CheckEffect FAQ - frequently asked questions

Here you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions about CheckEffect.

• With which browsers is CheckEffect compatible?
• How is a "page impression" defined?
• How is a user session defined?
• How is a "user (PC)" defined?
• What does "not attributable" mean?
• For what reason can search terms be "not determinable"?
• At what intervals is CheckEffect updated?
• Why does the sum display more referring domains than referring pages?
• Efficiency factor of referring pages, domains and search engines greater than 100% ?
• Form efficiency factor greater than 100% ?
• Which browsers, operating systems and resolutions are recognised by CheckEffect?

Section "Benchmarking"

• What does benchmarking with "all" operations/regions mean?
• What does benchmarking with "comparable" operations mean?
• What does benchmarking with "comparable" regions mean?

With which browsers is CheckEffect compatible?

You need Microsoft Internet Explorer from Version 5.5.

How is a "page impression" defined?

The number of page impressions (often also called “page views”) indicates the number of page viewings. Each individual page of a website that is accessed is assessed as a “page impression”.

Note! Page impressions are not comparable with “hits”. “Hits” are the number of ALL “requests” to a web server (each loaded element, i.e. graphics, images, etc.). In contrast, page impressions only refer to the “viewed documents” of a website. For this reason, significantly more “hits” than page impressions are generally displayed.

How is a user session defined?

There are 3 different possibilities for generating a user session (often also called a “visit”):

• Visitors (PC’s) with cookie support can be clearly identified by setting a so-called “session cookie”. The user session is ended when the browser is closed. If the browser is started up again at a later point in time (and the website is visited again), a new user session starts.
• For visitors (PC’s) without cookie support, 2 hours without activity are assessed as being the end of a user session. Re-initiated activity (if the users visits the website again after 2 hours) is considered to be a new user session.
• Visitors (PC’s) with only one page impression respectively are (if not already through one of both other methods, such as the setting of session cookies or the measurement of time intervals) assessed as a user session.

Note! User sessions (or “visits”) and visitors (individual PC’s are often also called “visitors”) are not comparable. A visitor (PC) can create several so-called “user sessions” (visits) in one day. The number of user sessions is therefore always higher than the number of visitors (PC’s) to a website.

How is a visitor (PC) defined?

All visitors (PC’s) as a whole, like the number of user sessions, are made up of 3 possible variations.

• Visitors (PC’s) with cookie support can be clearly identified through the setting of a so-called “cookie”.
• For visitors (PC’s) without cookie support, the system searches for common features (country, language, time zone, browser, operating system, plug-ins, resolution, etc. …) and thus recognises individual visitors (PC’s).
• If visitors (PC’s) create only one page impression (and these visitors can not be identified according to one of both of the other methods, such as cookies and searching for common features), this is also considered to be a “visit”.

What does "not attributable" mean?

With the aspects, visitors according to countries and language, sites and domains visited, browsers, operating systems, resolutions and time zones, it can occur that these can not be precisely attributed.

• Visited browsers and domains: If the browser of a visitor (PC) does not transmit a referrer (there is browser/service software with which the transmitting of referrers can be suppressed).
• Countries: If the domain/IP address of the visitor (PC) can not be attributed to a country, or if the IP address is intentionally masked by specialised software.
• Languages: If the browser of the visitor (PC) does not transmit a language setting.
• Browsers: If no/an unknown browser ID is transmitted.
• Operating systems: The browser of the visitor (PC) send no ID or an unknown ID of the operating system.
• Resolutions and time zones: The browser of the visitor (PC) does not support Java script/the support for Java script has been deactivated by the user.

For what reason can search terms be "not determinable"?

If references come directly from sub-categories of directories, there are no search terms to determine. The only exception: internal directory searches have been used.

There are 2 ways of finding things in directories such as Yahoo! and DmoZ.org:

• Through a direct search by inputting a search term into the search field of the directory.
• By "browsing" the categories of the directory, without inputting a search term.

CheckEffect can only be determined in Point 1.

At what intervals is CheckEffect updated?

CheckEffect is updated daily, so that the previous day’s data is immediately available.

Why does the sum display more referring domains than referring pages?

For various technical reasons, it can occur that the referrals of particularly long URL’s are not stored. The domains of the excessively long URL’s are nevertheless correctly documented.

Efficiency factor of referring pages, domains and search engines greater than 100% ?

The efficiency factor of “referring pages”, “domains” and “search engines” always exceed 100% if their number exceeds the number of user sessions. If, for example, a user clicks on several links for one and the same website (i.e. different sub-pages on one site) in the result list of a search engine, several referrals are generated by only one user session.

The efficiency factor is calculated as follows:

Number of referring sites / domains / search engines : Number of user sessions x 100 = efficiency factor

Formularwirkungsgrad größer 100% ?

If the number of transmitted enquiries exceeds the number of forms viewed, it indicates that the CheckEffect codes have not been correctly installed on your website. In this case, please check the installed codes in the enquiry form and on the thank you page of your website, using the installation instructions.

If the installed codes have now been correctly installed on your website, but the link, “info” still appears under “consolidate enquiries”, input a different time period and try again.

The form efficiency factor is calculated as follows:

Number of transmitted enquiries: Number of form viewings x 100 = form efficiency factor

Which browsers, operating systems and resolutions are recognised by CheckEffect?

CheckEffect recognises nearly 40 different browsers, approx. 20 different operating systems and more than 100 different screen resolutions.

What does benchmarking "with all" operations/regions mean?

In the benchmarking mode with "all", your website is compared with all other operations/regions available on the system.

What does benchmarking with "comparable" operations mean?

The following criteria are used to search for comparable operations:

Fixed criteria:

• Category: 3*/4*/5*
• Type of operation: holiday hotel/city hotel

Group-narrowing criteria:

• Number of beds: (+/- 40%)
• Peak season: Summer / Winter
• Number of seasons: Half-year operation / full-year operation

Selection process:

All operations are searched for matching criteria. If fewer than 3 operations are available, the number of seasons, peak season and number of beds are omitted step-by-step and matching operations are searched for. As soon as more than 2 matching operations have been found, the result is displayed.

In addition, it is shown at how many of the above selected operations the following criteria match:
Optional matches:

• Restaurant in the operation
• Full-board
• Room with breakfast
• Half-board
• Federal state
• Country

What does benchmarking with "comparable" regions mean?

The following criteria are used to search for comparable regions:

Fixed criteria:

• Peak season: summer / winter

Group-narrowing criteria:

• Seasons: one, two, entire year
• Number of overnight stays
• Travel agency in the town?
• Number of towns

Selection process:

First, regions are searched for where all comparison criteria match. If fewer than 3 regions are found, the criteria, number of seasons, overnight stays, travel agency in the town and number of towns are omitted step-by-step and matching regions are searched for again and again. As soon as more than 2 matching regions have been found, the result is displayed.

In addition, its also shows at how many of the above selected regions the following criteria match with your region:
Optional matches:

• Country
• Federal state
• Online booking possible?