Logging and Statistics in Miva 5.5

Miva Merchant Access Log

The Miva Merchant Access Log module logs customers' actions throughout the store, which you can view in a flat file format. With the file you can determine what browsers customers are using, what search terms they used, and their step-by-step actions (such as clicking on products, adding products to the basket, removing products from the basket, etc.) throughout the store.

This type of logging should not be confused with actual server log files, which usually provide statistics on actions throughout an entire Web site. The Miva Merchant Access Log only supplies information about the Miva Merchant store itself. However, it can be helpful in the study of what search terms customers are using, in turn giving you insight on keywords you should be including in product descriptions.

Activating the Logging

To turn on the Miva Merchant Access Log, in your Admin Menu, click the Logging Settings link, check off the Miva Merchant Access Log box, and click Update. By default, the name of the file created will be malf.log. You can change this in the Admin by clicking the Access Log link under Logging Settings, entering a new file name, and clicking Update.

How It Works

Once activated, the module will begin writing actions in the Miva Merchant store to a file named

malf.log (or other name you may have given the file). Logging will begin only when the module is activated in the store, so any prior customer actions will not be included.

Getting the Log File

To obtain the log file, you need to FTP to the server and navigate to the store's data directory. For some versions, the file may be located in a log directory.

Reading the File

The malf.log file is a delimited file that can be opened in nearly any text, spreadsheet or database program. When first viewed, it will look like a jumble of various information. Once you study it further, you will see that it shows how visitors moved about the store. Each visitor's movement is also noted by a unique Session_ID number. To analyze the log file you may need to setup special functions in a database or spreadsheet program. Some third-party developers have created tools for reading the malf.log file via a Web browser.

Resetting the Log File

The malf.log file can get quite large in file size, which may cause problems if your host limits you to the amount of drive space you can use. Since Miva Merchant will always look for the malf.log file, and will create the file if it is not present, you can back up and then remove this file from the server whenever you need to free up some space. You can always keep a backup for future reference.

Miva Merchant Statistics

You can view basic statistics on the main screen in the Admin. These statistics will tell you how many visitors have accessed the store, as well as how many orders were placed, along with best sellers. To view the statistics, in the Admin, click the Main link in the Admin Menu. Depending on store notifications and other features, you may need to scroll down the right-hand screen.

This feature provides the following information:

Hits: How many individual screens have been loaded; a single visitor can log several hits.

Visitors: The number of unique visitors to the store.

Orders: The number of orders placed.

Revenue: The total sales amount of the orders placed.

Products Sold: The total number of products sold in the orders.

Best Sellers: The top five products sold and the quantity of each.