internet magazines practical tips for improving website traffic
TRANSCRIPT
Internet Magazines: Practical tips for improving
website traffic
Hamideh Iraj Sahar Najafikhah University of Tehran Faculty of Management Fall 2013
1
Table of Contents Introduction ........................................................................................ 2
1. Selected Websites .............................................................................. 2
1.1 Technology Used.............................................................................. 3
1.2 Website Metadata ............................................................................ 3
1.3 Domain Age .................................................................................. 4
1.4 Backlinks ..................................................................................... 4
2. 7 Cs Introduction .............................................................................. 6
3. 7 Cs Analysis ................................................................................... 7
3.1 Context ....................................................................................... 7
3.2 Content ....................................................................................... 7
3.3 Community ................................................................................... 8
3.4 Customization ................................................................................ 8
3.5 Communication............................................................................... 9
3.6 Connection ................................................................................... 9
3.7 Commerce ................................................................................... 10
4. Narenji.ir Current State Description.......................................................... 11
5. Gooyait.com Current State Description ....................................................... 11
6. General environment ......................................................................... 12
7. Tips for Gooyait.com to improve website traffic .............................................. 12
References ......................................................................................... 15
2
Introduction
A new role for magazines has emerged in the last few years, while the main traditional roles still flourish.
Magazines themselves are evolving to meet the changing media environment. A key strand of this change
is the heightened importance of a medium’s ability to create involvement and engagement rather than
merely attract attention. Gaining attention is no longer enough – and magazines are superb at inducing
engagement. Consumers are changing too, and keen magazine readers are more aspirational, sociable and
interested in using technology than heavy users of other media. Technology and magazines go together as
a neat pair.
The emergence of the internet, mobile phones, texting and so on has raised consumers’ expectations of
interactivity in all the media they use. The new role for magazines is to act as a bridge to interactivity. This
must be closely linked in to magazines’ long-established roles classifies into two categories: accessing
personal networks of trust, and providing a source of guidance and status.
1. Selected Websites
For this analysis, two websites narenji.ir and gooyait.com are selected. They both work in IT internet
magazines. Alexa ranks were derived from Alexa Website (Alexa The Web Information Company, 2013)
and Google ranks were derived from Page Rank Checker Website. (Page Rank Checker, 2013)
Website Narenji.ir Gooyait.com Date
Alexa Rank in Iran 116 608 2013-12-22
Google Rank 4 3 2013-12-18
Total Sites Linking In 4830 3852 2013-12-22
Bounce Rate 45.10% 64.50% 2013-12-22
Daily Page views per
Visitor
3.21 1.61 2013-12-22
Daily Time on Site 5:16 2:08 2013-12-22
Search Traffic
What percentage of
visits to this site come
from a search engine?
6.00% 25.10% 2013-12-22
Table 1- Summary Statistics
3
Bounce Rate
Bounce rate is an Internet marketing term used in web traffic analysis. It represents the percentage of visitors
who enter the site and "bounce" (leave the site) rather than continue viewing other pages within the same
site.
High bounce rates typically indicate that the website isn’t doing a good job of attracting the continued
interest of visitors. According to an Inc.com article: "As a rule of thumb, a 50 percent bounce rate is average.
If you surpass 60 percent, you should be concerned. If you're in excess of 80 percent, you've got a major
problem." (Bounce rate, 2013)
1.1 Technology Used
The technology used was derived from Builtwith website (Built With, 2013) which is summarized in Table
2:
Website narenji.ir gooyait.com Content Management Systems
Drupal WordPress
Frameworks PHP, Shockwave Flash Embed PHP, Shockwave Flash Embed
Table 2- Technology Used
As seen in Table 2, both websites use open source technology and tools to run their business.
1.2 Website Metadata
The metadata including Title, Description and Keywords were extracted (Analyse Metadata, 2013) and
illustrated in the table below:
Website narenji.ir gooyait.com
Title
تیآی گويا اينترنتی مجله نارنجی
Description فناوری دنیای داغ اخبار و ابزارها با آشنایی برای مکانی -
Keywords لپ,تبلت,خبر,موبایل,تکنولوژی,فناوری,گجت
تلویزیون ,بعدی سه,مانیتور,ربات,کامپیوتر,تاپ
-
Table 3- Metadata
As seen in Table 3, Gooyait.com has not set description and keywords for its website. Setting those will
promote the website in search engines.
