A URL that tells me where my visitor came from...

[Lee]

I use stat counter to tell show me what visitors I get to the site...and whilst some of the referrals are marked - depending on the site they come from - some other aren't....... is there anyway of me putting something in a link so I can spot it on statcounter?

Thanks!

[pitkin2020]

you can use subdomains. I use them quite often for internet advertising, for example with my google ads i use www.adwords.businessname.co.uk it automatically directs visitors to my main site but when checking the stats it clearly shows me that x amount of visitors came from adwords address.

[Lee]

I was kinda hoping there was a way I could paste the url in but also maybe a set of initials, say similar to an email link that auto fills the subject but doesnt effect the link...

[Lee]

so I guess there's no other options out there........? What does anyone else do....?

[pitkin2020]

I was kinda hoping there was a way I could paste the url in but also maybe a set of initials, say similar to an email link that auto fills the subject but doesnt effect the link...

Yeah but your not changing the email address so nothing changes in that respect you are just adding a subject line, which in the method I stated above your effectively doing the same. Its like trying to add digits to your telephone number it wont reach the final destination. Sub-domains are free with most hosts so it doesn't cost you and the user doesn't know any different if you set up to automatically redirect to your main website, its a seamless switch over from the sub domain to the main domain.
Another way is to buy extra domains again just forward them straight to your main website.

[Lee]

ok, thanks again, I guess I'll look into the sub domain option


I always like to find the easy way )))

[pitkin2020]

it is the easy way lol. For online advertising it won't make any difference as the user will not be aware that its a subdomain. If you intend to use it for print then its harder to monitor unless you add a page and direct them to that i.e www.yourwebsite.co.uk/offeraug atleast if you put that on all your flyers you put out in aug you can monitor how many hits those flyers have. The problem with that is if your users are reasonably savvy then they know by leaving out /offeraug they will still get to your site so you have to tempt them with some sort offer to actually bother using that address and visiting it directly.

[Lee]

hmmm....okilly dokilly...............guess I need to do a bit of fiddling.........!!!

[AJLA]

Have you had a look at http://extremetracking.com? Not sure if this is what you were looking for

[Lee]

Thanks for that - just had a gander - I think its similar to statcounter... not sure if it can tell you where theyve come from though.... thanks for looking though!