If we talk about online web stat software and tracking tools, the list would be endless. So, how would you go about choosing which tool is right for your website. Here’s the list of top 5 analytics and web stat tools that would fit the everyday needs of Webmaster:

1. Stat Counter

stat counter

What makes StatCounter one of the widely used top javascript based web stats software is its easy integration and real-time web stats tracking. The best part of the software offers graphs and charts that help users in visualizing their stats. Moreover, a version of its service is also available for free. All the stats provided by the StatCounter are invisible, saving the webmasters from placing a little icon on their website.

Here are a few features of StatCounter:

  • If you are a beginner, this is the ideal tool for you. Its free version is available for a website with 250,00 pageviews or less ever month. In case, your site exceeds the limit, be ready to pay at least $9 per month.
  • When most of the static programs are textbased, Stat Counter shows the information of visitors, page loads and returning visitors on the same chart. The keyword analysis report will enable you to see the words which will locate your site.
  • Users can also set multiple projects on StatCounter by having just one user account. You can set up one project for each site but have a view of all of them at once

Rating: For beginners, there is no better place to start than the StatCounter.

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2. SiteMeter

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This real time website tracking and counter tool will provide you instant access to the relevant data about your visitors. To be precise, the detailed reporting of SiteMeter will enable you to know the visitors of your site, how they found it, what they like most about the site and many more things.

The detailed information SiteMeter provides include:

  • Prediction of traffic on the basis of your current traffic trend.
  • Visits for current day, 7 days, a month and the following year.
  • Details of recent visitors, location, out clicks, entry and exit pages.
  • Entry and exit pages ranking.
  • Map of the area from where your visitors are coming.
  • Location tracking, web browsers and navigation trends.

It is a superb tracking tool that gives great maps and graphs for helping you in seeing the growth of the site. If you want to download Sitemeter, it is necessary that you insert HTML code on the site. You have the flexibility of changing the privacy level after installing the tool. In case the level is set to high, the reader will be directed to the homepage of the tool if he clicks the Sitemeter logo. By setting up low priority, readers will be able to see your stats if they will click on the tool’s logo.

Although, there is a big difference in the list of features of free and paid version of SiteMeter, but the one you get without paying anything is also worth. The paid version will cost around $7 per month.

Rating: A popular stats tracking tool that is on tens of thousands on websites.

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3. Google Analytics

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It is the enterprise class web analytics solutions for marketing effectiveness and better website traffic. With this powerful and easy-to-use feature, you can see and analyze the traffic data in a better way. It will make you more prepared to write targeted-ads, create websites with higher conversion as well as strengthen your marketing initiatives.

The Google Analytics is worthy, especially for the small businesses who can get accurate stats and that too, for free. There are several reasons that make this tool appropriate for new webmasters:

  •  It has the breadth and power of Urchin.
  • Webmasters will get unlimited hits/pageviews and visitors logged, which means more quality reporting.
  • The tool is integrated with Adwords that enables it to do ROI on investment reporting.

You will receive three different types of reports with Google Analytics. The executive overview report is a general report about the performance of the site in terms of number of people visiting it in a particular time frame, new visitors and more.

The marketing summary tells the top five referring sites, campaigns and the search engine keywords.

The content summary will tell about the top five entrance and exit pages of website. It will show the bounce rate of every page.

Rating: The tool is still the choice of the masses.

Sign up today for free version
 

4. GetClicky.com

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Clicky is a popular web analysis tool that monitors the traffic that visits and leaves your site. The tool gives a high level detail of every visitor of the website. What makes the tool a favorite amongst analysts is its capability of tracking Ajax and Flash events. Here are some really good features of Clicky:

  •  You will get to know what your visitors looked at on the website and for how long.
  • The site that directed them to your website or how they searched for your website.
  • Spy is the best feature of Clicky. It is the real time analysis tool allowing you to look at the visitors on your site at that moment only.

The sites services offered by Clicky can be compared to what are provided by Google Analytics. The analysis tools is simple to install and you just have to embed JavaScript to the site. There is a free version of Clicky available for webmasters.

Rating: The deep data Clicky provides gives it an edge over Google Analytics at times.

Register for a free version

5. CrazyEgg

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The tool is awesome. It gives a clear picture of the point where visitors are clicking the most on the site. Whether it is the Web2.0 look and feel of the tool or the heatmap and overlay functionalities, CrazyEgg is just unbeatable.

While you are using CrazyEgg, you are doing far more things than just site tracking. By adding this particular tracking to the site, you will get to know more about each element of the site. Here are a few more features of CrazyEgg:

  • The easy to understand heatmap and overlay feature will help you in learning about the areas of the site that are functioning and the ones that are not.
  • Everything you do on CrazyEgg is based on the tests done on 500-1000 visitors and the results can be acquired through RSS or email notification.

Rating: Grab the version of this neat tool today!

Improve your website today with a free version 

Author

Navneet Kaushal is the Editor-in-Chief of PageTraffic Buzz. A leading search strategist, Navneet helps clients maintain an edge in search engines and the online media. Navneet is also the CEO of SEO Services company PageTraffic which is one of the leading search marketing company in Asia.