Site loses almost 90 per cent of its following

Since adopting a pay model, the website of UK newspapers The Times and The Sunday Times has lost around 90 per cent of its readership.

Since June 15, readers are required to pay a subscription of ?2 per week, or ?1 per day if they just want to dip in and out, but figures from?web metrics company Experian Hitwise show that it now has?4.16 per cent of UK online newspaper traffic. Before the paywall went up, it was at 15 per cent.

Using this information, The Guardian has done its sums: Based on February 2010’s ABCe readership figures, The Times Online had 1.2million daily unique visitors. Based on Experien Hitwise’s findings, that means that it now has?332,800.

Experian Hitwise’s data could be flawed however when it comes to paying subscribers as it also counts visits to the homepage, ie people that haven’t gone any further.

The measurement site has found that only 25.6 per cent of users visiting the site, at thetimes.co.uk, will register and pay to proceed further, meaning that it according to them, it now has a true, paid-up readership of 84,800.?

However, the figures are massively inflated compared to what former Times media correspondent Dan Sabbagh is suggesting. He believes the sign up figures to be considerably less, based on lose lipped sources on the inside.

He is claiming that the number of people registering for The Times and Sunday Times websites during the free trial period is 150,000 with only 15,000 of those actually parting with cash.?

A further 12,500 have also signed up to the iPad app claims Sabbagh.?

While the figures aren’t official, its a good assumption that Sabbagh knows what they are.?

Supposedly the numbers aren’t as good as News International (the parent company of both papers) was hoping for, however it has alway said that it isn’t about big numbers, but a loyal audience.?

Would you sign up to a paywall? And if so, what for? Let us know in the comments below…

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Software The Times Internet paywall

Times haemorrhages readers after building paywall originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 08:45:18 +0100

Site loses almost 90 per cent of its following

Since adopting a pay model, the website of UK newspapers The Times and The Sunday Times has lost around 90 per cent of its readership.

Since June 15, readers are required to pay a subscription of ?2 per week, or ?1 per day if they just want to dip in and out, but figures from?web metrics company Experian Hitwise show that it now has?4.16 per cent of UK online newspaper traffic. Before the paywall went up, it was at 15 per cent.

Using this information, The Guardian has done its sums: Based on February 2010’s ABCe readership figures, The Times Online had 1.2million daily unique visitors. Based on Experien Hitwise’s findings, that means that it now has?332,800.

Experian Hitwise’s data could be flawed however when it comes to paying subscribers as it also counts visits to the homepage, ie people that haven’t gone any further.

The measurement site has found that only 25.6 per cent of users visiting the site, at thetimes.co.uk, will register and pay to proceed further, meaning that it according to them, it now has a true, paid-up readership of 84,800.?

However, the figures are massively inflated compared to what former Times media correspondent Dan Sabbagh is suggesting. He believes the sign up figures to be considerably less, based on lose lipped sources on the inside.

He is claiming that the number of people registering for The Times and Sunday Times websites during the free trial period is 150,000 with only 15,000 of those actually parting with cash.?

A further 12,500 have also signed up to the iPad app claims Sabbagh.?

While the figures aren’t official, its a good assumption that Sabbagh knows what they are.?

Supposedly the numbers aren’t as good as News International (the parent company of both papers) was hoping for, however it has alway said that it isn’t about big numbers, but a loyal audience.?

Would you sign up to a paywall? And if so, what for? Let us know in the comments below…

Read

Tags:
Software The Times Internet paywall

Times haemorrhages readers after building paywall originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 08:45:18 +0100