From CMO.com, they highlight the Adobe Digital Insights report. The headline draws you in but there’s a lot of information in the post on the entire report.
The report highlights a pitiful .01% growth rate in traffic. That statistic drives the headline but the image above tell you that even though automatic growth can’t just be expected because lots of people are using the internet for the first time. But what’s really interesting is the detail on who’s winning and losing.
According to ADI’s “Advertising Demand Report 2016–North America,” 62% of websites increased their visits by 51% over the past three years. Among the 38% that declined, the average visit shrunk 31%.
ADI examined the key attributes of websites that have maintained traffic growth. The first finding: Websites doing well from a traffic perspective don’t rely just on branding. They also use paid channels, such as email, social media, and display advertising, to drive visits. – Read more at: http://scl.io/l2Z0DCK7#gs.XripX4w
Even more interesting are the characteristics of those who experienced growth.
“We’re finding websites that are winning aren’t resting on the strength of their brands alone to drive traffic,” Tasker said. “They have a 360-degree strategy, surrounding people in various channels and platforms to drive traffic to their sites.” – Read more at: http://scl.io/l2Z0DCK7#gs.XripX4w
That jives with what we are seeing anecdotally at our clients. The sites focused on the experience and on understanding and delivering real value to a user are the sites that see users return more often and who see new users.
It’s worth reading the entire report though. Lots of other graphs and insights.