Interested in tracking by cookies

But how to do it?

[Neo541]

I'm interested in possibly starting to track users by cookies, although I have no experience with them.

My problem: We've got a site that manufactures and sells equipment that one would use to start their business. This equipment is low cost for that market, but still not the type where people will buy without requesting information to be sent to them.

So, tracking is very difficult, except for that rare occasion where someone orders the first time they find our site.

I'm wanting to add a cookie to each visitor that says where they came from (even the search term if possible), and also the route they took through our website. The cookie would need to be left there for at least 5-10 sessions...

Possible?

Are cookies the best way?

If so, any beginning tutorials on setting cookies?

Thanks! :)

[Neo541]

Anyone track their visitors with cookies that would share their experience? At least to tell me good/bad idea?

[Adam_T]

Well, finding out where people have come from and their pathways through the site is exactly what can be done with cookies. We use them to track navigation, search terms, page exits, and email results, etc.

As for beginners tips, i'm not familar with any i'm afraid, our coder does it all 8)

[MichaelBluejay]

For tracking pathways that a visitor takes through a site I think you'd be better served by an off-the-shelf tracking package, like Urchin. No need to reinvent the wheel. You could do it yourself, but it would take a fair amount of coding.

[larryn]

Neo,

What server are you using? Apache has cookie tracking as a module that would have to be enabled, and IIS requires some coding or ASP pages.

[Neo541]

I'll check out what Urchin has...As you said, no need to reinvent the wheel. The main thing I need to track though, is multiple visits, and where they originally came from when they finally do come back to buy.

Larry,

I use Apache, but haven't heard of a cookie module.

[Neo541]

The Urchin campaign tracking module looks perfect, but at $5K, very expensive.

Does Urchin have any competitors that do the same thing?

[cfx211]

This is a very good primer on cookies and tracking:

[webmasterworld.com...]

[larryn]

Neo,

Enabling User Session cookies requires that your copy of Apache have the User Tracking module (mod_usertrack, an Apache component) linked or loaded, and that you enable the tracking cookie via these Apache directives added to your conf file:

    CookieTracking On 
    CookieExpires "35 days" 

If you need more info, feel free to sticky mail me.

Larry

[MichaelBluejay]

Whoops, I didn't realize that the feature you needed was an expensive *add-on* for Urchin. Sorry about that.

[TonyHodge]

NetTracker ... they offer a free web server plugin that will create a cookie for you....