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Web log file traffic, what statistics do you find useful

 
The stuff that you mention is often interesting as a one off, most likely for technical people rather than business folk.

Path analysis is generally very poorly implemented and hard to take advantage of (well a lot harder than it should be).

I find that the most useful statistics that can be derived from log files (traffic data) are essential business metrics that allow to maximize ROI such as:
1) conversion of website and key sources of traffic
2) traffic figures for key on and off line marketing campaigns
3) conversion and interest expressed in specific products - linked to availability/pricing decision making
4) changes in behaviour of key sources of traffic (say higher emphasis on gifts before key dates like Xmas)

The above is not a complete list but it gives the idea of what is happening on site business wise and it allows to make decisions to improve sales - for example identification of high interest in a particular product might allow you to project demand and get bigger discount.

> log files are not
> 100% accurate at finding 404 errors etc as a user can type a
> url in a browser and it will be reported in a log file

Log files are accurate for 404 errors which are reserved for situation where object (html page, image etc) is not found on a given website - if website is misspelt in the first place then its different type of error which obviously is outside of website's remit and can not be logged there.
 
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