So why would you want to download and install the toolbar?

Mainly because it has several useful features which make your browser a more versatile data-gathering tool that focuses your searches on the best quality sites, so if you search the Internet for information (and who doesn't?) you will immediately benefit from having this toolbar installed on your browser.

Here are some of the benefits you can enjoy when you install the Alexa toolbar on your Internet Explorer or Firefox browser.

Alexa's toolbar offers a faster surfing experience because includes an integrated Google search feature which allows you to search Google by typing your search phrase directly into the toolbar without having to make a separate visit Google.com.

When you land on a website you will immediately be able to see that site's Alexa Traffic Rank listed in the bottom right corner of your browser.

Alongside the traffic rank you will see a trend line that charts the traffic volume for the website over the previous few months. Next to that there is also an "Internet Reach" meter that gauges the percentage of Internet users that have visited the website.

You can also check out similar sites to the one you have been surfing by clicking the "related links" button. A drop-down menu appears with several related sites listed; it is a great little tool for researching a range of websites quickly and easily.

You can also make use of Alexa's "Wayback Machine" to "go back in time" and check out how a website used to look and track the changes the website owner has made to the design and layout over time.

Another cool feature of the toolbar is that it allows you to let a friends and associates know about the website you are visiting by simply clicking a button, choosing the e-mail address to sending the site.

The toolbar also has a built in link to Amazon.com (which now owns Alexa) which makes your online shopping even more convenient!

The Alexa toolbar can be downloaded from this site: http://www.alexa.com. Just look for the toolbar download link