It seems that every other web site we visit has some sort of hit counter on the main page, supposedly telling us how many people have been there before us. This week we’re going to address this popular trend, explain why you don’t need one, and what you should be doing instead.

Most Internet marketers will normally implement a hit counter on their site for one or both of two reasons — to give them a rough estimate of the number of visitors, and/or to give visitors the impression that their site is popular and thus worthy of a good look.

Let’s consider the first reason. There is nothing wrong with wanting to know how many people have visited your web site, in fact it’s something that you really do need to know. But putting a visible hit counter on your home page is not the answer, especially not one of those free services.

For one thing, the free services require you to in some way promote their site. For another, they are normally slow and increase the time it takes for your pages to load. But most importantly, a hit counter doesn’t provide you with all of the information you need.

Just look at any of the top web sites on the Internet. We promise that you will not find a visible hit counter on any of them! That alone should tell you that the common hit counter is worthless. If a visible counter was worthwhile, don’t you think Yahoo or Infoseek would have one?

You just can’t win with a visible hit counter. If your site does not get many visitors, all it’s going to do is make sure that the visitors you do get know that they are not visiting a popular site. If anything, all this will do is discourage them from exploring your web site in detail.

On the other hand, maybe your site gets 50,000 visitors a day and you think that letting people know this via a hit counter is a good idea. Not really. If your web site gets lots of traffic it is because you are doing something right, and having a hit counter isn’t going to affect this.

Unfortunately, what normally happens is that the misguided Internet marketer will set up a visible hit counter on their home page and then artificially inflate their visitor count. This is done in the hopes that it will impress people, but it’s a terribly bad idea and does not work.

In the early days of the web it was “cool” to have a hit counter on your home page, but they are so commonplace these days that no one pays them any attention anyway. No matter what your reason for using a visible hit counter, we say dump it and start tracking!

One of the most important aspects of Website management is traffic analysis. If you don’t know where your visitors are coming from and in what numbers you can’t effectively promote your site, or gauge the effects of any current promotion efforts.

Checking the stats for your site(s) should be a daily activity, and if you’re not doing it already, now’s the time to start!
Traffic Jargon

There is some confusion as to the different terms used to describe Website traffic. Misuse of these terms often causes miscommunication, so it’s important that you know the correct words and concepts.. The most common terms you’ll find include:

Hit

An HTTP request made to your server. “Hit” is often used to describe an impression, and that’s incorrect. A request is made to your server for not only every HTML file, but also for every image, every movie, and every included javascript or css file. If you use frames, then one actual page view can result in multiple hits, as multiple files comprise that one page. Upon each request your server records another entry in its log files, so when log analysis programs read these files, they’ll report total hits. People often think this is total page views and they get excited unnecessarily don’t fall into the same trap.

Impression

A page view. An impression occurs when someone views one of your HTML pages. If you use frames, you should only count impressions on your main content pages, not those on the pages you use for your menu or header frames. Another way to look at this is to only count impressions on pages that display advertising.

Unique

A page view by a unique person within a 24 hour period. Uniques are usually measured by identifying the IP addresses of each visitor using your site. However some services, notably AOL, send all their members through proxy servers, so thousands or millions of people can share the same IP address. This usually means that if you record the number of uniques by reviewing impressions by unique IP addresses, your actual number will be slightly higher than what is reported in the logs. A better way to measure uniques would be a composite unique value composed of IP address, browser or user agent, and operating system.

Referrer

A page that links to your site. This doesn’t have to be an actual page: it could, for instance, be the result set of a search engine. Looking at your referrers will tell you who’s linked to your site.

User Agent

This refers to the software used to access your site. Sometimes known as a “browser” or “client”, the term user agent can describe a PHP script, a browser like Internet Explorer, or a search engine spider like GoogleBot. If you can identify what software is being used to access your site, you’ll be able to tell if users are abusing it, and when the search engines last crawled your pages.
Counters and Trackers

Early in the life of the Web, counters were fairly popular. A counter is a simple script that records the number of visitors to a site in a text file or database and then displays the total, either textually or graphically, on the Website. You still find them on some amateur pages, but for the most part, their use has died out primarily because site owners wanted more complex information about their traffic, but also because these counters have come to be seen as unprofessional.

