Unique readers in October, as recorded by Nielsen Market Intelligence, totalled 597 466. This represents a 40,7% increase over the average unique readership for the previous quarter (July-September 2008) which was 424 676 unique readers.
“What's more remarkable about this figure, is that readership figures normally slide following the launch of an online site redesign,” says Rikus Delport, general manager of Fin24. “We're immensely pleased with this performance.”
Fin24.com's redesign took a painstaking nine months to complete and involved the redevelopment of many of its back-end features, including new subscription products and an improved registration process.
The site itself was redesigned to provide readers with clearer navigation options, as well as present Fin24.com as a cleaner, more focused publication in line with its strategic editorial goals.
Says David McKay, editor of Fin24.com: “The site is now positioned to become a destination site of choice, providing hugely enhanced original content produced by Fin24's award-winning team of financial journalists.”
Page impressions during October increased to 5,29 million from 2,95 million in September, a near doubling month-on-month and reflecting both the improved readability of Fin24.com as well as the high interest in finance during this period.
“We are lucky we relaunched Fin24.com in October because that's when the global financial crisis struck, a development that focused the eyes of the world on broad business topics,” says McKay.
“But you also make your own luck: the redesign and improved original content offering helped Fin24.com to capitalise on this news flow.”
Fin24.com is promising more developments in 2009, including a concerted move into multi-media with podcast and video offerings. It is also beefing up its team of financial journalists in order to entrench its position as a provider of original content.
