> -----Original Message----- > From: Rob Weir [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Saturday, 13 August 2011 11:42 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [WWW] Web analytics > > On Fri, Aug 12, 2011 at 8:52 PM, Gavin McDonald <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: Rob Weir [mailto:[email protected]] > >> Sent: Saturday, 13 August 2011 8:31 AM > >> To: [email protected] > >> Subject: Re: [WWW] Web analytics > >> > > <snip> > >> > >> Any web analytics package is going to track IP address and store a cookie. > >> That is how it knows what country you are from and whether you are a > >> new or a returning user. > >> > > > > These days cookies are not reliable enough for analytics to produce > accurate data. > > > > Lots of users these days have Anti-Virus programs running, Windows has > > it build in these days. These programs are trained to consider cookies > > as low risk but at the same time allow the user to delete cookies. > > > > Personally, I'll be treated as a new visitor to the site every week as > > far as analytics is concerned, as that is how often I clean out my cookies. > > > > And that's fine. There will always be a level of background noise in the > data. > Other factors include users who share machines, or users that have multiple > machines. Because of that we shouldn't put much credence in absolute > numbers. The interesting thing is the change in numbers, the variation from > the baseline. > > For example, imagine we see a sudden spike in new visitors (or what the > analytic thinks are new users). When that happens, is certainly possible that > this was just caused by a large number of repeat visitors at the same time > suddenly installing anti-virus that cleans out their cookies on a weekly > basis. > That is not impossible. But the more likely explanation is that we actually > did > have a spike in new visitors. > > From marketing perspective we can use this kind of info to gauge the > effectiveness of different outreach techniques. >
I agree Gav... > > > Gav... > > > > > >
