Comments on: Top newspaper sites in minutes spent http://www.lostremote.com/2007/12/14/top-newspaper-sites-in-minutes-spent/ Where TV Finds the Future Mon, 08 Sep 2008 04:01:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Joe MacDonald http://www.lostremote.com/2007/12/14/top-newspaper-sites-in-minutes-spent/#comment-627268 Joe MacDonald Mon, 17 Dec 2007 15:54:03 +0000 http://www.lostremote.com/2007/12/14/top-newspaper-sites-in-minutes-spent/#comment-627268 People tend to forget that Houston has one of the biggest populations in the country, so it's not surprising to see their local papers show up strong. On another topic, being in the online business, our company has developed a stat we use to track the new reality where time spent is equally or more valuable than clicks, without forgetting the importance of clicks. We call it Site Engagement, and the formula we use is: SE = (PageViews / Unique) + (Avg Time Spent in minutes)^2 In English, that is the number of pageviews per unique user, added to the squared value of the average time (in minutes) spent on the site. We find this gives us a number that not only takes into account the interactivity of the site (thru PageViews) but it gives even more value to time spent. We find that having a SE over 100 or even 200 is really pleasing to advertisers. In the future we are going to find a way to tie in ad impressions to a formula, but that would probably be a separate metric, since advertising flows from Site Engagment, not vice versa. People tend to forget that Houston has one of the biggest populations in the country, so it’s not surprising to see their local papers show up strong.

On another topic, being in the online business, our company has developed a stat we use to track the new reality where time spent is equally or more valuable than clicks, without forgetting the importance of clicks.

We call it Site Engagement, and the formula we use is:

SE = (PageViews / Unique) + (Avg Time Spent in minutes)^2

In English, that is the number of pageviews per unique user, added to the squared value of the average time (in minutes) spent on the site.

We find this gives us a number that not only takes into account the interactivity of the site (thru PageViews) but it gives even more value to time spent.

We find that having a SE over 100 or even 200 is really pleasing to advertisers.

In the future we are going to find a way to tie in ad impressions to a formula, but that would probably be a separate metric, since advertising flows from Site Engagment, not vice versa.

]]> By: Barry http://www.lostremote.com/2007/12/14/top-newspaper-sites-in-minutes-spent/#comment-624608 Barry Sat, 15 Dec 2007 17:27:06 +0000 http://www.lostremote.com/2007/12/14/top-newspaper-sites-in-minutes-spent/#comment-624608 Chron.com has to be one of the worst in terms of flying, scrolling and pop up ads of any newspaper site I have gone to. I challenge someone to find a site with more. Chron.com has to be one of the worst in terms of flying, scrolling and pop up ads of any newspaper site I have gone to. I challenge someone to find a site with more.

]]> By: FrankM http://www.lostremote.com/2007/12/14/top-newspaper-sites-in-minutes-spent/#comment-624518 FrankM Sat, 15 Dec 2007 15:54:28 +0000 http://www.lostremote.com/2007/12/14/top-newspaper-sites-in-minutes-spent/#comment-624518 I don't see how Chron.com is a big surprise. The site has a nice clean design, many RSS feeds (I have a whole netvibes page for theirs), and best of all--a large selection of Comics in an application that doesn't limit you to one per page. (hint: the parameter in the URL "cpp" is "comics per page". Ramp that up to 130, and read away.) I don’t see how Chron.com is a big surprise. The site has a nice clean design, many RSS feeds (I have a whole netvibes page for theirs), and best of all–a large selection of Comics in an application that doesn’t limit you to one per page. (hint: the parameter in the URL “cpp” is “comics per page”. Ramp that up to 130, and read away.)

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