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Analog WebStats – cPanel Tutorial Ch.11

For anyone who happens to use one or more sites, it is very crucial to remain aware of just how much traffic you are generating.  This is a great marketing strategy which allows you to maintain, or even increase the amount of traffic to your site.  Frequently analyzing the statistics of your website should be a routine for each and every webmaster looking to make their site flourish.  You will not only be able to monitor your reception from the public, but learn how your site is ranked within the search engines as well.

Several web stat programs are available on the net.  These applications can be implemented to your web hosting server as an add-on.  Many of them come equipped with great features, with prices ranging from low to very expensive.  The surprising side to it all is that most hosting servers now come available with free web statistic applications.  

If your hosting server includes the cPanel, more than likely you have a few web stat programs already built into the system.  cPanel was created to make the administrative functions of your site simple and the Analog web stats is just another part of its design.

Most web hosting servers will come equipped with three different types of web stat applications; Analog, Webalizer and Awstats.

HOW TO FIND ANALOG IN CPANEL

This feature works as a great web stat application.  Accessing the Analog web stats tool in your cPanel is a fairly easy process.  After you have accessed the application here are a few items you will find below:

The Analog feature works as a great web stat application and reporting tool.  Here are the many statistics you will be able to view via the Analog webstat:

- Successful requests
- Average successful requests per day
- Average successful requests for pages per day
- Failed requests
- Redirected requests
- Distinct files requested
- Distinct hosts served
- Corrupt logfile lines
- Data transferred
- Average date transferred per day

As a general summary, this details some of the most important statistics concerning the data being analyzed for your website.  The key areas would be number of requests, the number of requests for pages per day, the number of distinct hosts and your amount of data transferred. Remember that just one visitor can display several requests by making repeat views of pages or accessing your images and links.  

Here is defining breakdown of other web stats you will find in Analog:

- Host Reports: Lists each computer that has downloaded files from your server
- Domain Reports: Lists countries in which those computers are located
- Host Redirection and Host Failure Report: Lists all computers that were redirected or met with errors
- Request Report – List files that were downloaded from the server
- Directory Report – Lists the directories from which the files originated
- File Type Report – Lists the extensions of the files downloaded
- Processing Time Report – Lists time taken to serve every file  
- Failure Report – Lists all filenames that caused an error
- Referrer Report- Lists the pages linked to your files and pages linked to images
- Referring Site Report – Lists which servers the referrers came from
- Redirected Referrer Report – Lists those referrers that caused redirections

Many more statistical reports can be viewed with the Analog function of your cPanel.  These reports can be managed by simply checking on or off beside them.  Web stats are a very important part of maintaining your website, a task made much simpler with the Analog feature.

Webalizer WebStats – cPanel Tutorial Ch.12

Webilizer is another effective component found in your cPanel.  Just like the Analog feature it acts as a very capable web statistic application.  It differs from both Analog and Awstats by way of its enhancements.  Webilizer is described as a highly complex graphic based application that will not only detail the traffic generated to your site, but also produce them in appealing charts and graphs.  With or without cPanel, Webilizer is one of the most frequently used web stat engines today.

ACCESSING WEBALIZER

You will access the Webalizer application by logging into your cPanel.  >From there you will find the icon labeled “Web/FTP statistics.  After clicking the icon you will be directed to a page with the following choices:

- Analog
- Webalizer
- Subdomain Stats
- Latest Visitors
- Bandwidth
- Error Log

You will click on “Webalizer” to access the application.  Once the Webalizer stats page loads 
you will notice a double column table that reads “Select A Domain”.  This table will be composed of the following:

Domain: Area that holds the domains you have registered on the web site.
View: By clicking on the “magnifying glass” icon in this section you will be able to view web statistics associated with your domain

After choosing the domain you would like to view you will find a “Usage Summary” on the next page.  This page will show you the level of activity for your pages, files, hits, visits and websites over the past twelve months.  If your site and domain haven’t been active for a full year then Webilizer will only display the appropriate amount of months.  

