Digital Editors' Network Study: Benchmarking Your Website Survey

As we grapple with how to create revenues with our online brands it's obvious that we must understand more about our audiences than just whether the number of unique users is increasing month on month.

How much of our audience are regular visitors or eager participants in our online comemnt forums? How many are based abroad and how many are just dipping in to follow a link to one page?

The Digital Editors' Network Winter 2010 meeting on February 25th will give you the chance to compare notes other digital editors and see how your site measures up to industry trends (See: http://den-winter2010.eventbrite.com ).

To add to that Chatham House Rule-discussion, we are asking all participants to complete this survey.

Please be assured that your individual responses will remain anonymous and will only be reported as part of the group results. However, if you would like a summary of the survey findings, you can include your contact details at the end of the survey.

Your participation is voluntary and you may refuse to answer any question. The survey only takes about 10 minutes to complete. By completing the survey, you indicate your consent to participate in the project.

If you have questions, or comments about the research, please contact François Nel at FPNel @ uclan.ac.uk / @francoisnel / +(0)1772)894730.

And, of course, if you could pass this link along to other digital editors who would be interested in contributing to the research, that would be very much appreciated.

Thank you.

What site are you working for? B2B site Consumer magazine companion site Broadcast Radio companion site Broadcast Television companion site	Regional Bi-Weekly Newspaper site Regional Weekly Newspaper stie Regional Daily Newspaper site National Weekly Newspaper site	National Daily Newspaper companion site Online only news site
Other (please specify)

What is the average number of unique users that visit your main site each month? Less than 1,000 1,000 - 10,000 10,000 - 25,000 25,001 - 50,000	50,001 -100,000 100,001 -150,000 150,001 -200,000 200,001 -250,000	250,001 -500,000 500,001 -1 million more than 1 million
Comments

If YES, for which of the following does your site ask for cash payments? Breaking news / general content website Special new reports / sections on website Special lifestyle & entertainment sections (e.g. Horoscopes) Online Games (e.g. fantasy football)	Online Gambling (Casino) Archived material website Mobile site (general access) Pushed Mobile Content (e.g. text alerts or e-zines)	Ap for smart phones (e.g. iPhone) Membership of social networks / clubs
Other (please specify)

	YES	NO	N/A
Dating	Do you charge users a fee for membership any of the following networks: Dating YES	NO	N/A
Business	Business YES	NO	N/A
Sports	Sports YES	NO	N/A
Parenting	Parenting YES	NO	N/A
Health (e.g. weight loss or fitness clubs)	Health (e.g. weight loss or fitness clubs) YES	NO	N/A
Other	Other YES	NO	N/A

1. Welcome.

1. Where is your site? (Select from the dropdown menu)

2. What site are you working for?

3. Which of the following best describes your primary job title?

4. What is the average number of unique users that visit your main site each month?

5. We would like to know about your attitudes towards Search Engine Optimisation.

6. Do you require users register to participate in the activities on your site?

7. Do you charge users a cash fee to participate in all or some of your online activities?

8. If YES, for which of the following does your site ask for cash payments?

9. If NO, are there active discussions in your organisation about the possibility of charging users a cash fee to participate in all or some of the online activities you offer?

10. Do you charge users a fee for membership any of the following networks:

11. Do you ask users to donate funds to support your site?

12. From which of the following Advertising and Sponsorship activities does your Website get revenue? Please tick all that apply.

(Note: Question 9 refers to advertising & sponsorship on dedicated Mobile sites.)

13. From which of the following sponsorship and advertising sources does your dedicated MOBILE site get revenue? Please tick all that apply.

(If you do not have a dedicated mobile site, please proceed to Question 10)

14. Does your site offer any of the following retail opportunities.

15. Do you get income from selling any other information?

16. Do you get income from Syndication of any of the following?

17. Could you please tell us about any other sources from which your online activities derive direct revenues?

19. What percentage of your digital income (Website & Mobile) comes from the following sources? (Total = 100)

20. The findings from this survey will be discussed at the Digital Editors' Networks' Winter 2010 meetin on February 25th in Preston. If you would like a summary report of the findings, please add your contact details below.

21. If you have any additional comments about the issues raised in this study, or questions about the Digital Editors' Network, please use the space below to let us know. Thank you.

