If WebTrends can't help you, what can? Analysis of log files can give you some useful statistics.

Webtrends works by including a Javascript "tag" (a few lines of HTML-like code) on the pages you want to track.  But what happens if you need information on a page that doesn't have tags on it?

As with every server on the Internet, our web servers create a "log file" of all their activity.  As with our use of WebTrends, we don't look at these logs to track individual people; instead, the aggregate data can provide insight into what areas of a web site are most popular.

In addition, server logs can record less common activity (e.g. downloading a PDF) that WebTrends might miss.

Although every web server does log its activity, not every log is kept, and some are kept for longer periods of time than others.  So while these files might prove useful if you have a specific need, the picture they provide is far from complete.

For more information about web analytics, contact your Academic Technology Consultant or your CORE-team member.