The Direction

Overview of Analytics vs Awstats

2008-05-23T14:45:00.006-05:00

When checking your monthly web reports, many will notice a discrepancy in Google Analytics' numbers and those generated by Awstats (the web-based Web Stats available to our clients--if you are a client of ours and are unsure how to access your Awstats, please contact us and we will be happy to show you).

So what gives, why are the stats different?
Well, it's because Google Analytics and Awstats generate their statistics differently. Here is a brief overview of how each tool generates and logs visits to your website and you can decide which tool(s) is right for you.

Awstats records visits based on the server's logfile.
Every new visit is recorded by the server to a logfile which Awstats reads. One downside to this method is, webcrawlers and other automated bots are also counted in your stats when they crawl your site. This can vastly skew your page-views per user. Also, returning visitors that have web-caching enabled on their web browser (most people) will instead view a local copy of your web page from cache. Therefore, the web server will not be sent a request for the file and no update to the logfile, thus no stat increase.

Google Analytics records visits based on page tagging
As you may know, Analytics are setup by appending a small snippet of javascript to every web page that you want to be tracked. This javascript acts as a browser session cookie. The benefit of this is that every load will be tracked even if loaded from the browser's cache. Things to note with Analytics are:

Users with javascript or cookie collection disabled will be invisible to your web count
Webcrawler and bot activity are not tracked since they cannot run javascript
Sometimes slows page load

So which one do I use?
Well, there's no doubt that Google Analytics has the upper-hand in visual appeal with its beautiful and intuitive user interface. Awstats has the advantage in technical data available. Like in all other areas, you can choose which tool is best for you based on your intentions. Marketing folks generally won't be concerned about a Yahoo bot at 3 a.m., but instead focus on tracking conversions which is one of Google Analytics' main strengths. Webmasters on the other hand, might not need to know how successful a landing page was in selling blue sprockets over red ones, and instead rely on traffic sources, an area better suited for Awstats. However, some of you will want all the information you can get, so, for those of you like me, it's a good idea to use both. Google Analytics may be more attractive and perhaps even more accurate in measuring true visitor counts, but Awstats will let you keep an eye on how search engine bots, or even spam attacks are navigating your site.

Happy tracking!

For more interesting reading on Google Analytics vs Awstats, goto: http://www.webmasterworld.com/analytics/3227679.htm

Teamwork

2008-05-07T08:31:00.004-05:00

Teamwork. We're all familiar with that word but seldom do we actually practice it. One of the most important aspects to teamwork is being open to ideas and input from others while participating completely in your teams effort. It's too easy to either dominate or be passive in the team process. I'm writing about "teamwork" because it's a very important element in how we serve our clients. Recently I took note our how our specialists were interacting, discussing campaigns and feeding off of each other's creative input. Much like a beehive we don't just work together, we need each other to ensure we are developing the best ideas for our client's projects and campaigns. Whether it's developing a new corporate identity, writing copy for a tv commercial or discussing the most effective placement of a billboard—we all participate in the process. Besides providing different perspectives it also provides a system of checks and balances. It's as if we have a rolling focus group that provides valuable input on all of our advertising, marketing, and design strategies and tactics. As a business owner and creative director it's very satisfying to see our company not just get projects done, but getting them done creatively and efficiently. — Christian Hidalgo

Reel News

2008-04-28T14:48:00.003-05:00

Navigation Advertising’s video department recently joined the fight to stop partial-birth abortion in Tennessee. In collaboration with David Fowler, President of the Family Action Council of Tennessee, the video department co-wrote, filmed and produced a dramatic, 5-minute informational video in the effort to get the word out about Senate Joint Resolution 127. SJR127 would allow the people of Tennessee to vote on an amendment to our state Constitution that would allow partial-birth abortion to be banned as well as other common state abortion laws to be enacted. The Family Action Council of Tennessee is endorsed by James Dobson’s, Focus on the Family organization. This video project will be distributed to Tennesseans throughout the state to encourage them to contact their legislators and request that SJR127 be passed into law. Please visit www.lifepetition.org to view our video (bottom video) and learn more about Senate Joint Resolution 127 and what you can do to help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3UJ_X4C19M&eurl=http://lifepetition.org/

Stay the Course

2008-04-25T16:35:00.003-05:00

With the myriad of tactical options available to promote products today, and more options appearing almost daily, it is hard to know what will and will not be effective. That's why we spend a considerable amount of time developing a strategy to plan out who we're reaching for, the tactics that need to be utilized, why each tactic is the best use of our client's dollar and how we tweak the message so it all fits together. Like a puzzle, the individual components may not fit our needs, but as you add the pieces together you find that the solution is in the symbiosis of those tactics.

Take for example Home Buyer University, an offering of Ole South Properties, Tennessee's largest independent home builder. A cooperative print, direct mail and email campaign brought nearly 70 Murfreesboro home buyers to this free class on preparing to buy your first home. Ten attended the first class and the second was cancelled due to inclement weather, but only then did the fourth component of the strategy come into play: word of mouth. Navigation started the buzz with marketing and allowed the chatter to reverberate through the community. Our follow up advertising served as reinforcement to entice those who had "heard" of the class to act and sign up. By the third and fourth class, participants filled the presentation until it was standing room only.

So successful, the four class "semester" has been extended to every six weeks throughout 2008, and being offered to a wider geography of potential home buyers.

This success story is one of many that can be attributed to smart planning, consistent messaging and repetition. And once again it proves that mature brands who are willing to stay the course and continue to promote during slow economic times will prevail with consumers when they reengage in commerce.

Welcome!

2008-04-02T22:47:00.002-05:00

Welcome to our first official blog entry. One of the greatest tasks is to make these entries not sound like press releases. After developing thousands of promotional tasks for clients over the past 14 years we tend to think in a certain way, but we'll do our best to just communicate about our industry, community, families, experiences and projects. We enjoy our position as Murfreesboro and Rutheford County's premiere advertising and marketing company. We look forward to serving our community by helping our client's put their "best foot forward" through effective advertising, marketing and public relations. We understand that when businesses and individuals are successful they have the funds necessary to pay employees, provide for their families, eat at Toots, or buy a home from Ole South Properties. This blog will provide interesting information about the world of advertising, marketing, public relations, website development, print design and video production. At Navigation Advertising we practice The Art of Persuasion. http://www.navigationadvertising.com