As most of you know, I’ve recently conducted a survey to get some feedback about this blog.
Between December 1st, 2006 and January 8, 2007, 77 readers (about 3 times more than the previous year) took the time to answer 10 questions.
With the 50,670 (about 5 times more than the previous year) unique visitors this blog received in 2006, this survey isn’t probably statistically representative. But, it definitely gives a good picture of this blog’s most involved and active readers.
So let’s find out who you are and what you think about this blog:
1. What’s your position? Are you a…
- Web professional (Webmaster, Web designer, Web developer, Web manager, etc.) 61.3%
- PR/marketing/communication professional (writer, assistant, manager, director, etc.) 17.3%
- Admission professional (recruiter, assistant, manager, director, etc.) 9.3%
- Higher ed executive (president, VP, associate VP, provost, dean, etc.) 5.3%
- Other 6.7%
2. For what type of institution/organization do you work?
- Public university 40.0%
- Private university 17.3%
- Public 4-year college 9.3%
- Private 4-year college 9.3%
- For-profit university/college/school 6.7%
- Vendor/consulting firm 5.3%
- None of the above 12.0%
Several respondents pointed out they work for community colleges. I’ll make sure to add this category next year.
3. Where did you hear about collegewebeditor.com?
- On another blog 32.0%
- On search engines (Google, Yahoo, etc.) 24.0%
- On Technorati 6.7%
- Uwebd/CASE mailing listserv 10.7%
- At the office, from a coworker 9.3%
- At a conference 6.7%
- Somewhere else 18.7%
I should probably have added University Business as an option, which might account for some of the 18% who’ve heard about this blog “somewhere else.”
4. How often do you read collegewebeditor.com?
- As often as Karine posts 57.3%
- Twice a week 10.7%
- Once a week 20.0%
- Once a month 5.3%
- Less often 6.7%
Wow! 88% of the survey respondents check in at least once a week…
5. How long have you been reading collegewebeditor.com?
- Just found it 14.7%
- Less than a month 12.0%
- For a few months 37.3%
- More than 6 months 36.0%
6. How do you get updated about the availability of new posts on collegewebeditor.com?
- RSS: web-based reader (Bloglines, my Yahoo, Google reader, etc.) 37.3%
- RSS: desktop reader (Firefox, Outlook plug-in, etc.) 24.0%
- Watchlists on specific tags/keywords (Technorati, Topix, etc.)
- Email newsletter 16.0%
- Checking the homepage from time to time 22.7%
With 61.3% of survey respondents getting updates via RSS, it’s hard to invest the time on the homepage redesign. But, I’m going to try to make things a bit easier for the readers who still get their collegewebeditor dose in a browser.
7. What type of posts do you find the most interesting?
- News about initiatives in universities or colleges 69.3%
- News about interesting research (surveys, studies, white papers, etc.) 66.7%
- Commentary about trends in higher education 64.0%
- How-to’s and tips 58.7%
- Higher Ed Web Pro Files (Interviews of Web professionals) 44.0%
- 3 questions to a higher ed blogger (Interviews of blogger from higher education) 25.3%
- Link lists 20.0%
I guess I need to focus a bit more on what’s done in different institutions.
8. Why don’t you recommend collegewebeditor.com more often at work or in conferences?
- There’s really nothing worth sharing 1.3%
- It’s good, but it’s really too focused on what I – and only I – do at my institution 22.7%
- It’s too good to be shared. I prefer to keep it to myself 5.3%
- To recommend collegewebeditor.com to others? Never thought of it. I’m just going to do it right away! 24.0%
- I really don’t know 46.7%
Many respondents mentioned that I really need to add another answer for this last question, because they DO recommend the blog all the time (or at least often). This explains the high percentage of people who picked “don’t know” as several of them gave this explanation in their answer to the open-ended question to justify their choice in #8.