Which of the following best describes your primary job title? Reporter / Content Maker Content Editor / Producer	Web Development / Strategic Manager Independent / freelance content maker / editor
Other (please specify)

	YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)
Own sales of display ads inventory on website	From which of the following Advertising and Sponsorship activities does your Website get revenue? Please tick all that apply. (Note: Question 9 refers to advertising & sponsorship on dedicated Mobile sites.) Own sales of display ads inventory on website YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)
Own sales of classified ads inventory on own website	Own sales of classified ads inventory on own website YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)
Display ads served on website through advertising network	Display ads served on website through advertising network YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)
Classified ads served on website through advertising network (e.g. Fish4)	Classified ads served on website through advertising network (e.g. Fish4) YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)
Website ads served through affiliation with Google	Website ads served through affiliation with Google YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)
Website ads served through affiliation with MSN	Website ads served through affiliation with MSN YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)
Website ads served through affiliation with Yahoo!	Website ads served through affiliation with Yahoo! YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)
Website ads served through affiliation with other search engine	Website ads served through affiliation with other search engine YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)
Sponsorship of website text content	Sponsorship of website text content YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)
Advertising directly link to online video	Advertising directly link to online video YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)
Sponsorship directly linked to online video	Sponsorship directly linked to online video YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)
Advertising in email newsletters	Advertising in email newsletters YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)
Sponsorship of email newsletters	Sponsorship of email newsletters YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)
Advertising in RSS feeds	Advertising in RSS feeds YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)
Sponsorship of RSS feeds	Sponsorship of RSS feeds YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)

	YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)
Own sales of display ads inventory on m-site	From which of the following sponsorship and advertising sources does your dedicated MOBILE site get revenue? Please tick all that apply. (If you do not have a dedicated mobile site, please proceed to Question 10) Own sales of display ads inventory on m-site YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)
Own sales of classified ads inventory on own m-site	Own sales of classified ads inventory on own m-site YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)
Display ads served on m-site through advertising network	Display ads served on m-site through advertising network YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)
Classified ads served on m-site through advertising network (e.g. Fish4)	Classified ads served on m-site through advertising network (e.g. Fish4) YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)
M-site ads served through affiliation with with search engine.	M-site ads served through affiliation with with search engine. YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)
Sponsorship of m-site text content	Sponsorship of m-site text content YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)
Advertising directly linked to mobile site video	Advertising directly linked to mobile site video YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)
Sponsorship directly linked to mobile site video	Sponsorship directly linked to mobile site video YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)
Advertising in mobile alerts or 'zines (i.e. mobile 'push' content)	Advertising in mobile alerts or 'zines (i.e. mobile 'push' content) YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)
Sponsorship of mobile alerts or 'zines (i.e. mobile 'push' content)	Sponsorship of mobile alerts or 'zines (i.e. mobile 'push' content) YES	NO	N/A (Do not have that feature)

	YES	NO	N/A
Sales of subscriptions to print products (including online payment option)	Does your site offer any of the following retail opportunities. Sales of subscriptions to print products (including online payment option) YES	NO	N/A
Sales of other own branded merchandise(e.g. books or calendars produced by your own company)	Sales of other own branded merchandise(e.g. books or calendars produced by your own company) YES	NO	N/A
Sales of own branded services (e.g. holiday tours led by own staff)	Sales of own branded services (e.g. holiday tours led by own staff) YES	NO	N/A
Affiliate deals with other online merchants (i.e. virtual mall operated by Shoppersworld or the like)	Affiliate deals with other online merchants (i.e. virtual mall operated by Shoppersworld or the like) YES	NO	N/A

	YES	NO	N/A
Databases of users	Do you get income from selling any other information? Databases of users YES	NO	N/A
Databases of advertisers	Databases of advertisers YES	NO	N/A
Survey data	Survey data YES	NO	N/A

	YES	NO	N/A
Text stories	Do you get income from Syndication of any of the following? Text stories YES	NO	N/A
Podcasts	Podcasts YES	NO	N/A
Still images	Still images YES	NO	N/A
Video	Video YES	NO	N/A
Own blogs / columns	Own blogs / columns YES	NO	N/A
Content produced by others	Content produced by others YES	NO	N/A

What percentage of your digital income (Website & Mobile) comes from the following sources? (Total = 100) Own advertising sales
Advertising through networks (eg. Fish4)
Sponsorships of website content
Sales & subscription to digital content
Sales of specialised content on the site (including archives)
Sales & subscription to mobile information & services
Membership fees to own online networks / clubs
Membership fees to affiliated online networks/ clubs (e.g. dating)
Games
Gambling
Own retail sales activities
Affiliation with other retailers (e-commerce facilitated by affiliate)
Brokerage activities (i.e. a percentage of a transaction that you faciliate)
Services (e.g. web design)
Other

The findings from this survey will be discussed at the Digital Editors' Networks' Winter 2010 meetin on February 25th in Preston. If you would like a summary report of the findings, please add your contact details below. Name
Email