Now most professional or commercial sites use tracking software. Tracking software tells you more than just the number of visitors — it can break visitor statistics down by date, time, browser, page viewed, referrer, and countless other values. Trackers are so named because they can more or less detail for you the path a visitor takes through your Website, so they do more than just count your traffic: they track it. You can choose from three main types of tracking software  let’s look at your options.

How Often Should I Shop Around for Insurance Online?

Car insurance shoppers should shop around for better insurance rates as many times as you are comfortable with. If you want to run some quotes every six months, go ahead. Many insurance companies will check your credit, but it is a soft inquiry, not a hard inquiry, so it does not count as much on your FICO score as it would if you opened a new credit card account. The most important thing to understand is your household’s driving history and how changes in your family affect your insurance rates.

An accurate quote requires a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) report and a credit report so if something has happened to either one of those recently it may affect your rates. If a previous minor ticket or at-fault accident drops off your DMV report the time is right to get updated quotes to reflect your new status. Most infractions affecting car insurance rates drop off of a person’s DMV report five years from the date of the incident. Although some insurance companies will check your credit occasionally, they may not have checked it since your improvement. When you have significantly improved your credit score in the previous year the time is right to get new quotes that reflect your improved credit score.

If you get insurance after a lapse, stay with the same company for a year before looking for other insurance. Insurance companies use your history to judge risk, and they want to see you retain coverage before reconsidering how you are rated. Many companies give discounts for three years of continuous coverage, so that would be another mile-point to look at in getting rate quotes.

Seniors – Find Low Cost Auto Insurance

Many seniors find the search for low cost insurance stressful. Your life changes so rapidly and it seems like only yesterday you retired, glad to be out of the rat race. You have a life, you know people, you have friends, there isn’t much time for car insurance. Now that you are retired, how do you find low cost auto insurance for seniors?

Auto insurance company ratings provide great initial insight into the stability and track record of the insurance company. Many seniors insist on an A.M. Best A+ (Superior) rated company. However, if a company’s rating falls below A find out why. Some good smaller companies earn a lower rating, such as B+ (Good) but have a great history.
Seniors need to inquire with local and national organizations they belong to. Start with the American Association of Retired People (AARP) and other national organizations first. Find out what types of discounts are available from what company. Also find out if these discounts replace or add to other discounts available.

Community organizations also provide resources to aid seniors in their hunt for lower auto insurance payments. State, County, Township, and City governments all offer a level of assistance to seniors who need help. Religious organizations also provide aid to seniors. Even if the government or community organization does not offer help directly, workers or other members can help seniors with the affordable auto insurance search.

Important Insurance Coverage for Young Adults

A young adult needs to make sure proper levels of coverage are in place. If the young adult is an aggressive driver, Comprehensive and Collision coverages should be standard. When parents compare rates, understanding levels of coverage is important. If a young adult is under-insured and gets into an accident, parents will have to cover excess expenses that the auto insurance does not. A loan to pay for the other driver’s vehicle repairs and medical bills is one way to pay for expenses when they are above and beyond your coverage choices. If your young driver is properly insured, an unforeseen event or accident will not cause your family heartache and financial hardship.

If your young adult drives in an affluent area, make sure Liability coverage is high enough to repair or replace an expensive vehicle. State minimums may seem less expensive, but one rear-end accident could cost more than the policy will cover. If an accident does occur, it is less expensive to pay the higher monthly premium than pay a large lump sum of money to the owner of the damaged vehicle. Even if you are able to pay the difference between the coverage on the policy and the cost of the vehicle that needs to be repaired, avoid the risk.