A second chart will display a “Summary by Month” for the last twelve months of your website.  Like in the first chart, if your site and domain have not been active for a full year, Webilizer will only display the appropriate months.  This chart differs from the first as it shows actual figures for the number of hits, files, pages, visits and sites opposed to the graphical chart representation of the data.

To view some of your web stats simply click on any available month in the appropriate column.  After the page loads you will notice the following available links:

- Daily Statistics: This shows a bar chart and numbers chart which represents your hits, files, pages, visits and more.
- Hourly Statistics: This also displays a bar chart and numbers chart that represents your hits, files, pages, visits etc. 
- URLs: This table details top links accessed on your site which includes hits and kbytes related to the URL.
- Entry: This table shows the top entry pages accessed on the site which also includes hits and kbytes related to the URL.
- Exit: This table will display top entry pages accessed on your site that includes hits and kbytes related to the URL.
- Sites: This table shows the top visitors or hosting servers used to access your site that includes hits and kbytes related to the hosting server.
- Referrers: This table displays URLs or referrers used when your site is accessed including hits related to the referrer.
- Search: This table displays top keywords visitors have used to access your site on the search engine.
- Agents: This table shows top browsers like Internet Explorer or Netscape including the operating system used when accessing your site which also includes hits related to the browser.
- Countries: This table displays the country’s top visitors used to access your website which includes hits and kbytes related to that country.    
    
Webalizer is a thorough application that allows you to cover every statistical area of your website.  This popular program typically comes with the installation of cPanel.

Backup Features – cPanel Tutorial Ch.13

Having the ability to backup your information is a great quality in any web hosting server.  Extensive backup features of cPanel allow you to download daily, weekly and monthly backup files of the entire website, or just a certain section of the MySQL database onto your computer and even a compact disk.  This is very beneficial in the event of a computer crash where all your files stand the risk of being damaged.  By doing so you will easily be able to restore your website in a time efficient manner. 

In the MySQL chapter of this tutorial we discussed how the database management system can be used to backup your website.  We will now go over more backup features that come included with your cPanel.  

Unless your web hosting server has strict regulations backups of your system and directory can be performed anytime.  This helps when adjustments have been made to the site and you don’t want the hassle of waiting to generate daily backups.

START GENERATING BACKUPS  

- First log into cPanel
- Find the “Backup” button on the homepage and click it
- Click the Generate/Download Full Backup icon
- Select your “Backup Destination” from the drop-down box.  The locations you will see are as follows:

Home Directory: This saves backups in the public_html area of the website
Remote FTP Server: This will save backups on a specific remote FTP server
Remote FTP Server: (passive mode transfer) This will save backups on a specified remote FTP server but will only accept on a passive mode.  Any questions you have concerning the “Remote FTP Server” should certainly be addressed to your hosting company

- Enter your email address in the appropriate field.  When the backup process is completed a confirmation email will be sent to the designated address.
- Enter the FTP, user ID and password in the Remote Server, Remote User and Remote Password areas if you plan to save your backup in a remote location.
- Simply click the “Generate Backup” icon and the process is complete.  From here you sit back and wait for the confirmation email
 
CPANEL BACKUP ADD-ONS

Generating backups of information is certainly the best method to protect your site from web hosting server meltdowns and destruction by online hackers.  While cPanel comes equipped with several reliable backup features, it can also be enhanced by add-on applications which makes performing them as simple as a few clicks.  

Site Backup CP is one such application that makes saving your website a breeze.  This program enables you to create backs set according to specific files databases, emails and filters.  Whenever you feel the need this program allows you to instantly backup the selected areas from your cPanel.  

The application also allows you to run backups on an automated system.  Simply click the “schedule” button with cPanel, enter details about the site and enter how often the backup should run.  By adding the backup job to your “Windows Task Scheduler” you will be constantly reminded about when to generate backups.   

As a form of good business your web hosting server will likely advertise a solid backup system.  In reality this is all your responsibility.  Those hosting companies operating with cPanel are certainly more reliable with its current backup features and capable add-on applications. 

