Last week we designed a survey to get a better understanding of what works on the Nation Network and what doesn’t. The answers that came back were all across the spectrum – some provided great insight, others provided a good laugh, others made us want to rethink our chosen profession.
We sat down at Nation HQ this morning with a fresh glass of thinking Rye and read everyone’s responses – over 1100 in total! – from bow to stern. A big thank you goes out to everyone who took the time to answer this thing. Surveys are SO annoying – we appreciate you taking time out of your life to provide us with key information to drive our redevelopment.
Our summary findings can be found after the jump.
OVERALL
Survey results are always funny. I can see how people get ‘analysis paralysis’ when they have access to too much data. For every part of the site – every feature, every type of article, every writer – there are those who love it and seemingly equal numbers of people who hate it.
“More Wanye!” “Less Wanye!” “More polls!” “No polls!” the comments point in every direction under the sun.
“What do we do? Nothing? Everything? Fire everyone?! Rehire everyone at 5x the output!?” the brainstorming has been set to hurricane the entire morning as baggedmilk and your ol’ pal Wanye ran around the war room trying to take immediate action – whatever that action may be.
SATISFACTION
Well that reads pretty well. 95.7% of Nation Network readers are satisfied or very satisfied with the overall experience we are providing. If I had this high of a satisfaction rating among the womens I meet I wouldn’t need this platinum Tinder account on constant refresh.*
REGULAR READERSHIP
Is anyone working anymore? Thankfully the answer seems to be no. The mission of the Nation Network has been “give people stuff to do so they don’t have to work for a living, but still look like they are working for a living when someone casually passes by their office and see them staring intently at their computer screen.”
Mission accomplished.
WRITERS GOOD/WRITERS BAD
It seems as though Nation Network readers are divided equally into camps that love and hate every writer we have. For every “fire Gregor!” there was at least one “Gregor rules!” type comment and that went for every writer mentioned in the survey.
“What do we do? Fire everyone? Rehire everyone at 5x the output?” Baggedmilk and I ran around the war room at HQ equal parts panicking and taking decisive action like only people suddenly overwhelmed by data can do.
We currently have 49 writers across the Network. We will be announcing some new additions before the season starts in our climb to 100 writers under contract within 3 years. Hopefully they will all create the polarizing reactions our first half of the team have to date. Our awesome team of writers is the key to our success and that will forever be.
PAY MONEY – STAY FREE
One of the questions we asked was to gauge people’s thoughts on paying for premium content on the Nation Network. To be clear that doesn’t mean that all of a sudden we are going to be throwing up a paywall like the geniuses at the Edmonton Sun elected to do or something equally ham fisted to ruin everyone’s free fun.
The Nation Network will always be free to read all articles, use the tools and resources across our 9 sites. What we are trying to do is see “if we did something entirely new, would people pay for that in addition to the current free experience?”
Trying to find a way to monetize content driven websites like blogs is a tricky business. We are out pitching potential advertisers day after day and doing everything we can think of to grow traffic which in theory leads to more revenue with which to hire writers down the road. Cooking up plans for new premium pay features is part of that.
WHATS UP WITH YOU WANYE?
Enough people lipped me off in the comments that our cold lump of coal we call a heart was warmed. No, I haven’t quit writing for the sites. I did take the summer off from writing and don’t put out as much content as I used to in the golden era of the site where there were eight readers and we were all BFFs and chatted the day away. But as we will see in the lead up to the season beginning I haven’t been screwing the proverbial pooch all summer long.
I got a few things done in between “trying to help the Mud Howlers” and watching “Mexican Jersey Shore.”** You’ll see.
*Look for me I’m signed up as Gregor, Jason.
**Actual show, muy entertaino.
EVERYTHING AT THESE WEBSITES SUCKS LUCKY FOR YOU I LOVE THINGS I HATE
Is the Caps Lock on your keyboard stuck or you just like to yell?
Mostly yelling
Wanye, ur so dreamy…..
THANKS MOM!
*runs to buy a “thanks for supporting me in the comments section Mom” card at Rexall Drugs*
Love the website guys!!!! Keep it up!!!
MOAR WANYE!!! LET US KEEP LIVING IN THE PAST!!!
the village idiot has cash, beer and a rather unique whip.
I am somewhat envious.
This village idiot has also paid for my dinner at a ballin restaurant before and gave a 5 trillion dollar tip so he’s smarter than we think
I have sold all my organs.
There is no coming back.
Omg wanye what did u do???? http://wanye.gretz.mediafetcher.com/news/top_stories/actor_new_zealand.php
Thats HILARIOUS.
Copy and Paste the link folks
Time for a good laugh.
All the Nation needs is a “return to top” button at the bottom of the comments.
Well, I would hope that satisfaction is high. After all, why spend time on a site that leaves you dissatisfied?
