The Evolution of Web Analytics: Page Views and Events

When a visitor visits a web address, the browser makes a request to view the files on the page. A record of these requests is kept in the server log.

You could see the visitor’s IP address, when the visitor landed on your site, the browser they used, etc.

Analyzing these server logs were analytics was the start of web analytics.

Here's where the concept of page views begins (it is also why gets outdated).

The early websites were pretty basic, just static pages with limited text, images and hypertext. Any interaction with the website meant redirecting to a new page, so a new page view.

The functionality & interactivity of the website has evolved a thousand-fold since.

• Elements and interaction: There are videos, forms, CTAs and so on. How do visitors interact with individual page elements and sections?
• Conversion funnel: Consider processes happening on one page, with each step loading within the page. How do you map this?

Page views alone doesn't cut it anymore.