Web traffic is analyzed based on the statistics a web server log file collects on the site. Every time a visitor clicks on a portion of the website, their activity gets logged on this automatically-generated list.
Tracking applications are programs outside a website that can track data for another site by placing a piece of coding on each page of the to-be-tracked site.
The specific pieces of information tracked about websites include:
Number of visitors
Average number of page views per visitor
Average length of visit
Average page duration
Domain class (refers to ISP identification and geographical statistics)
Busiest times
Most requested pages
Most frequent entry page
Most frequent exit page
Referrers to the site
Web traffic can pick up after exposure due to having the website placed in search engines and by purchasing advertising including bulk email, pop-up ads, and other online advertising techniques as well as through non-Internet advertising.
There is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Too much web traffic can slow down your server and prevent people from visiting your site. This can be caused simply by popularity, or because of an attack on the site. Online traffic measurement options can help you regain control of your website.