As for premium content, what are you guys thinking? Pay to watch a live webcam positioned in a tree outside of Eb’s house? Pay to access video content of Strudwick, in his boxers, eating Cheerios writing an article in real time? A map of the proposed 2015 parade route? A Rexall Drugs bingo card of antidepressants where the winner gets to spend a day at Nation headquarters?
Fire baggedmilk! That guy sucks
The writing. The writers. Gregor, Brownlee, Wanye, BaggedMilk, Willis… the heated discussions. The positive, community-minded, charitable content.
I read the Network (and give to it’s causes) over other sites because you guys seem to cover everything, with a good dose of humor (mandatory for Oilers fans).
I myself am in the “very satisfied” category. Love the articles as much as the banter in the comments section. Love the diversity of writers too. Great balance, thanks guys. Keep it up!
I’m usually “very satisfied” after visiting two sites – this one and…
“Pay money” for the advanced stats articles please.
They are so valuable that we should all pay for the privilege of reading them.
Post them on a completely different site as not to confuse anyone.
WW
Nice try Willis.
LOL REMEMBER WHEN YOU AND MALCOLM LOST THE CAR AT THE MALL? THAT WAS SO FUNNY
I’m more curious what funny comment or remarks were posted as answers? I was sure a couple were directed at Baggedmilk and his wonderful mother! Ha
Der, hockey rules oilers ar grate and I m a spellin junky. Go oilres go
Best Oilers site out there. Bar none. No contest. Im late to the party but I have no problem shot-gunning to catch up. Or should I say Tkachup.
I see you’ve quickly picked up how things are done around here.
Go get em, Wanye, our intrepid gonzo bloggist extraordinaire!
PS – what if we were paid to comment? Trash means no Props mean yes.
It would only exacerbate the issue of Trolls. It would be the snake eating its own tail until noone was left or those that remain abandon ship to go to Pierre Lebrun’s page.
Why ruin a good thing? This site is by far the better of the Nation sites. Good coverage, good writters and good topic….The Mighty Oil.
Two non-nation sites spread the word of Laffs and Habs on a daily basis (seems these sites seem to forget that Canada has 7 NHL teams). ON does everything an Oilers fan can hope for in reference to coverage.
Full speed ahead!
A poll taken at the end of a summer is a risky thing for a blog like this…there is way more satisfaction when a trade deadline is coming up and everyone has an opinion on what Sam Gagner is going to get in a return, or when we have the opportunity to draft Taylor or Tyler, etc…you get the point. Satisfaction is much higher when there is managerial activity during a season as opposed to the end of a summer full of blogs where content is filled with very deep, detailed analysis about a small intricate part of the game that goes unnoticed by 95% of fans.
Also, satisfaction would be higher likely just by having the team play better…
And my guess is if the team was at the top of the charts amazingly good, then we wouldn’t need to blog about as much. You guys picked a good time to build this business!
I’ve had the opportunity to talk with Wanye. He’s kind of smart like that.
UNLIKE FAKE WANYE WANNABBEES!!! MWA-WAAAAA!!!
Did you call yourself Wanye to talk to Wanye? Won’t this open up some sort of black hole?
Keep up the great work, boys!
I have a unique set of circumstances as I’m originally from Alberta but now live stateside and NOT in a hockey market. I’ll have the center ice online package this season, but the only time I ever get to watch the flames or oilers is when they play on HNIC (thank God I still have CBC coverage!) or when they play the Wild.
If it wasn’t for the nation network, I’d be lost! I try to explain to people what hockey is for me, but they don’t understand the cultural significance (many of you probably don’t even realize it because you’re around and involved in it daily); they just don’t get it.
This is where I come when I’m homesick. I don’t care about trolls battling it out on one site or another; that’s part of being a fan in Alberta and something that used to happen daily when I could be around my friends and family.
This site does more for me than you could ever know, so thank you a thousand times over for providing me with a virtual home!
Please excuse me now. I have to go lock myself in my closet, turn on Paul Bryant’s “Alberta Bound,” curl into the fetal position and quietly weep. . .
As someone who completely forgot to answer your survey, I’ll tell you this:
Keep doing what you’re doing.
What if that includes “trying to rid myself of body lice?” At some point shouldn’t I be cured?
I wish there was some way to eliminate all of the commenters who haven’t been with the site at least 5 years and not affect your traffic. That would greatly enhance my experience.
Asphinctersayswhat??
I love the website, though I find myself checking in much less in the offseason, as opposed to the season where I check it multiple times in a day!
Why no announcement of Serious Gord signing on to become a staff writer? You guys want to stir the pot and generate a little or maybe a lot of controversy? Serious Gord is your man.
He is 100% right 100% of the time and he’s a close personal friend of Stauffer so he has the inside pipeline to Katz. That’s something that no writer for the nation has. Hahaha.
Nice try Serious Gord.
I’m sensing a pattern here. Can’t quiiiite put my finger on it, but hmmm… something is…I dunno…odd to say the least.