If ed Else

[Cloud Web]

<?php

/* Contatore visite */

    $visits_file = "$sub"."visitetot".".txt";
    $uniques_file ="$sub"."visiteuni".".txt";
    
    $visitsfile = fopen("$visits_file", "w");
    $uniquesfile = fopen("$uniques_file", "w");
    fwrite($visitsfile,"0");
    fwrite($uniquesfile,"0");
    fclose($visitsfile);
    fclose($uniquesfile);
    
    $counter = fopen($visits_file, "r");
    $total = fread($counter, filesize($visits_file));
    fclose($counter);
    $total++;
    $counter = fopen($visits_file, "w");
    fwrite($counter, $total);
    fclose($counter);

    $unique_hits = fopen($uniques_file, "r");
    $total_uniques = fread($unique_hits, filesize($uniques_file));
    if($_COOKIE["unique_hit"] != "set") {
    setcookie("unique_hit", "set", time()+2419200);
    $total_uniques++;
    }
    $uniques_hits = fopen($uniques_file, "w");
    fwrite($uniques_hits, $total_uniques);
    fclose($uniques_hits);
?>

Il fatto è che ogni volta che si apre la pagina in questione il ciclo si ripete e quindi il contatore qui:

$visitsfile = fopen("$visits_file", "w");
    $uniquesfile = fopen("$uniques_file", "w");
    fwrite($visitsfile,"0");
    fwrite($uniquesfile,"0");
    fclose($visitsfile);
    fclose($uniquesfile); 

fa si che il contatore resta fisso.
Come potrei risolvere il problema, con un if? Come?