Creating a Successful Blog

If you want to create a successful blog, it’s important to understand where traffic to your blog is coming from and what people do when they visit your blog. Luckily, there are a number of tools available to bloggers to help analyze the metrics of your blog.

1. Google Analytics

Google Analytics is considered one of the most comprehensive website tracking tools. Reports are available to the most miniscule detail and, users can set up custom reports, which comes in handy for bloggers who like to track specific advertising campaigns. Google Analytics is available for free.

2. StatCounter

StatCounter users love the features and services the tool provides. Advanced functionality is available for a fee, but most of the metrics a typical blogger needs are included in the free package. It’s important to note that the free version of StatCounter only counts up to 100 visitors at a time then resets and starts counting again. That means only the last 100 visitors to a website are included in the statistics displayed.

3. SiteMeter

SiteMeter offers a decent amount of metrics for free that enable typical bloggers to get a basic understanding of the type of traffic they’re getting on their blogs. Advanced functionality is available for a fee, but most of the information typical bloggers need is available through the free package. Like StatCounter, SiteMeter only counts up to 100 visitors at a time then resets and starts counting again.

4. AWStats

AWStats offers a good amount of metrics related to a website’s traffic, however, many users complain of its inaccuracies. AWStats is available for free.

MyBlogLog is a blogging directory and community that also provides statistics tracking to registered users of the site. Registration is free. The statistics provided by MyBlogLog are not as robust as those provided by most of the other stat trackers available.