Chapter 19
Measuring Blog Presence
IN THIS CHAPTER
Figuring out what web statistics tell you
Checking out good statistics-tracking tools
For a moment, picture your new blog running just the way you want it. The graphics are pretty, you're blogging every day, and comments are rolling in. Everything looks perfect, and you seem to be well on your way to a successful blogging career. But wait! For no real reason, over a few weeks, the number of comments left on your blog each day starts to decrease. Your visitor numbers are down. You don't find an obvious explanation, and you can't imagine why your readership is disappearing so quickly!
If you ever find yourself in this type of situation, you may start to ask yourself questions such as “How many visitors do I have every day, anyway?” or “How many of my visitors have been here before?”
It's time to understand your web traffic statistics. You, as a blogger, may find web stats especially important because, in contrast to the way a static website generates traffic, your audience numbers are affected each time you post.
You must pay attention to how your blog is performing on the Internet, but doing so can be confusing and boring. Spending an afternoon peering at web stats, especially if you don't know what you're looking for, can be a ...
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