Online PR: News and Views from ://CORPORACT

UK Newspaper Websites Continue To Increase Traffic

The Telegraph.co.uk was the most popular UK newspaper website in March 2009, according to the latest figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulations Electronic.

Its 27,708,274 unique users, and more than 1.5 million unique users from the short month of February to March this year, relates to the equivalent of an 8% month-on-month rise and 63% increase over March 2008.

At the same time, the previous month’s leader, the Sun Online, recorded a dramatic decline of 6 million unique users, falling 22% month on month to 21,248,552.  Its previously figures were helped by popular stories relating to Jade Goody and Alfie Patten.

The Guardian.co.uk continues to maintain a year on year traffic increase – up by 40% (including MediaGuardian.co.uk)

Up year on year was Mail Online by 32% from March last year and 9% from February.

The Times Online increased its unique users by 34% year on year.

The Independent.co.uk recorded 10,034,148 unique users, equivalent to a 90% rise from March last year and a 7% increase month on month.

Mirror Group Digital also claimed a record month, with 7,138,013 unique users during March, up 2% from February and a 62% increase on March 2008.

The challenge for all these groups will be securing the advertisers as well as building on SEO stories and users.

Social Media: Web 3.0

Tim Berners Lee the man who invented the (first) World Wide Web thinks that that the advent of Web 3.0 will introduce technologies capable of reinventing the internet as we know it, bringing with it many breathtaking propositions that effectively turn the online world into one big database.

Web 2.0 has had its good points.  It’s people friendly, social, interactive ...but... it's time consuming.  In essence it has created a world of time wasters and people blathering on about nothing in particular.

Then there’s also the problem that anyone thinks they can set up a business without having a business model. 

There is a danger that eventually Web 2.0 could end in a trickle with everyone with interesting applications running out of money and their social “audiences” running out of interesting things to say or simply talking to themselves? 

I for one am quite looking forward to seeing the development of Web 3.0.  Hopefully it will bring in some good technology and add “meaningful” to the conversation.