02:31
Faizan
Your Web page tracks activity using a number of passive measures, including impressions and visitors. The two are distinct in what they measure, with the former incrementing only when a page is accessed, and the latter counting only when a unique address comes to your website.
Pages Versus Websites
To understand the distinction between impressions and visitors, you need to understand the basic components of a website. A website is typically comprised of a number of different pages. Clicking on a link within the website opens individual files. These files are stored on a Web server, the directory for which defines the overall website. A single website, for example, could have a separate News page and an About Us page within the same structure.
Understanding Impressions
Impressions mean that someone has clicked on a Web page long enough to view a particular element within it. Web servers maintain information about how many times a Web page has been viewed, regardless of who is viewing it. Impressions go a step further, loading a pixel or piece of code that helps confirm that the user actually stayed on the page long enough for a given item, such as an ad, to load. A user, for example, could click on the News page, navigate over to the About Us page, and then click a link back to News. In this instance, the Web server would log two impressions on the News page, provided that page fully loaded.
Understanding Visitors
Every visitor to a website needs a uniquely identifiable IP address. This address is where the Web server sends the page requested by a user. Each time a unique IP address accesses a website within a certain time frame, it registers that IP as a visitor. This is regardless of how many pages within the site are viewed. If a user visits the News page twice, that user still registers as a single visitor.
The Importance of Visitors and Impressions
Visitors and impressions are often used to identify how well a website attracts and retains a user. A website logging a significant number of impressions but few visitors could have a loyal following. A large volume of unique visitors but minimal impressions suggests that the website is attracting attention but does a poor job of retaining visitors. Low impression counts can also signal technical troubles that prevent a user from properly viewing the site. Repeat versus unique visitors are also measured, with the latter used as an important measure in generating ad revenue from a site.
Pages Versus Websites
To understand the distinction between impressions and visitors, you need to understand the basic components of a website. A website is typically comprised of a number of different pages. Clicking on a link within the website opens individual files. These files are stored on a Web server, the directory for which defines the overall website. A single website, for example, could have a separate News page and an About Us page within the same structure.
Understanding Impressions
Impressions mean that someone has clicked on a Web page long enough to view a particular element within it. Web servers maintain information about how many times a Web page has been viewed, regardless of who is viewing it. Impressions go a step further, loading a pixel or piece of code that helps confirm that the user actually stayed on the page long enough for a given item, such as an ad, to load. A user, for example, could click on the News page, navigate over to the About Us page, and then click a link back to News. In this instance, the Web server would log two impressions on the News page, provided that page fully loaded.
Understanding Visitors
Every visitor to a website needs a uniquely identifiable IP address. This address is where the Web server sends the page requested by a user. Each time a unique IP address accesses a website within a certain time frame, it registers that IP as a visitor. This is regardless of how many pages within the site are viewed. If a user visits the News page twice, that user still registers as a single visitor.
The Importance of Visitors and Impressions
Visitors and impressions are often used to identify how well a website attracts and retains a user. A website logging a significant number of impressions but few visitors could have a loyal following. A large volume of unique visitors but minimal impressions suggests that the website is attracting attention but does a poor job of retaining visitors. Low impression counts can also signal technical troubles that prevent a user from properly viewing the site. Repeat versus unique visitors are also measured, with the latter used as an important measure in generating ad revenue from a site.
Posted in: Entrepreneurship
