Australian radio stations are ahead of the curve when
it comes to making the most of their Web sites according to research by Arbitron.
Many Australian sites include the most desired features
listed in an Arbitron study on visitors to radio
station Web sites, including links to on-air
broadcasts, local concert schedules, online contests,
and playlists of song titles and artists.
How can you design your Web site to best serve your
on-air listeners, and make the site a destination in
and of itself?
According to Arbitron study Radio Station Web Site Content: An
In-Depth Look, part of an ongoing series of studies
by Arbitron and Edison Media Research on Internet and
media use, listeners have a definite list of things
they want on a station’s Web site.
The findings are from America, but the insights
translate to Australia.
One major finding from Arbitron’s Web site content
study, which conducted a “pop-up” survey of more than
14,000 U.S. radio station Web site visitors, was that 76% of web site visitors are stations’ first preference (P1), listeners. “So the more you
please your Web site visitors, the better you are
serving your most valuable on-air listeners.”
Of the formats studied, only News/Talk and Classical
stations received a large number of Web site visitors
who didn’t listen over the air.
The Top Five reasons to visit a station’s website in the survey were:
1. Ability to listen to the station on-line.
2. Finding out who is coming to town – concert information.
Arbitron says “There’s a real opportunity for concert promoters and
stations to work together to better promote concerts.
Excellent examples of this are The Edge 96.1 in
Sydney’s Greater West, 101.7 HO-FM in Hobart,
Adelaide’s Interactive Radio 5AA and Perth’s new NOVA
93.7. Stations can sell tie-in ad packages including
radio AND online, all while helping listeners find
what they want. MiX 106.3 Canberra has taken
advantage of this opportunity by featuring its
sponsor Actew AGL.”
3. To find out titles and artists of songs
recently played on the station.
4. Online contests.
5. Programming Information.