Referral urls - counting hit in Access database

[jason]

Hi Guys,

I have an interesting challenge:

We are about to begin building magazine adverts with specific query string
urls attached to a particular boat page which let us know which magazine url
was the referrer:

http://www.catamarans.com/charter/bareboat/catatonic/?m=cw

I would like to process this query and count how many times that url was
typed into the browser.

How does one implement a counter inside an access database to do
this.....for instance I could use a select statement to parse the
querystring before displaying the page but I am unclear as to how to ADD to
the Access field [fldTimesAccess]

m= Request("m")

Select Case CrewedCat

Case "cw" '//cruising world

Insert into Access database...

End Select

Could someone help me out here...this should be relatively straightforward
right?

Your help is appreciated.

Regards
Jason

 

[dlbjr]

I would create a database with two tables.

REFERRER
CUST_KEY
CUST_DESC

HIT
CUST_KEY
HDATE - default to Now()

Put your customer key and information in REFERRER table.
Each hit will call an insert into the HIT table

This will allow more defined studies of information

Create a connection then a Command and execute an INSERT

Let me know if more is needed

-dlbjr

Discerning resolutions for the alms

 

[jason]

Thanks dlbjr,

Could you confirm that Cust_Key is what I would refer to as a unique ID or
autonumber in Access

Thus:

REFERRER
Cust_Key Description
1 Sail Mag
2 Yacht Mage

HIT

fkCust_Key hDate
1 12 Nov 2003
1 13 Nov 2003
1 18 Nov 2003
2 12 Nov 2003
2 23 Nov 2003
1 1 Jan 2004


I am kind of unclear as to whether I should be incrementing a HIT counter
inside the database or in fact you are just inserting the key into the
HIT table and then will later use a query to tabalute and total the
insertions for a particular key.

One of the things I ponder is the possiblity that I need to connect the hits
to the particular month so maybe that is what your solution is giving me.

Could you elaborate further on how the two tables and future data mining
would work?

Thanks
Jason

 

[dlbjr]

Yes, an auto ID is great.
This is what the querystring from the referrer will send.

You stated "...in fact you are just inserting the key into the HIT table and
then will later use a query to tabulate and total the insertions for a
particular key."

Yes, this way you can predict which days have heavier traffic than others or
what hours produce the most hits. You get the idea.

-dlbjr

Discerning resolutions for the alms

 

[jason]

Hey this works great!!!

I can now relate hits to particular month the advertisment was running.....

But, how would one use a query to tabulate a total per month.....Is this
quite simple to do?]

Many thanks for your help!

- Jason