Sub-domains – cPanel Tutorial Ch. 14

There are many different ways in which users may organize their website.  One such method is to categorize the entire site into individuals sections.  Let’s say you are currently hosting a website that sells car parts.  Your cPanel allows you to make a certain product stand out.  For instance, instead of referring to the product from this URL www.joesauto.com/batteries you would use
batteries.joeauto.com   The second option is more easily identified as it relates to visitors searching strictly for batteries.

This method of website organization is known as a subdomain.  Creating a subdomain is a way to form separate accounts within your primary hosting planned.  They are established as separate entities with their very own URL.  A subdomain is mostly used for individuals who operate large websites.  They enable you to easily manage a substantial amount of files in a separate area of your cPanel.  This does not require users to create a new cPanel as subdomains can be maintained from your primary account.      

Users looking to understand the aspect of a subdomain should first comprehend the aspect of the typical internet domain name.  Each website active on the internet must have a domain name.  This includes sites operating on both free and paid web hosting servers.  A domain name can only be owned for one website.  This means that no other online site can mimic the domain www.google.com  Online servers view a domain name as an address of that internet provider.  

A subdomain can be looked at as a separate site within another website.  They are more than additional pages of your existing site.  A subdomain has the power to be a website of it’s own, totally standing out from the main account associated with the primary domain name.

In simple terms a subdomain is just a sub folder found in the public_http area of your web hosting server.  They have their own cgi-bin directory.  Our example above creates a new folder called “batteries” with a cgi-bin sub folder.  All files pertaining to this section may be uploaded directly to that location and managed with simplicity.  

Implementing a subdomain into your website is a rather painless task that requires little work.  Web hosting servers using a cPanel make this process even easier. 

HOW TO CREATE A SUBDOMAIN

Note (users may only successfully create a new subdomain once the DNS number has been properly pointed to an account.  This process typically takes 24 to 48 hours)

- From the homepage of cPanel click on the “Subdomains” icon
- Enter the preferred text into the available field for the subdomain.  Users will need to conform to the primary domain name when making additions to it
- Click the “add” button.  You will now see that a subdomain name has been added to the 
public_html folder with a cgi-bin sub folder.

Keep in mind that whenever you create a new subdomain, the folder bearing the same subdomain name will always be stored into the root directory, the most reliable place to store files of the subdomain.

Domain Redirection – cPanel Tutorial Ch.15

Many businesses are now using affiliate marketing to prosper online.  Programs of this nature are very advantageous as they allow you to make profits with or without having your own products and services.  By becoming an affiliate with a prominent merchant you essentially promote their product or service via your domain and are then compensated for your role in their promotion.

The act of domain redirects is a very active part in affiliate marketing as users clicking a text link or image on your site are forwarded to the domain of your affiliate.  Redirects can be used to send visitors to a new section of the site such as a subdomain or a completely different domain.  Below are a few steps of how to redirect IP’s  via your cPanel:

- First log into the cPanel
- Under “site management” you will search for your “redirects” icon and click it

You will then have the option to make your redirect to a particular IP either temporary or permanent.  Here is an explanation of these options:

Temporary Direct: Setting this to temporary tells Internet Providers that the redirect is only temporary and that they may return to your domain in the future

Permanent Direct: This setting tells Internet Providers that the redirect is permanent and will then automatically forward them to the new domain.

To perform either redirect you will simply type in your new directory or domain in the first box then select whether the redirect will be temporary or permanent in the second box.  After clicking the “save” button your redirects will take effect.   

HOW TO REDIRECT A SUBDOMAIN

Above we learned how redirects can be performed and a few of the benefits. In the previous chapter we stated the benefits of using a subdomain to redirect to a shorter, more attractive URL.  Here are details of how this can be performed from your cPanel.

- Log into cPanel
- From the main page click your “Subdomains” icon
- Find the drop down box beside the redirection tab and select the subdomain to be redirected
- Select the subdomain found in the drop down box or manually enter the subdomain you want to be redirected
- Click the “save” button

In any event you decide that there is no longer a need for your subdomain to be redirected this function can easily be turned off by following the simple directions within your Subdomain section.

The .htaccess file is a component frequently used to redirect or block users of an IP.  Your cPanel also has the ability to perform the same function and is one that can typically be a simpler and more effective method.