tracking incoming clicks

[mossimo]

Question about tracking incoming clicks. I have a partner that gave us a link to our site and I'd like to track how many clicks they are sending us. Can I use advansis to do this? maybe a simple ASp script.

[Iguana]

Simplest is just to pull your website logs into Excel or Access and have a look in the referring page column (assuming you have access to your logs and they are not gigabytes in size). Maybe then get a specialist log analysis package for this - it's better than using ASP to store the referrer in a database because that will slow down the page.

[Porkchop]

Could someone tell me how to pull my website logs into Excel?
I always see everyone talking about looking at your logs but I don't know how or if I can.

Thank you.

[Iguana]

Porkchop

download your logs name the file as something.txt
open excel select File open and select your log file
Using the Text Import Wizard:
file type delimited - click next step
delimited by Space - click finish

Have a look down the columns and it should all make sense

[Porkchop]

Hi Iguana,

That sounds pretty simple but I am lost.....

(download your logs name the file as something.txt)
Where am I at this point? Can you give a little more detail?

(open excel select File open and select your log file)
I can handle this part. :-)

Using the Text Import Wizard:
file type delimited - click next step
delimited by Space - click finish

I hope I can handle the rest when I get there.

Thanks for your help...I am a severe newbie!

[onlineleben]

>>(download your logs name the file as something.txt)
>>Where am I at this point?

Ok, you use a FTP program like when you upload your content, but now you download from the server to your workstation (PC)
Filenames of logfiles can be obscure, containing date/time information in the filename (in case you have a logfile per day) or just one big big big file.

On your workstation, change the filename to something with extension txt and import into excel (no problem for you)

I prefer to check logs either with a simple wordprocessing software like notepad (comes with windows) or textpad. You don't have to mess around with field lenght and delimiters as when you work with excel.
Although the logfile format looks weird for "beginners", you get used to it and probably find your way around quite easy.
Using the seach function of your wordprocessor lets you find the requested information (e.g. referer of your partners site).

To getting a better idea of what information is hidden in your logs, you should start exploring a logfile analysis software. there are lots of free (like analog (very powerful imho)) or low cost solutions available and discussed int his forum.

Hope this was of any help