The first post on the Sterling Adventures Blog was created two years ago on 28th December 2005. Although the web site itself was only launched in March 2006. So, a bit like the Queen, we have two birthdays – 28th December and 16th March.
Whatever the exact date, back when the blog was conceived the catalyst for it’s creation was to keep in contact with our friend’s adventures around the world, and vice versa. And wow it’s grown! To quote one of those friends –
“The blog has become like a newspaper, hasn’t it? Can’t believe how it’s grown?? I no longer read the Daily Mail, just the blog!”
Look at these statistics (and they grow every month):
- From just one author when the blog was started in December 2005, we now have 15 published authors.
- So far we have peaked at well over 130,000 hits per month.
- There are 400 posts, that’s more than 16 posts every month. Considering that the authors are all “weekend warriors”, that’s an average of four posts every weekend. Any one of those posts might write about hundreds of metres of Alpine climbing, miles of mountain biking, or a multi-day ski tour. Some achievement fitted in between working for a living and the fickle weather!
- Remembering that most of the posts represent at least a full day out in the mountains, and that many represent a whole week or more of continuous activity. That’s over a year of constant back-to-back adventuring.
- There are nearly 600 regular readers – people who have come back to the site more than once.
- Plus at least another 1500 new readers every month – people that have never been to the site before (unless they’ve cleared their browser cache).
- There are reports from adventures in 16 countries (Australia, Austria, Canada, Croatia, France, Greece, Greenland, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, USA, Wales, and of course England).
If we’d started the blog a month earlier we could have reports from Nepal too! - Already 31 different types of adventure are discussed (with the main categories being – Biking, Caving, Climbing, Family & Friends, Fun, Running, Skydiving, Snow Sports, Walking, and Water Sports). Who knows where or what the next adventure might contain…
- Much of the traffic now comes from Google search referrals.
One of the more surprising examples, especially considering the blog is focused on (mountainous) adventuring, is that we get 1000s of hits from people searching for “Marchioness Duchamp” (a murder mystery character).
I check the site every day to see what adventures others might have posted, it’s so exciting to get a surprise when there’s a new post. It’s almost like you’ve played some small part in, or experienced a little of everyone’s adventures too! Awesome. What a tremendous success!
Keep visiting. But most of all, get out and have an adventure to keep those posts coming… π
Interesting statistics. Who on earth are the 600 readers??? (You obviously have lots of friends!)
I have no idea, but I think you’re one of them. π
Pete, I think one of the main reasons the blog has done so well is the amount of work you yourself have put into it. Your enthusiasm acts as a great encouagement to the authors; the bulliying also helps.
PS When I find out what a browser cache is I’ll clear it between visits to help the stats.
Thanks Colin. But I think most of the credit goes to the quality and diversity of the articles! π