By: ConsumerReports.org will announce Thursday morning that it has exceeded one million active paid subscribers, becoming the first Web site to do so. The site launched in November 1997.
The online companion to
Consumer Reports magazine was one of the first Web sites to charge for access. "When we started ConsumerReports.org five years ago as an independent, paid subscription site, we were pioneers," said Consumers Union Executive Vice President Joel Gurin in a statement. "By reaching one million paid online subscribers, our site has proven that people will pay for truly unbiased, expert content."
Like its print parent, ConsumerReports.org has never accepted advertising. The company instead relies on its readers to support its unbiased consumer research. An annual subscription is $24 (or $19 for current
Consumer Reports print subscribers).
Only a few online publishers have had success charging for their content, primarily those who publish unique niche content that can't be found elsewhere. Some daily newspapers are trying the strategy, but some research shows that they've had little success in converting free Web users into paying customers.
A recent study from the Online Publishers Association and comScore Networks found that U.S. consumers spent $675 million for online content in 2001, a 92% increase over 2000 spending. During the first quarter of 2002, the top paid content categories were business/financial, entertainment, and personals/dating.
In terms of Web content revenue during 2001, ConsumerReports.org ranked fifth after Real.com, WSJ.com, Match.com, and Yahoo.com, according to the comScore report.
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