Log

A log basically stores messages of actions that took place on a website. This could include the number of visits, where the visits originated from, and many other statistics. The contents can normally be viewed in a simple text editor, such as Wordpad, or directly on the website editor. A log can be a very effective tool from a security aspect, as it helps to find errors on a system. Administrators can detect critical issues and employ the proper strategies. Log files are not visible or accessible to visitors, but only by a webmaster or administrator. When analyzing the statistics of this data, a user can monitor traffic patterns based on many variables. Results of this feedback have become a great marketing resource in website management, hosting, and other areas of online business. Any business owner with access to server logs should certainly make use of this benefit. Webalizer and AWStats are two programs that offer results on a graphical user interface.