In a departure from my usual editorial style, I have deliberately used a sensational headline to grab your attention.
The future of alderleyedge.com hangs in the balance. Unless things radically change the service I provide is simply not sustainable.
alderleyedge.com is now three and a half years old, during which time I have worked tirelessly to deliver a quality product that I believe has had a positive impact on the community.
alderleyedge.com now receives over 15,000 unique browsers and 38,000 visits (user sessions) a month across the web site and our mobile app. To put that into context the population of Alderley Edge is circa 5,000 and the circulation of the Wilmslow Express in Alderley Edge (SK9 7) is 1,691.
It is almost certainly the leading local media, on or offline, in Alderley Edge by a significant margin.
Despite the success in building an engaged and loyal audience I have failed to generate revenue anywhere near commensurate with the time and effort involved in almost single handedly running this website, along with wilmslow.co.uk, prestbury.com and knutsford.com.
Whilst the local audience has predominantly moved online the marketing budgets of local and regional businesses, and organisations such as the Council, have not followed that trend.
During this slow and progressive transition from print to digital the economics of providing news and information at a local level are broken. This is a problem companies large and small around the world are wrestling with from traditional local newspapers to AOL in the US who has spent over $130m rolling out its patch.com web sites.
No one at this point appears to have an answer to the problem but Martin and I are passionate about Alderley Edge and committed to trying to make alderleyedge.com work.
We are currently undertaking a complete review of the alderleyedge.com proposition with the intention of launching a new web site, that not only better serves our readers but also gives local businesses and organisations more ways to connect with the local community.
In order to help us we are asking for five minutes of your time. We have put together a short survey that will help us better understand what is important to our readers and provide us with information that will hopefully help make alderleyedge.com commercially viable and ensure its longevity.
UPDATE 1st Nov: We have now closed our survey. Many thanks to all of you that took the time to respond. It is greatly appreciated.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
give me a shout, I'm certain something can be doe with figures like that
revenue streams can easily be generated. Gx
Please don't disappear, I think you would be greatly missed. Your interesting presentations give local people the opportunity to see what is really going on in the area and to share their views and ambitions for the village.
I appreciate everything you say but hope you manage to find a workable solution. Thank you for your great website, it's great.
I'm sure that, as Sue has said, if larger advertisers are not forthcoming, then most of us I am sure would pay - like the Times - for info, Plus put in a small charge for the App.
It would be a great tragedy for the village if you were to close. I hope that from the post more Wilmslow and Knutsford businesses come forward to help support you.
No other website covers such a diverse range of issues.
I guess that all you can do in the end is to levy a subscription and then see if enough people are interested - I have my doubts as most of us think that there IS such a thing as a free lunch - of course there isn't.
I think that if you have to depend on ads for your revenue the site would be the worse for it.
Good luck, whatever.
Any surplus after site running costs could be given to a suitable local charity. Just my twopennyworth...
survey. We received over 400 responses within 48 hours and people have provided some very interesting feedback and suggestions.
We have also received a lot of emails from readers and some very kind words from people so thank you.
If you have not yet completed the survey and have 5 minutes please do, your
feedback would be much appreciated.
The economy is picking up; so let's not lose alderleyedge.com at this time.
If you use a local facility, tell them if you saw them on alderleyedge.com.
Use alderleyedge.com more, to encourage advertisers.
Hopefully many more people who have made their life in Alderley Edge would do so too, anxious, as I am, to see a real 'sense of community' grow here.
Hopefully local and national businesses will then use the opportunity to advertise on the site. With excellent software available to all today it is easy to provide Lisa with prepared 'ready to go' copy. It must make commercial sense!
Best wishes