It is somewhat unfashionable to talk about web traffic these days.
The new lingo is about influence followers and engagement; measures embraced by social media behemoths like Meta.
But there has been a notable shift in thinking among marketeers that the most valuable demographic wants to read as well as flick through Instagram and Tik Tok feeds.
Print is enjoying a similar renaissance to mechanical watches; not so much a volume game as one of value and alignment with the best of the media, not the worst.
I do not pine for the past. People are far-better informed in today’s digital world.
It is also an advance, on balance, that anybody with an opinion, a joke or kitten video can broadcast it to the world.
But I am a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to the nature of publishing because, while so much has changed during my career, one important thing has remained the same.
It is the job of a professional media business or brand to build a valuable audience, and in essence rent that audience to advertisers.
This is precisely how social media influencers earn their money as well.
So, who have advertisers reached this year by working with WatchPro?
Online, WatchPro.com welcomed over 2 million users in 2023, up 120% on 2022 and these users generated 7.2 million page views, up 349%, and there is a week to go!
78.2 million of the visitors to WatchPro.com (over 1.5 million users) browse from their mobile phones.
According to Google Analytics, the top three profiles for visitors to WatchPro.com this year are “Shoppers/Shopping Enthusiasts”, “News & Politics/Avid News Readers/Entertainment News Enthusiasts” and “Travel/Travel Buffs”.
So far, so middle class.
Most visitors to WatchPro.com (817,423 users in 2023) come from the UK. The United States is second with 285,837. We also have a site USA.watchpro.com focused on that market, along with editions in German, French and Arabic. Get ready for Spanish in 2024.
I am proud of what the ever-growing WatchPro team has achieved this year, and look forward to learning what comes next.
We are always listening and learning and hope that our entrepreneurial spirit will keep us on track with our overriding mission: to become the world’s biggest watch title.
Enjoy your Christmas and I look forward to welcoming you back in the new year.
