How do we balance clicks and newsworthiness? How do we balance cute puppies and reform needed in government? Many websites feel the need to pad the latter with the former to ensure traffic. Those websites might even get the traffic they desire, but the quality of that traffic can greatly diminish when following this practice.
Those who have been the most successful in attracting traffic are websites who know its audience and its goals. When these two components have been outlined well, the task of financially supporting a website comes more organically.
Many websites gear themselves toward attracting everyone and anyone. They support themselves with advertisements or donations, and cast a net over as many different people as possible.
That’s usually not the most impactful way to make money for the website, according to Dana Chin. As a media analytics strategist, Chinn gauges success with the use of a funnel. She says the most successful websites operate under a “U” shaped funnel: target a group at the top and try not to lose too many of them as they maneuver through the site, eventually completing a goal.
That goal could be clicking on an ad, or purchasing something. Either way, the funnel should resemble a “U” because that determines if the site is going after the right audience.
For many journalistic websites, the business model has been fairly simple: find a way to get the funds to keep producing stories. Within this, there are a myriad of anxieties about how to keep these funds from affecting the work they produce. Two websites have taken a successful angle in straddling this line.
The Texas Tribune knows its audience and its goals. The political bunch that reads their content doesn’t want to see bright flashing ads. That’s likely why there’s a limit of three ads to any page. Even in choosing their ads, they’re careful. People are usually less likely to be put off by ads about universities in the area. And what better a way to marry your audience to your goals, than to place an ad to a government website where they can voice their opinions. Texas Tribune makes thoughtful decisions about the ads they place on their site, so as not to distract away from their main purpose.
The Texas Tribune also depends on donations. This model works well especially for journalistic websites, because there’s a market of people willing to donate money if the organization produces impactful stories. For a journalist, this is the best way to balance the funds necessary to survive with telling stories.
The Texas Tribune isn’t alone in this method. Mother Jones, a bi-monthly magazine and news site, while on the other side of the political scale, uses the same combination of ads and donations to sustain itself.
It’s important to note that sites like the Texas Tribune and Mother Jones use transparency to bridge the gap between what they do and who pays them to do it. Open communication and careful choices in accepting funding, keeps its audience happy, which in turn ensures the success of the site.