Google Analytics is a valuable free program that can be extremely helpful to any online storeowner who wishes to track vital statistics related to the traffic of their store. Tracking these stats is invaluable as a merchant because they supply the storeowner with geographic and demographic information, times, traffic patterns and more.nGoogle Analytics works by posting what is known as the Google Analytics Tracking Code (GATC) to each of your site’s pages.  The code stays hidden and collects data from visitors and is then sent back to Google in order to be processed.  Processing generally takes around an hour although at a maximum it can be a three to four hour procedure.nFurthermore, the GATC installs cookies to the computer of the person visiting the site.  This then stores anonymous information about your visitors and customers.  The types of information stored include whether or not the visitor is new or returning to the site, what time they visited and what link they followed in order to get to your store.nThe most common referral link is a search engine but they can also come from keywords in articles, ad banners, email campaigns and many other places on the web. nOne problem with the current Google Analytics is that some ad filters and Firefox extensions are able to block the GATC.  In turn, some users are not tracked and the data is not 100% accurate.  These drawbacks are considered miniscule and most feel they do not affect the overall outcome of Google Analytics results.nForrest Yingling is the Marketing Director for WebNet Hosting, a premier provider of Miva Hosting

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