Alexa Traffic Stats - How accurate?

When trying to see how your site traffic compares to your competition, what is the best way to monitor traffic to multiple sites? I look very strong in Alexa, but I don't know how much stock to put in those results.

Anybody have comments on Alexa or any other methods (other than SERPS)? Thanks

 

Alexa should not be used as a monitor for your own sites. If you are looking to monitor your own sites, then you need need to use a stat counter. You should use one that has useful tools that tell you things like refering web sites, time charts, etc. You can use internal programs like Webalizer or use a third party service like hitbox or statcounter.com.

 

I monitor my own traffic on a daily basis. I was hoping to gain some insight on how my traffic compares with the competition. Alexa is one way, but I don't put too much faith in it. I'm hoping somebody has some suggestions. Thanks

 

Alexa is not showing all the details.. Try Google Analytics.

Thanks
w.s

 

- Alexa did not give you the information that you need then alexa use data from just person that use their toolbar and not all people have this toolbar.
More, not all niche market use this toolbar, some niche you will never get any information about them at Alexa.

 

I don't know anybody that uses the Alexa toolbar. So, that is probably a small sampling of online surfers.

 

In my experience, Alexa counts 'visits' that are pretty bogus (pop under ads, etc.) I personally would not rely on any Alexa statistic.

 

Alexa is very inaccurate. If you have a computer savvy website (Tech blog.. computer support center.. etc), you will have tons more alexa users, and you will have good alexa, but your actual usage could be very low.

My personal example, I was selling a site on sitepoint/digitalpoint, and it got about 2000 visits, and about 600-900 had alexa, and my rank went up to 24,000 alexa for that day, when it was normally 500,000 (if that meant anything in the first place).

 

I think it's very inaccurate, although I like the fact that my site, launched 3 days ago, received a rank of 45,841 for Easter Sunday.

 

Wow, thats pretty high, how much traffic where you getting? do you do anything to boost it?

 

Everyone confirmed my reasons to be sceptical of Alexa results. Does anyone have suggestions for monitoring traffic relative to your competitors? Thanks

 

I'm hearing conflicting stories on this. I use a site's Alexa ranking to decide whether to advertise or exchange links with them. Are Alexa's traffic rankings accurate?

 

They are accurate for the top few thousand sites, but the higher the rank, the less up to date the info is.

 

according to me the data of alexa is not accurate but its data is nice in all websites like alexa

 

Not accurate at all. The rank comes from the Alexa toolbar. And the toolbar is installed with a low percentage or real web users and those who have it installed are simply not a representative sample of web users.

Though you still can measure it to pleasure your ego

 

This has been discussed elsewhere in the forum

 

It's a fun tool to use to show you're introducing the toolbar if you encourage your viewers to download it and explain that it will boost their rank as well with Alexa. I don't take it seriously as I use Google Analytics to perform high end statistics to gather the findings of my users and how my site is really doing on the web.

 

IMO the data on alexa is not so accurate since they only use the alexa toolbar to calculate and monitor website.
But, many company use alexa rank as one of requirements, otherwise.

 

If your site new and you have small amount of traffic >>>>> try to put alexa widget on your site but be careful and you maybe like to read this post "Don’t use alexa widget on your website"

 

As alexa itself says its not the exact data, its the accurate data. I feel like alexa is quite relevant to the practical rankings.