• by September 14, 2000

In major markets across the country, online newspapers are some of the most recognized and visited websites among local-oriented Internet destinations, according to marketing research firm NFO AD:IMPACT, a company of NFO Worldwide, and member of The Interpublic Group of Companies.

According to the data, which aggregated survey results from more than 10,000 online consumers across 17 major local markets between January and June 2000, two-thirds (66%) of all online consumers, on average, were aware of online newspaper web sites. In contrast, an average of about one-third (34%) of online consumers were aware of local competitive city guide sites. Further, nearly half (48%) of online consumers had visited the local newspaper site, on average, and more than 22% had visited in the past 30 days. In comparison, across these same markets, only an average of 16% of online consumers had ever visited the local city guide sites measured and less than 5% visited in the past month.

From a projected total population perspective for those 17 major markets, NFO AD:IMPACT estimates that nearly five million online users (4.97M) had visited the newspaper sites in the previous 30 days, almost twice as many as the combined traffic of the local city guides assessed in those same markets.

Since the end of 1998, NFO AD:IMPACT has been tracking on a quarterly basis online consumers' use of various websites across many of the nation's major local markets. By focusing its research effort on the local marketplace and, more specifically, on how local online consumers use web sites to assist with both online and offline shopping, NFO's research offers a unique perspective of Internet usage not currently provided by more well-known, national web measurement services.

In addition to driving strong traffic numbers, online newspapers also drive a higher volume of more "valuable traffic" as it relates to potential online advertisers and their efforts to attract shoppers. As a result of visiting the newspaper web sites examined in this research, nearly 1.4 million online consumers report contacting a business in the previous 30 days and more than half of those 750,000 made purchases (either online or offline). Again, both of those numbers exceed the combined figures for the local city guides assessed in this study.

The 17 major markets and online newspapers examined in this investigation include: Atlanta and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's ajc.com; Boston and New York Times Digital's boston.com, Chicago and Tribune Interactive's Chicagotribune.com, Denver and the Denver Post Online, Detroit and KnightRidder.com's Detroit Free Press, Ft. Lauderdale and Tribune Interactive's Sun-Sentinel.com, Los Angeles and Latimes.com, Miami and Knightridder.com's The Miami Herald Internet Edition; Minneapolis and StarTribune.com, New Orleans and Advance Internet's NOLA Live, Orlando and Tribune Interactive's Orlando Sentinel Online, Phoenix and the Arizona Republic's AZCe