Okay, here’s my blog post about setting up people counting, written in a casual, first-person style:
So, I’ve been diving into this whole “retail analytics” thing for my little online shop. I mean, I know how many people visit my site, but I wanted to get a better sense of how they move through my, like, virtual aisles. That’s where people counting technology comes in. I figured if big stores track foot traffic, I could do something similar online, right?
My DIY People Counting Setup
I started off by, you know, checking out what was already out there. Everything was ridiculously expensive! But I am good at DIY! so i decide to do it all by myself.
First thing I did, setting up the cameras. I grabbed a couple of old webcams I had lying around. Nothing fancy, just basic ones that could capture video. The placement was key. I wanted a clear view of my “store entrance” (aka the homepage) and some key product pages. I spent a good hour just fiddling with angles and making sure the lighting was okay. I even taped them down with some bright duct tape to make sure they wouldn’t budge.
Next up, Finding the Software.
- I started with a Free Open Source option. I started with a Free Open Source option. It was free, which was a huge plus, but it took a bit of digging to find one that seemed reliable.
- Figuring Out the Install. The installation process was… an experience. Let’s just say I had to read a LOT of forum posts and watch a few tutorials. It involved downloading some libraries, configuring some settings, and praying to the tech gods that I didn’t mess anything up. There were a few moments where I thought I’d bricked my computer, but thankfully, I managed to get it working.
Then, testing and Calibrating.
Once I had everything set up, I did a bunch of test runs. I had my roommate walk in and out of the camera’s view, pretending to be a customer. I watched the software’s output like a hawk, making sure it was accurately counting each “entry” and “exit.” The first few tries were a bit off. Sometimes it would count my roommate twice, or miss him completely. So, I tweaked the sensitivity settings, adjusted the detection zones, and basically just kept experimenting until it was pretty accurate.
I set a specific area, using the software’s tools, to define where the counting should happen.This was to avoid false positives, like if my roommate just walked past the camera, but not actually “into” the store, I mean, just imagine it!
Finally, analyzing the Data.
After letting it run for a few days, I started looking at the data. I could see the peak hours, which days were busiest, and even how long people were spending on certain pages. It was actually pretty cool! Seeing the numbers made me realize things I hadn’t noticed before, like how most people seemed to leave after only looking at the homepage. That gave me some ideas for how to improve my site layout and maybe add some more engaging content.
It’s still a work in progress, but I’m pretty happy with my DIY people counting setup. It’s not perfect, and it definitely took some effort, but it’s giving me some valuable insights into my customer. Plus, it’s saving me a ton of money compared to those fancy commercial systems. If you’re a small business owner like me, and you’re not afraid of a little tech challenge, I’d say give it a try!