Web Site Customer Satisfaction Means Repeat Visits For The News, Too
Ann Arbor-based ForeSee Results has long shown through its research that Web site visitor satisfaction is a key to loyalty and repeat visits for e-commerce sites.
Now, new research shows it's also a key for loyalty and repeat visits when all a Web site does is give the news.
ForeSee Results surveyed nearly 45,000 visitors to news and entertainment Web sites in March and compared the behaviors of highly satisfied site visitors (those with satisfaction at 80 or higher on ForeSee's 100-point scale) to the future behaviors of less satisfied site visitors (those with satisfaction at 69 or below).
The news benchmark shows that based on likelihood scores, highly satisfied visitors to news websites report being:
* 41 percent more likely than less satisfied visitors to return to the Web site again, which means visit frequency and engagement that translates directly into value for advertisers.
* 71 percent more likely to recommend the website to a friend, family member or colleague.
The ForeSee Results news benchmark includes websites like The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Automotive News, Auto Week, Belo, Forbes, International Data Group, and the Weather Channel. Aggregate satisfaction for this benchmark is 77, and individual company scores within the benchmark span a 17-point range from 72 to 86.
"It's a huge advantage to be able to compare ourselves to other news media companies that are measured by ForeSee Results using ACSI scores," said Bruce Rogers, Chief Brand Officer at Forbes. "I think news and media sites like us that are leveraging the power of ForeSee Results to actually ask our clients about their needs and expectations will naturally have a competitive edge. ForeSee Results helps us understand how to prioritize the many, many things our readers want into a manageable list of improvements that has a tangible impact on loyalty, return visits, brand image, and even advertising."
"ForeSee Results gives us a full view of our media properties using the web as a key point of interaction," said Mike Lupo, Senior Director of Digital Products for the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "The actionable voice of customer data we get tells us who our readers are and which improvements we can make which increase their likelihood of returning to our sites in the future and using the site as their primary local news source."
Satisfaction also has a huge value to visitors to entertainment sites, which often include advertising but always benefit from volume and frequency of site visits. Highly satisfied visitors to entertainment sites report being:
* 39 percent more likely than less satisfied visitors to return to the website again, which means more frequency and engagement.
* 55 percent more likely to recommend the website to a friend, family member or colleague.
The ForeSee Results entertainment benchmark includes websites like ESPN, Six Flags, and Sony Pictures. Aggregate satisfaction for this benchmark is 77, and individual company scores within the benchmark span a 17-point range from 65 to 82.
"We are helping many types of news, media, and entertainment clients use customer intelligence to answer the most pressing issues facing them," said Eric Feinberg, industry director for ForeSee Results' media and entertainment practice. "We're giving clients actionable insights that determine their course of action when it comes to content development, subscription options, advertising value, audience segmentation and helping them piece together the full picture of the customer experience -- before, during, and after the Web visit."
More at www.ForeSeeResults.com.
