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2010-01-29 11:36:56.19-05 |
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It isn't often that I write an article focusing solely on the website aspect of Needle 'n Thread. In fact, it's been over a year and a half since I've actually spilled forth about the website itself, what it is, what you'll find on it, and where it's going. For faithful readers who have been here for a long while (the website's over 3.5 years old now), what's on Needle 'n Thread might not be new information for you. But for those of you who have joined my needlework journeys relatively recently, you may find that a little orientation will help you find your way around the website with a bit more ease. Old Timers and Newbies alike may find my current stats information interesting, and hopefully, you'll all be keen to know what's coming up in the future of Needle 'n Thread. So please bear with me, while I babble a bit about my online home!
Finding Your Way around Needle 'n Thread
The last time I mentioned in detail the organizational set-up on Needle 'n Thread was well over a year and a half ago. Given the growth of the website in the last year, I thought perhaps I should acquaint and re-acquaint readers with the website's current organizational "system," so that you can get the most out of your visits to Needle 'n Thread. You may also find some hidden gems of information or inspiration that you didn't know were here!
Lost in the recesses of 3.5 years of posting, you'll find my Orientation Page of the website. This is a good place to start exploring Needle 'n Thread, and to get a feel for what's on the website and where to find it.
Needle 'n Thread Website Statistics
I'd like to share some statistics with you, not for the sake of horn-blowing, but rather so you know where the website's been and where it's going.
I haven't been one to linger much on website stats. When I first started Needle 'n Thread, I had no idea what I was doing as far as blogging is concerned, and I had no visions of popularity or grandeur - my website was merely meant to be a teaching tool, an extension of the embroidery classes I was teaching during the summer months. Still, the website has enjoyed some growth, thanks to you, of course!
As far as statistics go, I'll speak in term of "visits" (numbers of people actually visiting the website), as opposed to "hits" (which are simply requests for files by a user-agent, and do not necessarily translate into the number of people actually visiting a website).
Last year in January, 2009, Needle 'n Thread received 8.5K - 9.5K visits per day (up to almost 60,000 visits a week). For a narrow niche like hand embroidery, I'm told this is good.
As of this January, 2010, the site receives between 13K-15K visits a day, and averages around 90K-93K visits a week, which strikes me as a nice growth rate.
Last January, 2009, Needle 'n Thread had a total of 1,674 daily readers who subscribed to the website via a feedreader or through the daily e-mail newsletter.
This January, 2010, Needle 'n Thread has over 3,200 daily readers who subscribe to the webfeed or the daily e-mail newsletter.
(Good golly, three thousand regular readers?! I never, ever expected those kinds of numbers! It's rather humbling! Thanks for your confidence and interest, dear readers!)
Where Needle 'n Thread is Going
This is a difficult subject, because I'm not 100% clear on the topic myself right now! I find myself in a situation where I have to make some serious changes to the website. This is actually a hosting problem, which I hope will be rectified through some serious tweaking, a different method of hosting, and even a complete overhaul of the website itself. In the next couple months, I'll be working towards this end with some professional help, and in the process, there may be some glitches. Please bear with me!
Once the technical difficulties are squared away, I'll be adding some new features to the site and actually offering a couple products / services. This latter part is taking me a heap o' work right now! I'm excited about it, but a bit nervous!
One thing that won't change: valuable, free daily content on subjects related to hand-embroidery - the same type of content you've enjoyed up to now, and that I've enjoyed putting together.
I hope you'll stick with me through the transitions in the months to come! If you have any questions, comments, and suggestions, you are always welcome to contact me. I always look forward to hearing from readers, and I like to be able to tailor the site to your interests, so don't hesitate to write!
And finally, thank YOU so much for your encouragement and accompaniment during my needlework explorations! I've learned so much and have been so inspired by the kindness and generosity of the online needlework community! I hope the rest of this year sees continued interest and growth in the art of embroidery so that we, and future generations, may continue to enjoy this art we all love so well!
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