When you have Google Analytics and your wordpress stats, why should you bother with any other tool for trends analysis and traffic report  for your blog? You should. Google Analytics is an excellent program and there is no doubt about it. However, it is an uncomfortable tool to use because apparently Google wuld know everything about your site; you are falling for the almost monopoly that Google is. I, for one, would never like it if all my traffic data, traffic trends, visiting trends and traffic stats are made available for someone else to keep track of. In my search for alternatives, I found the following Free but still popular web stats tools:

Analog: When you use analog, everything is displayed to you in a single HTML file and it really makes it easy for you to see all you need to know at a snapshot. Analog is a solid offering and is pretty popular with a lot of users who prefer simplicity over anything else. Of course, the disadvantages are that it doesn’t come with anything more than just the basics. It lacks any deep, colorful reporting features such as charts, for instance.

AWstats: Although it is completely free, AWstats has a very professional feel to it. The interface is easy to use and understand. AW stats is pretty popular too. Another cool aspect of AWstats is that it is written in PERL which is a robust script and is pretty much reliable. AWstats still lacks reporting features and it could have been nice to see some better charts and graphs — any visual demonstration for data presentation– although it does have some basic reporting features.  Hundreds of web-hosting providers already have AWstats installed on cpanels so setting it up is a matter of a few clicks.

Webalizer: Webalizer is one of the best free web stats tools available on the Internet today. It is efficient, fast and is written in C. It boasts of a simple interface and it adopts a straight to the point approach. However it represents the data in stacked metric diagram forms which takes some time to get used to. Also, it doesn’t even have the basic reporting features like graphs as found in AWstats. However, it is still a popular application for your use. Most webhosting providers have this web stats tool as an option on cpanels too.

Everyone talks about the importance  of heading to similar blogs in your niche and commenting on the posts where you think you have a point of view that ought to be heard. I would want to stretch that further and state that you got to have some sort of skill to comment well enough to fetch you a flood of traffic back to your site, and then some loyal readership. How you may ask? Read on:

1. Where did those Swap-debate skills go? : When I was in school and college, I always used to take part in fun activities like debate and group discussions and much more. One of the events I really enjoyed doing was called “Swap Debate”– a debate where you start talking in support of something and after a minute or so you would switch your stance to the other extreme. For instance, I would be speaking about cell phones and their disadvantages and immediately I switch how indispensable cell phones are and all their apparent advantages. you would need these skills to enable you to comment on any post — just go the other way and bring out reasons solid enough that even the author of the post would take notice.

2. Make comments look like posts: No one put a word limit on your comments, why then do you limit yourself to these little paragraphs? Go out there and write out a full length post sized comment and see how many people take notice. I don’t know if they would have the patience to read (you don’t want these guys anyway). You will certainly pick some traffic from there and some loyal readers, not-to-mention.

3. Show your personality in comments too: I noticed something remarkable about myself and then I swore I would never do that again. I am not ME when I am posting comments; at least, it isn’t like these posts here where I reveal the kind of person I am — complete with my flaws, my temperaments and my pet-peeves. I have a persona  here which wasn’t seen coming off my comments anywhere. You comments are just mini-posts, but on someone else’s blog. You still have to show your personality there. I am doing that now-a-days and it feels good.