How Well Do You Really Know Your Website?If you're like most webmasters, you have probably
spent years building your site. You have spent years
adding content, building links and cultivating
traffic - but how well do you really know your
website?
How well do you know the intricate details of your
website's traffic? Where do your site's visitors come
from? How long do they stay on your site? Just where do
they go to on your site and how well do they convert into
buyers or subscribers?
Do you know your site's rankings in the major search
engines? What are your site's top keywords? What's your
site's Google PageRank? Who are your IP neighbors?
What your site looks like in other browsers? How much
is your site worth?
These are just some of the questions you should know,
mainly because the more knowledge you possess about your
site, the better equipped you will be at improving it.
So here's a simple list of free site checking tools/sites
that will let you "Big Brother" (monitor and watch)
your site.
1. Google AnalyticsPerhaps one of the most helpful analytical tools you can
use on your site. Google Analytics will give you a wealth
of information about your site's traffic. Where it
comes from, how long it stays on your site, where it
goes on your site, how well your content converts...
invaluable information every webmaster should have
in their possession. ( www.google.com/analytics )
2. NetMechanic ToolboxCheck your site's mechanics - find broken links, check
browser compatibility, find bad HTML code, spot slow-loading
pages, and check your spelling... all by using the NetMechanic
Toolbox: ( www.netmechanic.com )
3. Keyword Suggestion ToolThis free keyword suggestion tool will tell you how
many searches are done in WordTracker and Overture for
your site's keywords. Extremely valuable information
since much of web's traffic and ecommerce is keyword
driven. ( www.digitalpoint.com/tools/suggestion/)
4. IwebtoolThis is another free site which offers many valuable
webmaster's tools that will give you information about
your/any site. Google PageRank, PageRank Prediction, Link
Popularity, Search Engine Positions for Keywords, Backlink
Checker... also Visual PageRank where you can see all the
PR values of all the links on a given page - both internal
and external. ( www.iwebtool.com )
5. Alexa Traffic RankingsAlexa tracks the web's traffic by using the Alexa bar
in a surfer's browser. Most people know it is not an
accurate assessment of the traffic on the net but is
a handy measuring stick, nonetheless. It is also a handy
tool for comparing sites and seeing the long-tern traffic
trends of different sites, including your own.
( www.alexa.com )
6. Your Site's Traffic LogsMost webmasters know your raw traffic logs are worth
checking and reading. It contains valuable information
about your site. Especially helpful if you're checking
for broken links on your site, you don't want to see those
302's everywhere. Close examination and regular checking
of your traffic logs and stats will point out the
profitable keywords on your site.
7. BetterWhoisYou can use this site to find out the domain information
about your site. Do you have control of your domain? Many
webmasters buy their domain name thru their web hosting company,
while this is not a problem in itself, however, if any dispute
should arise who has administrative control of your domain;
you or your hosting company? Can you change hosting companies?
( www.betterwhois.com )
8. Google AlertsAnother valuable tool from Google which notifies you by
email when your link or site is found anywhere on the web.
Great for keeping track of any new links your site is getting.
Many webmasters also use this handy tool to keep track of their
competitor's sites. They also use Google Alerts to keep track of
whenever their own name is mentioned anywhere on the web. This
one would even make Orwell proud. ( www.google.com/alerts )
9. IP NeighborsMany webmasters have their site hosted on shared hosting plans,
which means there can be hundreds of sites sharing the same
IP address. This site lets you discover who your IP neighbors
are. Why would you want to know your IP neighbors? Well like
neighbors everywhere; there are good ones and there are
bad ones. For example, if you have a neighboring site that
uses email to spam, it could get your IP address blocked or
shut down. ( www.myipneighbors.com )
10. Any BrowserUse to this handy site to discover what your site looks
like in different browsers; you could be in for a real
shock. ( www.anybrowser.com )
11. Google ToolbarThe Google Toolbar can be placed on your browser so that
when you're surfing you can see the Google PageRank of each
page/site you're visiting. Many SEO experts believe Google
is not giving us the true PR of a page and this bar is rather
useless. However, like the Alexa rankings it is a handy
measuring stick, nonetheless. ( www.toolbar.google.com )
12. What Is Your Site Worth?Please take this last analyzing tool with "a large grain of
salt", but it is fun to use and to see how much your site
is worth. Measurement here is done largely by the amount of
links you have coming into your site.
( directory.sootle.com/website-worth )
In conclusion, all of these free handy tools/sites will give
you a better, more complete picture of your own site.
Remember, the more knowledge you acquire about your own site
and your competitor's sites, the more equipped you will be
to succeed. This is one case where being a "Big Brother"
can truly benefit your site.
...
The author is a full-time online marketer who has numerous websites,
including two sites on Internet marketing. For the latest
and most effective web marketing tools try:
Internet Marketing Tools Or why not try these excellent free training manuals and videos:
Free Marketing CoursesCopyright © 2007 Titus Hoskins. This article may be freely distributed
if this resource box stays attached.
