Tools for Assessing Web Site Usage

The report evaluates quantitative and qualitative tools for web site analysis, arguing that while server log files provide useful benchmarks, they are often misleading and must be combined with user testing, surveys, and feedback to accurately understand user behavior and site effectiveness.

• Server log file analysis is an imperfect tool that cannot provide a definitive or reliable picture of the total number of users, their geographic distribution, or their sector representation.
• The use of 'hits' as a traffic metric is highly unreliable and typically leads to a significant overestimation of traffic because it counts every single file request, including graphics, separately.
• Caching and proxy servers distort log data because repeat visits to cached files are not recorded on the server, meaning log files generally underestimate the total number of users.
• User testing is identified as the only reliable method for understanding how users actually navigate a site and for identifying specific usability problems that log files cannot detect.
• Geographic identification via IP addresses is often inaccurate because many users are identified by the location of their ISP's registration rather than their actual physical location.
• For knowledge networks, aggregating data across different institutional sites requires a common standard, including the use of the same analysis software and agreed-upon 'time out' periods for visits.
• Analysis of the SD Gateway showed that Spanish-language keywords were highly prevalent, indicating a strong demand for sustainable development information in Spanish.
• The report recommends a combined approach to web assessment, using log files for baseline trends and user-centric tools (surveys, feedback, and testing) to determine motivations and satisfaction.

APA

Anderson, S., Willard, T., Creech, H., & Bakker, D. (2001). Tools for Assessing Web Site Usage. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/web_evaluation.pdf

Chicago

Anderson, Scott, Terri Willard, Heather Creech, and Deborah Bakker. Tools for Assessing Web Site Usage. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2001. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/web_evaluation.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Anderson |first1=Scott |last2=Willard |first2=Terri |last3=Creech |first3=Heather |last4=Bakker |first4=Deborah |title=Tools for Assessing Web Site Usage |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2001 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/web_evaluation.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{anderson2001tools, author = {Anderson, Scott and Willard, Terri and Creech, Heather and Bakker, Deborah}, title = {{Tools for Assessing Web Site Usage}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2001}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/web_evaluation.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }