Exploring Web Analytics
Blizzard Associate | 15 September 2005 | Comments Off
Is my web site tracker portable?
Christine Burke- Blizzard Internet Marketing, Inc.
Q: I have changed hosting companies twice in the last three years. After the most recent move, my Blizzard Tracker stopped working. Can it be fixed? Can I keep using Blizzard Tracker regardless of where the site is hosted? I would like to have continuous data from year to year.
A: Yes, because you have the Professional Edition, which is not dependent upon data from the web server, you can fix your Blizzard Tracker and keep using it with your new hosting service. This is in contrast to the Hosted Edition of Blizzard Tracker, which can work only if your site is hosted by Blizzard.
Two kinds of trackers There are two broad categories of web site statistics packages. In one category are the server log analyzers, like our Hosted Edition. If your web site hosting company has a logging service activated for your site, the server keeps a running log of all interactions between itself and the computers that visit your site. The result is a huge text file that is tedious for humans to read. To make this chore easier, many hosting companies offer tracking software. The tracker reads the log file and processes the data into user-friendly reports. The processing takes place in batches that are typically set to run once a day. That’s why you’re not likely to see “live” data in a server log-based tracker. In the second category are trackers that use JavaScript data collection, such as Blizzard’s Professional and ROI editions. These trackers ignore the server log and instead use small, invisible scripts that are placed on each page of the site. When a visitor views one of your web pages in his browser, the JavaScript executes and sends a small package of information to the secure data center. The information is processed so quickly that you can usually see your own visit in the tracker just a minute or two later. In addition to real-time reporting, JavaScript-based trackers can better identify repeat visitors. They can also support advanced features such as campaign tracking and conversion tracking. Testing your web site after changing your hosting company So, as long as the scripts remain on your pages, your tracker should work, regardless of where your site is hosted. However, when your site was moved by your new hosting service, a small ".js" file was accidentally omitted from the main file directory. Once you replace that file, the tracker should run just fine. In general, whenever you move your site, you should test it thoroughly to make sure nothing else is missing or broken. I hope you won’t have to move it very often! It’s fairly easy to check to make sure that the tracking scripts are intact on your web pages. Simply open a web page in Internet Explorer. If you know what your script is supposed to look like, you can choose "View" from the toolbar, then select "Source". Then use "Edit" and "Find" to search for a text string that is found in your tracking script. Often, a tracking script begins with a comment, which helps to identify it. In HTML code, a comment is preceded by the characters If you’re unsure about testing this yourself, your hosting company should be able to assist you with the process. For more information about Blizzard Tracker, please visit www.blizzardtracker.com or call 1-888-840-5893.
