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Web Traffic Analysis Tools

If your site is big enough that you want to track traffic trends but too small to warrant a highly customized, consultant-based package like those from Accrue Software or Personify, consider a shrink-wrapped solution. We looked at Microsoft Corp.'s Commerce Server, NetIQ Corp.'s WebTrends Reporting Center, Quantified Systems' Urchin 3.3 and Sane Solutions' NetTracker eBusiness Edition and found that you can get lots of analysis bang for your buck -- that is, if you can figure out the pricing (see "If You Have To Ask, You're Probably Buying an Analysis Tool").

We gathered real-world log data at our Syracuse University Real-World Labs®, fed it to these products and waited to see what came out the other end. Just how long you'll wait and the level of detail in the final reports are two of the variables we evaluated. In the end, market leader NetIQ's WebTrends was our Editor's Choice thanks to its built-in database and a slick Web interface that even marketing wonks will be able to navigate. However, NetIQ better watch out for Quantified Systems' Urchin, a speedy little package that made short work of massive amounts of data and lost out by a slim 0.13 points.