How to Detect Internet Traffic

Use web analytics to detect Internet traffic.

Detecting a website's Internet traffic, also referred to as web analytics, is a measurement of the website's performance. This can give valuable insight into the effectiveness of marketing initiatives implemented to drive traffic to a website. Web analytics are useful in monitoring one's own site traffic and in making determinations such as the return on investment (ROI) for a particular marketing campaign. Analytics is also useful in assessing the effectiveness of a competitor's Internet marketing activity and in understanding a competitor's key demographics.

Instructions

Google Analytics Tool

1. Visit the Google Analytics page at google.com/analytics to sign up for a new account.

2. Click "Create an account now." Fill out the personal information fields and click "I accept. Create my account" at the bottom of the page.

3. Sign in to your new analytics account to view the main dashboard. Click "Add website profile" at the bottom left of the screen.

4. Select the option to "Add a profile for a new domain" or "Add a profile for an existing domain." Enter the URL of the website you wish to track. Click "Finish."

5. 

   Use analytics to view data reports.

   From your dashboard, click "View Report" to the right of the URL name you wish to view reporting for. A dashboard displaying the URLs statistics will appear.

Alexa Analytics Tool

1. Visit Alexa.com. Click "Site Info" at the top of the page.

2. Enter the URL you wish to view reporting for. Click "Search."

3. View in-depth information by selecting "Get Details." A table will appear displaying reporting data for the URL.

4. Compare websites by typing the URLs of the websites you wish to compare in the fields provided beneath the table. Click "Compare." Alexa also provides demographics reporting, which is useful in evaluating a competitor.

Quantcast Analytics Tool

1. Visit Quantcast.com. Sign up for a new account by clicking "Create an account."

2. Fill out the personal information form and submit.

3. Verify the email address by logging in to your email account and clicking the provided link to go directly to your new dashboard.

4. Click "Generate Your Quantcast Tag." Copy the code and place it the HTML section of your site pages or footer.

5. Click "Scan your site." Enter your site URL into the pop-up window and click "Scan." View traffic reports and demographics reports.

Tips & Warnings

• Enter complete URLs including "www" before the website name.

References

• Google Analytics
• Alexa
• Quantcast