Web Analytics Technologies -Log File Vs Page Tagging

Web log file analysis and page tagging are web analytics approach accepted globally. Depending on requirement, company can choose one of the two approach, very few companies offers both approaches. Both the approaches have its own advantages and disadvantages.

I will discuss both the web analytics approach one by one, one thing I would say that none is 100 percent correct, what you get are not the exact figures. Starting with the traditional approach i.e. web log file analysis we find it offers lots of advantages to its users. In case of web log file analysis raw data are collected by server automatically once your website is live but data collection using page tagging requires insertion of a piece of code (snippet) in the source code. Web server records transactions are involuntary and spontaneous, means with every transaction there is record (log file) created corresponding to it on the web server. Also, page tagging involves making changes in a website (you need to add code in include files and other source files), once page is live on server web server does all on its own. Web server file analysis gives information about search engine crawler's visit and failed requests also. Also log file lies on your server, no third party required where as page-tagging. Page tagging requires browser compatibility and java script should be enabled.

Looking at the brighter side of page tagging we find that websites which run on different server benefit a lot through page tagging technology. This approach helps to modify piece of code to get extra inforamtion about visitor's visit and and variours events. Talking about page tagging we find it is cookies and session based, where unique visit per session is recorded.

From from economic point of view page tagging is more costly as generally involves third party vendors, overall cost depends on the activities on the website.

Packet sniffing (a software that tracks logs between web server and out-house network) and hybrid approach are also used but are still not so famous.