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1.3 Domain Age
One of the many factors in Google's search engine algorithm is the age of a domain name. In a small way,
the age of a domain gives the appearance of longevity and therefore a higher relevancy score in Google.
Driven by spam sites which pop up and die off quickly, the age of the domain is usually a sign whether or
not a site is yesterday's news or tomorrow's popular site. We see this in the world of business, for example.
While the novelty that may go with a new store in town brings a short burst of initial business, people tend
to trust a business that has been around for a long time over one that is brand new. The same is true for
websites. (The Age of a Domain Name, 2013)
Here is a summary for both websites: (SEO Tools : Domain Age Tool, 2013)
Website narenji.ir gooyait.com
Approximate Domain Age 6 years 8 months old 4 years 2 months old
Start Date 19 1386 فروردین 1388 دی 26
Table 4- Domain Age
1.4 Backlinks
Quality backlinks is one of the most important factors in Search Engine Optimization. It is not enough just
to have a lot of backlinks, it is the Quality of backlinks along with the Quantity that help you rank better in
Search Engines. A backlink could be considered as a Quality Backlink if
1. It links to your website with the keyword (keyphrase) that you are trying to optimize for.
2. The Theme of the backlinking website is the same as your website.
Here is some of the text backlinks to Gooyait.com and their website page ranks: (SEO Tools : Backlink
Anchor Text Analyzer, 2013)
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Figure 1- Gooyait.com Backlinks
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2. 7 Cs Introduction
Online communication system not just adopts new technologies, but must consider usability factors to meet
ultimate customer needs and wants. Prior studies discussed how perceived usefulness and ease of use are
influenced by various factors, including the system’s technical design characteristics
A framework for technology-mediated customer interface is called 7Cs, which form the basis of an effective
interface, including context, content, community, customization, communication, connection, and
commerce. Mohammed et al. (Mohammed, Fisher, & Jaworski, 2003) also addressed the extent to which
all of the 7Cs work together to support the value proposition and business model (i.e., Fit and
Reinforcement) is vital for successful e-businesses. Successful online communication systems have
developed marketing strategies considering 7Cs by considering product selection, changing plans, payment
system options, in-flight menu selection, seat selection, and 2Is (i.e., individualization and interactivity).
Figure 2 illustrates a high level view of 7 Cs:
Figure 2- The 7 Cs of Customer Interface
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3. 7 Cs Analysis
3.1 Context
The context of a site can take many different forms; the two key context dimensions are function and
aesthetics:
Function includes the layout of the site: Section breakdown, linking structure and Navigation tools.
Aesthetics include the visual characteristics of the site: Colors, Graphics, Photographs and Font choices.
Website Narenji.ir Gooyait.com Both
Function Some ads are
located between
subsequent posts.
Link to bookshop, podcast, e-
store, theme and addons.
They both offer newsletter subscriptions ,
link to social network sites and RSS
feeds.
Aesthetics The main page is
simpler, less
crowded and more
pleasing than
Gooyait. Based on
orange color.
Uses orange color on the
background of white and grey
They are both designed to be simple and
informative.
Table 5- Context Evaluation
3.2 Content
Content refers to all digital information included on the site. There are four key dimensions to content, each
carrying choices about how to convey the site’s content:
Website Narenji.ir Gooyait.com Both
Offering
Mix
Questions from users Articles, comparisons, recommendations
Appeal Mix No emotional appeal
Multimedia
Mix
video podcast Text, graphics
Content
Type
The news about gadgets such as mobile
phones, tablets and laptops are more time-
sensitive than software articles.
Table 6- Content Evaluation
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3.3 Community
Website Narenji.ir Gooyait.com Both
community No forums available
Table 7- Community Evaluation
3.4 Customization Customization of a site can occur in many different ways:
Personalization
Log-in Registration: The site recognizes returns users and configures itself accordingly
Cookies: Temporarily files that track and gather data about user’s behavior
Personalized E-mail Accounts: Provided free-of-charge to site users
Content and Layout Configuration: Selection is based on users interests
Storage: Sites provide virtual hard-disk storage
Agents: Designed to perform simple tasks
Tailoring
Based on Past User Behavior: Many sites adjust themselves dynamically based on a user’s behavior
and preferences
Based on Behavior of Other Users With Similar Preferences: Some sites make recommendations
to the user based on preferences of other users with similar profiles
Website Narenji.ir Gooyait.com Both
Personalization Logging in with a
user account is
available. But I
could not find how
to sign up!
No user accounts.
