From Son of Web Pages That Suck:
If you’ve got a “real” Web site, and by real I mean a site that gets real traffic, then you don’t need a counter on each page. Counters are not only unimpressive, they make you look like an amateur. Do you see a counter on any page at Microsoft, IBM, or General Motors? Counters appear on sites like Larry The Locksmith (apologies in advance to all locksmiths named Larry). If you can’t afford log file software, then you’re not a real site. Sorry. Most hosting services will provide you with log software. Some of the programs are probably good and some are probably bad.