war without the physical messiness.

Topics:
-Business
-War
-Winning
-Capitalism

Extended: Okay, the title of this one roped me in. Just calling Sun Tzu a sissy is both hilarious and brilliant. Extending on that topic and it’s application to business is pretty fun in my mind. I don’t really agree with the Machavellian type attitude of every man for themselves, but it is a fun insight into how life in the corporate heirarchy would work. Something like this visually. Funny, but pretty sullen, sarcastic, and pessimistic.

Favorite part: Corporate graphs to illustrate blatantly obvious and side splitting examples.

Favorite portions:
-Size tactics for different people
-Tranforming the enemy

Application to SEO:

Each industry online is a war on a macro scale with micro warriors. Every phrase is a weapon. Every niche is a battle. The terrain isn’t always visible, but there are definitely some booty to be had. Know your enemy, and learn to love them. Study their art like it is your own. Enlist friends and allies to acheive mutual success. No man is an island, but you can predict the actions of a true capitalist, and play a few moves ahead.

help!!!!!!!!!!!!
Need Help!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please come to my rescue!!!!!!!!!!

-Censored name real estate agent’s recent comment here upon last G update. More on real estate agents.

I forsee G running with real estate real soon. Though I’m sure some of their short term future moves are larger than just that. The more money they make at the rest of the world’s expense, the less they will become a media darling, and the more they will be the M$ money media monstrosity. Geo-targetting with high dollar verticals will not be the friendly niche they’ve been in the last few years. Don’t step on the trail of bodies. G Real Estate - Global - Local - Keyhole.

It will be interesting to see it implemented, and what other industries they take on at the same time. I’m sure with each new G product, there will be new opportunities to explore, but there’s gonna be a whole lot of not so happy people too when their nice longstanding organic listings get bumped by vertical search placements. With online real estate growing to upwards of a $1.8 BILLION dollar industry, it would certainly be an attractive niche to raise the bottom line. I can’t say I’ll be too disappointed to see the some MLS rackateers have the “information playing field” leveled on them.

Make your time.

base.google.com

Following a bit behind the Cost of Jagger thread:

You’re not a true SEO until you’ve…

• had a (personal) site banned
• had a site dip to nowhere with the {insert update name here} update
• decided to wait a week to wade through the tripe that we call “update threads”
• got a consulting request from a site about payday loans, mortgages, gambling, pills, or Quinstreet
• been scraped at least a dozen times
• bought a link strictly for it’s PR passing potential (even if you rationalized the “relevance” in your mind)
• been to an SEO conference
• figured out there’s more to running a business than free Google traffic
• *Okay this one is questionable, but I couldn’t resist - had Doug H. call you a spammer (*note - first time I’ve ever used “nofollow”, and I am not a self-proclaimed spammer. I’ve never even badmouthed Doug even to his clients that call for services wondering about his reputation, and the post in question was for helping new clients get reincluded. I am secretly quite honored to be on his list of *cough* “spammers” though.)

So what do you think? You’re not an SEO until… ?

I had several examples of 301 redirecting the other way around, from non-www to www, but hadn’t ever had to redirect from www to non-www for anything.

In case your wondering, and don’t ever want the headache I have from my eyes crossing from mod-rewrite, here is how to do it:

RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^example\.com
RewriteRule ^.*$ http://example.com%{REQUEST_URI} [R=301,L]

If you have more rewrite questions, you can try the mod rewrite cheat sheet, or the URL re-writing tools, or the guide to 301 redirects.

Don’t redirect to example.com, and be sure to check your header responses when you are through.

Thanks to Louis, and a gent who does teak furniture for their assistance in this fiasco.