Senior Insurance Savvy

You approach your retirement as the beginning of an exciting new stage of your life. You look over every expense to make sure you receive the best deal. Your auto insurance for seniors plays a significant role in your monthly expenses. You need to get the best rate possible right now. Ask your insurance agent to compare car insurance for seniors with other auto insurance companies. If your agent tells you he only represents one company then shop around and get quotes from other companies yourself. Let your agent know that your goal is to lower your premium through discounts or shopping other auto insurance companies. Do not lower coverages to lower your premium unless you have very high coverages and can cover a loss or at-fault accident on your own.

Don’t drive your car often? A low mileage discount may be available. Low mileage discounts typically offer a savings to drivers with below average miles (around 7,500) on their vehicle over the period of the policy. Are you a member of a senior organization? The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) teams up with many insurance companies to offer discounts to seniors.

Brokers often compare rates between several insurance companies so ask your broker to shop around for comparable policies. If your credit score improves, request a new report so that you benefit from your track record.

Make informed decisions about your car insurance for seniors and end your worries behind the wheel.

Teen Car Insurance Basics

Passing the driving test and holding a brand-new license is the highlight of a teenager’s life. However, car insurance is a necessary responsibility that comes with driving freedom. Teenage drivers need to learn the simple basics of teen car insurance, but don’t overwhelm them. Teenagers cannot control the statistical risk of their age group, but that does not mean your child needs to add to the risk. Parents need to focus on what the teenager can control and work on driving safety with their teen.

Discuss with your teen the aspects that affect the insurance premium. Explain to your teen how the make and model of the vehicle, the age of the vehicle, and the safety features of the vehicle all contribute to the insurance rate. The make and model determine the base rate for the insured vehicle. Vehicles falling into the luxury or sports car classification carry higher premiums than sedans or sub-compact models. The age of the vehicle directly influences the premium amount. Older vehicles often carry lower premiums than their newer counterparts due to lower replacement cost of the vehicle. Liability premiums will not fluctuate based on the age of the car, because Liability does not repair or replace the insured’s vehicle. Optional safety features lower premiums through discounts for features such as side-impact airbags. Similarly, auto insurers often offer discounts on Comprehensive coverage for vehicles that have alarm systems.

Be open with your teen about the costs associated with insurance so that they become comfortable and knowledgable with all of the important issues surrounding it. This will help them along the road to better driver safety and understanding driver coverage.

When you were young and bought your car insurance, did you ask your agent to make your policy inexpensive?

Young drivers don’t have a lot of money. When a young driver buys an insurance policy, it is usually the lowest coverages for the lowest price. The insured driver does not routinely check the policy coverages after that first policy is purchased. There is no increase in coverage as the policy renews year after year. If your insurance policy is ignored in a drawer somewhere, now is a great time to update your coverage. If you are in an accident, your emotional and financial well-being may hinge on adequate insurance coverage. Use our Car Insurance Coverage Calculator to get counselled about the coverage you should purchase, for your situation.

Do you think auto insurance is something to have so you don’t get in trouble with the law?

Different insurance life stages require different levels of coverage. When you are young, if you are in an accident and the damages are more than your insurance coverage pays, you don’t have many assets to seize. If you are a homeowner, raise your auto insurance liability coverages and ensure your coverage covers the cost of a nice car, just in case you hit one with your car. If your coverage is adequate, you won’t have to take out a home equity line of credit to pay for an at-fault auto accident.

When an insurance appraiser evaluates the damages to your car, he or she will decide how much it will cost to repair the car. This repair appraisal is compared to the “blue book” value of your car. The blue book value is the fair market value or retail value of the vehicle. In other words, how much would you have to pay a car dealer or individual for a car as similar as possible to yours. If the cost of repairing your car exceeds the fair market value, the car is considered totaled. You then receive the fair market value.

State laws can vary, if there are any in place, about when an insurer should find a car to be a total loss.  Without a specific state law as a guideline most insurance companies will determine a vehicle to be a total loss when it is between 51 to 80 percent of its actual worth or basically when the repairs costs are more than the value of the vehicle.  So when it is uneconomical to repair the car (they might also calculate the rental car cost, storage costs, etc when determining the cost of repairing the car compare to declaring it a total loss) they will find it to be totaled out.

