Daily Archive for May 2nd, 2008

“State of the Blog” address (or a bunch of stats)

Well, it’s about time I did a state of the blog address. The best way to determine how a web site is doing, is by looking at the stats. No matter how you look at it, Access Niagara and the Niagara Falls Blog are growing well.

First, here are the stats (as of the end of April 2008):

Traffic

  • Jan 2007 - 3,410
  • Jan 2008 - 9,595 (up 181%)
  • Feb 2007 - 3,359
  • Feb 2008 - 11,171 (up 232%)
  • Mar 2007 - 3,772
  • Mar 2008 - 13,618 (up 261%)
  • Apr 2007 - 2,336
  • Apr 2008 - 12,638 (up 441%)
  • Total traffic (unique visitors) for Jan - Apr 2007 - 12,877
  • Total traffic (unique visitors) for Jan - Apr 2007 - 47,022 (up 265%)

Total Posts

  • Jan-07 - 37
  • Jan-08 – 66
  • Feb-07 - 49
  • Feb-08 – 80
  • Mar-07 - 69
  • Mar-08 – 67
  • Apr-07 - 58
  • Apr-08 – 70
  • Total posts for Jan - Apr 2007 - 213
  • Total posts for Jan - Apr 2008 - 283
  • Month with most postings ever - 87 in August 2007

Comments

  • Total comments for Jan - Apr 2007 - 419 Comments
  • Total comments for Jan - Apr 2008 - 2,331 Comments
  • Total number of comments – 5,032

Top 5 commented posts

Top 3 categories

Niagara Falls Image Gallery

  • Total number of pictures in Niagara Falls Image Gallery - 2,320

Link Tracking (link visiting)

  • Total number of tracked links (all time) – 1,399
  • Total number of click-throughs (all time) – 92,548

Top 5 clicked links

YouTube Videos

  • Total number of YouTube video views - 22 videos, 30,594 views

Top 5 YouTube Videos

Now, what does all this mean?

The site is doing great. Obviously the site is drawing in more people than before. The publicity from the Niagara This Week article and the interview on 610 CKTB helped, but not as much as I’d hoped.

I guess I always come back to the question of where do I want this to go? I guess I don’t really know. I supposed ultimately if I could make hundreds of thousands of dollars from the site I’d quit my “day job” and do this full time, but that isn’t going to happen. All I can say is that I want the site to keep growing. I need to keep coming up with good content. I need to keep posting pictures and videos. I certainly need to get moving on the main part of the site (not just the blog).

I have things to do, but you have things to do as well. I need your help! I’m not a marketing guy. I’m having a hard time getting the word about the site. If you know anyone from radio, newspaper, or TV in your area, mention the site and suggest that they feature it. If you have a web site of your own, link to me. If you come to Niagara Falls, let the various operators know that you read about their attraction/hotel/restaurant on Access Niagara or the Niagara Falls Blog. If you’ve been lurking around but haven’t been leaving any comments, please join in! If you have things to say or have found something out, email me and I’ll post what I can.

Thank you all for your help. I look forward to more exciting times ahead!

Maid of the Mist getting ready to open

According to the article in the Review, the Maid of the Mist is supposed to open today. I haven’t been by today, so I don’t know if it is indeed open or not. I did, however, walk by yesterday and took these pictures:

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A boat at the dock

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Three other boats waiting (probably won’t be used until it gets busier)

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This is where the boats are stored in the winter

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A man cleaning the plaza area

The Fury is revealed!

Along with the article in the Niagara Falls Review yesterday, the Niagara Parks Commission also sent around an email about Niagara’s Fury:

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If you click through to the site, there is a teaser that explains more details about the ride. It sounds pretty neat.

New projects offer hope for tourism industry

From the Niagara Falls Review:

It’s no secret that given the economic uncertainty in 2008, this year is expected to be a soft – read lousy – year for tourism.

Gasoline prices are through the roof and they are expected to go even higher this summer. Food prices are also increasing, thanks in large part to the higher costs associated with gasoline and oil.

When people spend more on the essentials, they have less to spend on their holiday. One U.S. study has concluded that American families planning to take a summer vacation is at a 30-year low. It’s no wonder.

U.S. soldiers are dying in Iraq. The economy is in the tank.

Yet, despite the doom and gloom, there is still reason to be optimistic about the future of the tourism industry in Niagara Falls.

It’s nice to have an optimistic article every once in a a while…