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Examining the log files stored by your web server can be an incredibly enlightening process if you know what you are looking for. Not only can web statistics show you information about your users (such as their geographical location, their browser, operating system etc) but it can also highlight gaps in your content and usability problems on your site.

In this podcast, we take a closer look at the kind of information available through your web stats and how this information can shape the development of your site.

Web resource review: stats packages

In this weeks show Paul also reviews two great stats package that provide very different services.

Clicktracks

Clicktracks is an excellent stats package for those who struggle with graphs and pie charts. Instead of the normal pages of statistical information, this application comes with an integrated web browser. This allows you to surf the site while seeing web stats overlaying each page. This approach gives you a real understanding of how users have moved around your site and it is even possible to tag users and follow the route they took from page to page. Although an excellent usability tool the associated price tag is not cheap, making this only a viable solution for corporate environments.

Read my full review of clicktracks

Visit the clicktracks site

Google Analytics

For those of you on a budget or more comfortable with statistical information, we recommend you check out Google Analytics. This free service from Google provides a wealth of information about your visitors and how they interact with your site. What is more it provides some excellent campaign tracking for those who run online ad campaigns.

Visit the Google Analytics site

Technobuster: AJAX

AJAX is a term often thrown around these days and often with little in the way of explanation. In this weeks podcast Paul and Marcus unpack the term AJAX, explaining what it means and what benefits it brings. However, they also offer some words of warning about the best way to implement it.