Tailoring No tailoring facilities available
Table 8- Customization Evaluation
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3.5 Communication Communication between a site and its users can occur in many different ways:
Mass Mailings: Broadcast transmissions of large volumes of e-mail targeted at large audiences
FAQs: Answers to frequently asked questions
E-Mail Newsletters: Inform site subscribers of site changes, special offers, etc.
Content-Update Notifications: E-mail reflecting user interest in a particular content area
Broadcast Events: Events can be broadcast from a website (webcast) that allows limited user control
Website Narenji.ir Gooyait.com Both
Mass
Mailings
Not used.
FAQs No FAQs available.
Newsletters
Both have E-Mail Newsletters.
Content-
Update
Notifications
Not used.
Broadcast
Events
No Broadcast Events available.
Table 9- Communication Evaluation
Gooyait.com has published 22 podcasts. But stopped it. Because it was costly and time- consuming to
produce podcasts.
3.6 Connection Sites connect with other businesses in the following ways:
Links: Links can take the user completely outside of the home site
Home Site Background: Links can take the user to a new site, but the home site is still in the
background
Outsourced Content: Site content is derived from third parties
% of Home Site Content: What percentage of content originates from the home site and how much
is outsourced?
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Pathway of Connection: Does the site lead users to other sites, or does it simply retrieve information
from outside sites?
Website Narenji.ir Gooyait.com Both
Links Links take the user completely outside of
the home site
Home Site
Background
This was not used.
Outsourced
Content
0 – only some links and text ads
belong to third-parties.
% of Home
Site Content
80 percent
Pathway of
Connection
the sites leads users to other sites
Table 10 – Connection Evaluation
3.7 Commerce There are many tools that sites provide to originate and facilitate commerce:
Registration: Allows the site to store information about users and user preferences
Shopping Cart: Users can place items in their personal, virtual shopping cart and buy them immediately or
on another visit to the site
Security: Attempt to guarantee the security of transactions and related data through encryption and
authentication technologies
Credit-Card Approval: The ability to receive instant credit approval for credit card purchases through
electronic links to clearance houses
One-Click Shopping: A patented feature that allows users to place and order products with a single click
Orders through Affiliates: Sites must be able to track orders that come from and go to affiliates
Configuration Technology: Users can test product compatibility with the aid of configurator software
Order Tracking: The ability to check the delivery status
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Delivery Options: Users have a choice of options to specify their desired speed and cost of delivery
Website Narenji.ir shop.gooyait.com Both
Registration Not used
Shopping Cart Not used
Security Not used
Credit-Card Approval Not used
One-Click Shopping Not used
Orders through Affiliates Not used
Configuration Technology Not used
Order Tracking Not used
Delivery Options Not used
Table 11- Commerce Evaluation
4. Narenji.ir Current State Description
Narenji is the most successful Iranian IT internet magazine right now. In a recent action it opened up two
new websites called http://nardebaan.ir/ dedicated to training and http://negahbaan.ir/ dedicated to security.
In this new setting, Narenji can use new channels to communicate with customers.
Narenji.ir has 3918 traffic rank in world by Alexa. Narenji.ir is getting 280755 pageviews per day and
making USD 844.27 daily. Narenji.ir has 67072 backlinks according to yahoo and currently not listed in
Dmoz directory. Narenji.ir is hosted in Canada at iWeb Technologies data center. Narenji.ir is most popular
in IRAN, ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF. Estimated worth of narenji.ir is USD 616317.1 according to
websiteoutlook. (Websiteoutlook, 2013)
5. Gooyait.com Current State Description
Gooyait was one of the pioneers in internet magazines in IT and owes much of its success to the early
emergence. Gooyait.com has 31748 traffic rank in world by Alexa. Gooyait.com is getting 34647
pageviews per day and making USD 103.94 daily. Gooyait.com has 0 backlinks according to yahoo and
currently not listed in Dmoz directory. Gooyait.com is hosted in Netherlands at LeaseWeb B.V. data center.
Gooyait.com is most popular in IRAN, ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF. Estimated worth of Gooyait.com is USD
75876.2 according to websiteoutlook. (Website Outlook, 2013)
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6. General environment
IT internet magazines have some problems in common. They often have financial problems if not sponsored
by a company. They may have some new ideas but they are unable to make them into action because of
poor investment.
Also because of limitations of internet bandwidth in Iran, they tend to produce content in a way that the
majority of visitors can use without worry. So they did not move towards highly animated and multimedia
rich web pages. Instead they work hard on producing text and images.