If your car is determined to be totaled, and if you think that the fair market value offered by the insurer is too low, get more information. Get signed statements from automobile dealers that state the value of your car. Look in the classified section of the newspaper for prices of cars similar to yours. Use this information to negotiate a fairer settlement for you. Always get the information you need to support your case. If you don’t ask, you’ll never get a better settlement.

Keeping your premiums from rising? That can feel like playing a game where the rule maker refuses to tell you the rules.

*If you have good credit, you’ll pay less on car insurance.
Almost all car insurers including the top five pull your credit report.
Why? Studies have shown a direct correlation between your credit score and the likelihood that you will file a claim.
Car Insurers also know that if you pay your bills in a timely fashion and have had the same credit accounts for a long time, you’re more stable than someone who pays late and frequently opens and closes accounts.
Car insurers use this information to create your “insurance risk score,” which is one factor that determines your car insurance rate.

Tip: Your car insurance risk score is not available to you, but it may be similar to your credit score. If you have unusual credit activity, wait a month for it to return to normal before buying car insurance.

*Your car model affects your premium car insurance. You won’t get these numbers from your Car insurer. But the car insurers do have a rating system for every car make and model.
Most use a system devised by the Car Insurance Services Office, which starts with the cost of the vehicle and then factors in safety and theft data.

Tip: You can file a claim on your home insurance. Most home insurance policies will cover smaller, less expensive items such as compact discs.

*Bad drivers will pay
You’ll pay for your bad driving. The industry standard is to increase your premium by 40% of the insurer’s base rate after your first at fault accident. Not all car insurers play by this rule.

Tip: Some car insurance companies have a forgive the first accident policy. So ask your Car insurance company if it has a forgiveness policy and how to qualify? .

*You’ll pay for your friend’s bad driving, too. If your friend borrows your car and crashes it, you’ll have to file a claim with your car insurance company.

Tip: If your friend didn’t have permission to take your car, in most cases you won’t be held liable for the damage. But if your friend is uninsured and causes damage that exceeds your policy limits, the injured party can come after you for medical and property damage expenses.

*Your car’s real worth
each car insurance company has its own proprietary list of car values.
The car insurance company may also ask local dealers what they’d charge for a similar replacement car.

Tip: If you disagree with your car insurance company’s value determination, there are several things you can do:
Next time, get gap insurance. It wil l pay the difference between what an car insurer will cover and what you owe.
If you have maintenance records that show you’ve had the oil changed every 3,000 miles and you’ve had the car checked routinely by a mechanic.
If you’ve been paying premiums on any special parts or upgrades, make sure those are included in the car insurance company’s evaluation.

*Odds and ends
Hit by an uninsured motorist? Try to “stack.” (UM/UIM) coverages means collecting from more than one car insurance policy that you hold.

Tip: Check the language of your car insurance policy to see if stacking is allowed.
There are two scenarios for stacking:
First, if you have multiple cars on your car insurance policy with UM/UIM coverage on each, you can collect the limit of your UM/UIM coverage under as many vehicles as necessary to cover full payment for damages.
Second, if you have more than one car insurance policy with UM/UIM coverage, even if they’re from two different car insurers, you can make a claim under each policy until all your damages are recovered.

*You can wait to add your teenager to your car insurance policy until he or she is licensed.

Tip: Don’t forget to tell your car insurance company that you have a licensed teen. If you have to file a claim on his or her behalf, your car insurance company is entitled to charge you back premiums from the date your teen received a license.

*You must officially cancel your car insurance policy when you switch car insurers. you can cancel your car insurance coverage at any time by notifying the car insurance company in writing of the date of termination.

Tip: Call your car insurance agent and let him know you are canceling your car insurance policy. Give a specific date, or you may end up uninsured for a period of time.
The car insurance company will send you a cancellation request. Most often, the form is already filled out and all it requires is your signature.