It is easy for me to tell you that you need to track the success 
of your online advertising. It is also easy for me to tell you 
that you must do so in order to know which of your advertising 
is helping you to make a profit, to break even, or to break the 
bank. Far too many advertisers get caught in the online money 
pits in an effort to develop their online business. 


DON'T BE AFRAID

I also know that when I say these things, some people get 
spooked. People get spooked because although they might run an 
online business, they may not understand the technology that 
keeps their business running.

Let's face it. 

More people are learning how to design and develop their own 
webpages. In fact, software has been created to help them do 
so rather easily. 

But when it comes down to the more complex technologies such as 
web logs, database technology, and web programming, most people 
just freeze up and fail to make an informed decision.

Some will turn to a programmer with hopes that a programmer 
could save their online business, and many will get burned by 
their personal programmers. When a programmer burns a webmaster,
the cost can be very high. And at the end of the day, the 
programmer may leave the webmaster with a broken web site. 

The only real choices left to most webmasters is to learn how to 
install pre-made scripts on their own, or to keep their websites 
technologically simple. *Technologically simple* often fails to 
help the webmaster find the success that he or she so fervently 
desires. 


UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF PRE-MADE SCRIPTS

Web software is often very simple in its installation, so the 
webmaster really should not fear it. 

All one needs to install their own pre-made web scripts 
(software) is an online web site file manager or optional 
FTP software. They will also need the ability to change the 
*permissions* on the files on their web server. 

When downloading scripts for installation on your server, the 
file may come in .zip, .tar, or .gz format. Each of these are 
variations on the compressed / zipped file format. There are 
many utilities available for unzipping files. One such utility 
is WinZip which can be found at: http://www.winzip.com/

Most scripts, once downloaded and unzipped, may appear in text 
format with extensions such as .php, .cgi, .pl or .cfg.

Most of these files can be read as plain text in an application 
like NotePad. Occasionally, the file will be in a binary format 
which cannot be read with a text editor. 

The files which can be read in a text editor are often written 
in the Perl or PHP programming languages. 

While most of the scripting will seem like Chinese to you, you 
will be able to pick out certain sections that can be read and 
understood easily.

If the application also contains a .cfg file, this is your 
configuration file that can usually be changed to reflect your 
own personal needs or desires for the operation of the software. 


NEXT STEP, UPLOAD THE FILES TO YOUR SERVER 

Most of these web applications will have a readme.txt file 
included with it. If it does, please read it. If it does not, 
don't worry, this section is for you.

You must upload the files to your server as plain text. If you 
are using FTP to upload the files, then you must tell your 
software to upload the files in ASCII format. If you are using 
your web file manager, then the files will automatically upload 
correctly. 

Once the file is on your server, then you must change the file 
permissions. 

Files with the extensions .php, .cgi, or .pl are executable 
files and there permissions must be set to 755. Files with the 
extensions .cfg, .txt, or .html must have their permissions set 
to 644. Files and folders that will be written to must have 
their permissions set to 777. Files with no extensions can be 
classified as any of the above, so check the readme.txt file.

755 defines an executable file. 644 defines a read-only file. 
And 777 defines a writable file. 

Once the files are on your server and the permissions are set 
correctly, the application you have placed on your server 
should work for you just fine. 


LOCATING PRE-MADE SITE TRACKING SCRIPTS

Probably one of the best resources for locating pre-made scripts 
is: http://cgi-resources.com/

A good starting point for this discussion is:
http://www.pluginprofitsite.com/articles/links/cgi1.html

AWStats is a good application for site tracking, but the one I 
have that I like best is HTTP-Analyze which can be found at:
http://www.netstore.de/Supply/http-analyze/

HTTP-Analyze is a bit on the expensive side, so it may not be 
your best bet just yet. 

If after reading this article you still fear the task of 
installing a pre-made script on your server, then you might 
seriously consider remotely hosted site tracking software. If 
you opt for this route, be sure to buy the pro version of the 
software offered. If you don't choose the paid version, you 
might find your own competitors having access to your site 
tracking data! That should not be an acceptable option to you.


THE PURPOSE OF SITE TRACKING

With site tracking software running on your server, you can 
review how many people came to your website and what URL's they 
might have used to find your website. You can also see where 
your visitors have come from, when they came, how long they 
were on your site, at what page they entered and left your 
site, and much more. 

This is the kind of information that will help you to determine 
with some certainty how effective your advertising is and how 
profitable your advertising can be. 

Operating without tracking data is tantamount to operating a 
business with the intent purpose of failing. 

I truly want you to succeed with your online business. I know 
deep down in my heart that the more people who find success 
online, the greater my own chances for remaining profitable 
over the long haul. *A rising tide floats all ships.*