Re: Tracking first 'click' off of a home page
I would do it with a redirector page. * First, create a table with the redirect links and a count field (at the very minimum). Make the URL field the key * All links from front page go to a redirect page (i.e. /switchboard.cfm?loc=/dir/file.cfm) * On switchboard.cfm, do a cfquery to increment the count for that loc, then redirect the user to the URL they are looking for. * You could make it simpler to add URL's by doing some error handling around the query where you increment the count; if the URL.loc isn't in the database (i.e. it has just been added), you can do an insert and then redirect the user. I created something like this for a databased redirect system that we just implemented; it takes place of the default 404 page and grabs the referring URL to determine the page that the user was trying to get to and then redirects based on that. 77 lines of some of the best code I have ever written... Pete - Original Message - From: robert_myers [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: CF-Talk [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2002 11:42 AM Subject: Tracking first 'click' off of a home page I run a 1400 user Intranet for my company, and have a home page that has about 3 dozen links to various resources (including other web servers -- both internal and external). Could some one give be a head start on how I might record the user's *first* click off this home page? No need to track them after that. I'd like to store it in a SQL 7.0 database to run queries against, and at a minimum I'd like the CFToken, CFID, IP Address, and fully qualified URL that the click refers to. I know very little about session/client management, but any articles or publications pointed out would help me get over this limitation. This is a 4.5 environment running on Windows NT. (ya-ya, I know - quit snickering). Some direction (and pointing out the pitfalls) would be much appreciated. ..and as always, thanks in advance! ..and as always, thanks in advance! __ Signup for the Fusion Authority news alert and keep up with the latest news in ColdFusion and related topics. http://www.fusionauthority.com/signup.cfm FAQ: http://www.thenetprofits.co.uk/coldfusion/faq Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/cf-talk@houseoffusion.com/ Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists
Re: Tracking first 'click' off of a home page
To make it as simple as possible, I might just grab the referrer. If it is blank, or comes from offsite (domain doesn't match the server), I would stash the referrer, the IP, the time, and the other info you listed. Jerry Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] 09/19/02 11:42AM I run a 1400 user Intranet for my company, and have a home page that has about 3 dozen links to various resources (including other web servers -- both internal and external). Could some one give be a head start on how I might record the user's *first* click off this home page? No need to track them after that. I'd like to store it in a SQL 7.0 database to run queries against, and at a minimum I'd like the CFToken, CFID, IP Address, and fully qualified URL that the click refers to. I know very little about session/client management, but any articles or publications pointed out would help me get over this limitation. This is a 4.5 environment running on Windows NT. (ya-ya, I know - quit snickering). Some direction (and pointing out the pitfalls) would be much appreciated. .and as always, thanks in advance! .and as always, thanks in advance! __ Structure your ColdFusion code with Fusebox. Get the official book at http://www.fusionauthority.com/bkinfo.cfm FAQ: http://www.thenetprofits.co.uk/coldfusion/faq Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/cf-talk@houseoffusion.com/ Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists
RE: Tracking first 'click' off of a home page
You could send all links to a redirect.cfm?pageid=xxx page Get the page to record which link is clicked then redirect based on the pid Mark Stephenson New Media Director Evolution Internet T: 0870 757 1631 F: 0870 757 1632 W: www.evolutioninternet.co.uk E: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email, together with any attachments, is for the exclusive and confidential use of the addressee(s). Any other distribution, use or reproduction without the sender's prior consent is unauthorised and strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender by email immediately and delete the message from your computer without making any copies. -Original Message- From: robert_myers [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: 19 September 2002 16:42 To: CF-Talk Subject: Tracking first 'click' off of a home page I run a 1400 user Intranet for my company, and have a home page that has about 3 dozen links to various resources (including other web servers -- both internal and external). Could some one give be a head start on how I might record the user's *first* click off this home page? No need to track them after that. I'd like to store it in a SQL 7.0 database to run queries against, and at a minimum I'd like the CFToken, CFID, IP Address, and fully qualified URL that the click refers to. I know very little about session/client management, but any articles or publications pointed out would help me get over this limitation. This is a 4.5 environment running on Windows NT. (ya-ya, I know - quit snickering). Some direction (and pointing out the pitfalls) would be much appreciated. .and as always, thanks in advance! .and as always, thanks in advance! __ Your ad could be here. Monies from ads go to support these lists and provide more resources for the community. http://www.fusionauthority.com/ads.cfm FAQ: http://www.thenetprofits.co.uk/coldfusion/faq Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/cf-talk@houseoffusion.com/ Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists
RE: Tracking first 'click' off of a home page