Also these two websites were not active in online shops and communities. Gooyait established a shop but
has not been successful up to now. Maybe this refers to aforementioned financial problems; they were
unable to provide infrastructure and technical staff to do so.
It seems the current websites should learn and practice new business models so that they can earn more and
invest more in their website and break the circle of no money- no investment to retain and improve their
competitive advantage.
7. Tips for Gooyait.com to improve website traffic
1. Decreasing the time lag for new contents. It is about 1 or 2 days right now from appearing on TECH
websites to translating and editing for publication on Gooyait. Because what enthusiasts in IT
really want is hot and brand new topics.
2. Working more on Gooyait shops. They outsourced shops to another company. However, they were
not successful according to the below statistics; only less than one percent of visitors went to shops
after visiting the main page. It is worth thinking about outsourcing strategy and redefining
collaboration contracts and goals.
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Figure 3- Homepage Post visits
3. Employing full time writers for providing content. Right now the websites relies on university
students to produce the content. Therefore, in times of university exams and busy days the website
will get updated slowly and in the long run it may lead to customer attrition.
4. Providing a community for website users is a proven way for customer acquisition and retention
and Gooyait would better invest in building that to gain competitive advantage.
5. Replacing links with irrelevant websites (as seen in the left column of the first page) will not help
Gooyait that much. Furthermore, it can degrade Gooyait in eyes of customers. Only building a
network with similar websites in IT industry is promising. According to “Total Sites Linking In”
measure in Table1, 3852 websites linked to Gooyait.com while 4830 websites linked to Narenji.ir.
In summary Gooyait.com should promote itself in terms of more links (quantity) and better links
(quality)
6. Gooyait must work harder to communicate better with other websites to get quality backlinks.
7. Gooyait can add multiple items to its multimedia mix such as audio and video so that users can get
the content in the most engaging and entertaining way.
8. According to the measures Bounce Rate, Daily Page views per Visitor and Daily Time on Site on
Table 1, Narenji.ir worked better than Gooyait.com. It has lower bounce rate, higher Daily Page
views per Visitor and higher Daily Time on Site. That is, visitors explored more pages on the
website and spending more time on Narenji.ir. This problem can be resolved by better classification
of the content and customization so that visitors find relevant content of their interest on the first
page visited and stay on the site for some time rather than leave it immediately.
9. Estimated resources for performing suggested activities are listed in the table below:
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Activity Personnel Time Money Details
Employing full time writers for
providing content
1 dedicated full-time
writer
It works as soon as you
begin!
20 million
rials per
month
Decreasing the time lag for new contents
Providing a community for website users 1 dedicated full-time
programmer
1 week 20 million
rials per
month +
software
license (if
it applies)
Software
needed.
links with relevant websites 1 week
add multiple items to its multimedia mix 2 weeks
classification and customization of the
content
2 weeks
communicate better The manager It is a continuous task. -
Working more on Gooyait shops 1 dedicated full-time
employee or a third
party company
2 months including testing,
data import and
preliminary marketing.
20 million
rials per
month +
software
license (if
it applies)
Software
needed
Table 12- Estimated Resources
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References Interview with Mohsen Pakniat, a writer of Gooyait.com
(2013, 11 27). Retrieved from Page Rank Checker: http://www.prchecker.net/
(2013, 11 27). Retrieved from Alexa The Web Information Company: http://www.alexa.com/
(2013, 12 18). Retrieved from Built With: http://builtwith.com
(2013, 12 23). Retrieved from Websiteoutlook: http://www.websiteoutlook.com/www.narenji.ir
(2013, 12 23). Retrieved from Website Outlook: http://www.websiteoutlook.com/www.gooyait.com
Analyse Metadata. (2013, 12 23). Retrieved from Exadium Web Development:
http://www.exadium.com/tools/metadata/AnalyseMetaForm
Bounce rate. (2013, 12 22). Retrieved from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bounce_rate
Mohammed, R., Fisher, R. J., & Jaworski, B. J. (2003). chapter 5 - Customer Interface. In Internet
Marketing.
SEO Tools : Backlink Anchor Text Analyzer. (2013, 12 23). Retrieved from Webconfs:
http://www.webconfs.com/anchor-text-analysis.php
SEO Tools : Domain Age Tool. (2013, 12 23). Retrieved from Webconfs:
http://www.webconfs.com/domain-age.php
The Age of a Domain Name. (2013, 12 23). Retrieved from Webconfs: http://www.webconfs.com/age-of-domain-and-serps-article-6.php