I don't know about recording only the first click off the page. However, it would be fairly easy (it seems to me) to build a link tracker. Just have a CF page that takes a URL as a param. It inserts info about the link and whatever else (session userID, time, etc) into the DB. Then it cflocations to wherever the passed link points to. Then you just change whatever links you want to track to a form like: a href=linktracker.cfm?page=www.targeturl.com/page.html (You'll probably want to escape some of this with URLEncodedFormat). --Ben Doom Programmer General Lackey Moonbow Software : -Original Message- : From: robert_myers [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] : Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2002 11:42 AM : To: CF-Talk : Subject: Tracking first 'click' off of a home page : : : I run a 1400 user Intranet for my company, and have a home page : that has about : 3 dozen links to various resources (including other web servers -- : both internal and external). : : Could some one give be a head start on how I might record the : user's *first* : click off this home page? No need to track them after that. : : I'd like to store it in a SQL 7.0 database to run queries : against, and at a : minimum I'd like the CFToken, CFID, IP Address, and fully qualified URL : that the click refers to. : : I know very little about session/client management, but any articles or : publications pointed out would help me get over this limitation. : : This is a 4.5 environment running on Windows NT. (ya-ya, I know - quit : snickering). : : Some direction (and pointing out the pitfalls) would be much appreciated. : : ..and as always, thanks in advance! : : ..and as always, thanks in advance! : __ Structure your ColdFusion code with Fusebox. Get the official book at http://www.fusionauthority.com/bkinfo.cfm FAQ: http://www.thenetprofits.co.uk/coldfusion/faq Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/cf-talk@houseoffusion.com/ Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists
RE: Tracking first 'click' off of a home page
Dont think that would work if they were going off-site. How about setting up a referrer page that all the links on the front page go to and there you could record the click then send them on? -Original Message- From: Jerry Johnson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: 19 September 2002 16:57 To: CF-Talk Subject: Re: Tracking first 'click' off of a home page To make it as simple as possible, I might just grab the referrer. If it is blank, or comes from offsite (domain doesn't match the server), I would stash the referrer, the IP, the time, and the other info you listed. Jerry Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] 09/19/02 11:42AM I run a 1400 user Intranet for my company, and have a home page that has about 3 dozen links to various resources (including other web servers -- both internal and external). Could some one give be a head start on how I might record the user's *first* click off this home page? No need to track them after that. I'd like to store it in a SQL 7.0 database to run queries against, and at a minimum I'd like the CFToken, CFID, IP Address, and fully qualified URL that the click refers to. I know very little about session/client management, but any articles or publications pointed out would help me get over this limitation. This is a 4.5 environment running on Windows NT. (ya-ya, I know - quit snickering). Some direction (and pointing out the pitfalls) would be much appreciated. and as always, thanks in advance! and as always, thanks in advance! __ Structure your ColdFusion code with Fusebox. Get the official book at http://www.fusionauthority.com/bkinfo.cfm FAQ: http://www.thenetprofits.co.uk/coldfusion/faq Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/cf-talk@houseoffusion.com/ Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists
RE: Tracking first 'click' off of a home page
To get the first click you'll need a small detection script on the homepage to detect a new unique visitor along with their client variables (IP, user details and CFID CFTOKEN values) and check your db for any previous db entries for said user. Then once you've determined they are new user and about to perform their first click you can implement the redirect idea mentioned by others. Otherwise just use plain links. Personally I'd do the detection, set a flag, then write all links in an iif statement basically saying - if this is a new user about to first click, go to redirect, otherwise go straight to link target. HTH, Dave -Original Message- From: Ben Doom [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: 19 September 2002 17:03 To: CF-Talk Subject: RE: Tracking first 'click' off of a home page I don't know about recording only the first click off the page. However, it would be fairly easy (it seems to me) to build a link tracker. Just have a CF page that takes a URL as a param. It inserts info about the link and whatever else (session userID, time, etc) into the DB. Then it cflocations to wherever the passed link points to. Then you just change whatever links you want to track to a form like: a href=linktracker.cfm?page=www.targeturl.com/page.html (You'll probably want to escape some of this with URLEncodedFormat). --Ben Doom Programmer General Lackey Moonbow Software : -Original Message- : From: robert_myers [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] : Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2002 11:42 AM : To: CF-Talk : Subject: Tracking first 'click' off of a home page : : : I run a 1400 user Intranet for my company, and have a home page : that has about : 3 dozen links to various resources (including other web servers -- : both internal and external). : : Could some one give be a head start on how I might record the : user's *first* : click off this home page? No need to track them after that. : : I'd like to store it in a SQL 7.0 database to run queries : against, and at a : minimum I'd like the CFToken, CFID, IP Address, and fully qualified URL : that the click refers to. : : I know very little about session/client management, but any articles or : publications pointed out would help me get over this limitation. : : This is a 4.5 environment running on Windows NT. (ya-ya, I know - quit : snickering). : : Some direction (and pointing out the pitfalls) would be much appreciated. : : ..and as always, thanks in advance! : : ..and as always, thanks in advance! : __ Your ad could be here. Monies from ads go to support these lists and provide more resources for the community. http://www.fusionauthority.com/ads.cfm FAQ: http://www.thenetprofits.co.uk/coldfusion/faq Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/cf-talk@houseoffusion.com/ Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists
