Some Stats Comparing the Old vs New SM

Darter02Darter02 Registered Users Posts: 947 Major grins
edited August 5, 2014 in SmugMug Support
Usually posts here are just about problems. This post is actually to compliment Smugmug on the new site. While it's been frustrating at times sorting out new interfaces, loosing some functions, and not having JavaScript, etc., overall I am very pleased. I've read a lot of comments from SM staff, Baldy included, that say SM folks don't like to come here due to the venom. Well, here's a post in thanks!

While I don't command a huge audience, I've definitely seen a huge uptick in traffic and user engagement. Out of curiosity this morning I compared the same periods for both my old site here, and now the new one. While there has been a lot of additional work added this past winter, overall I believe it's the new site that really makes it easier for folks to engage with my stuff.

I see people using the slideshow feature a lot more. Also, directing people to use the social media buttons via the Right Click message has meant more traffic from those uses. You guys rock!

Old Site - January to End of April 2013

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New Site - January to End of April 2014

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Comments

  • Seth SSeth S Registered Users Posts: 47 Big grins
    edited April 30, 2014
    Thanks so much for sharing! We do appreciate the kind words. We're very glad to hear you're enjoying New SmugMug and have seen an uptick in activity.
  • zcrookstonzcrookston Registered Users Posts: 21 Big grins
    edited April 30, 2014
    Wow Ron, what a unique site. I'm impressed with your customizations and original content. You do great work.
    www.zcphotography.com
  • Hikin' MikeHikin' Mike Registered Users Posts: 5,467 Major grins
    edited April 30, 2014
    Interesting. My SM site didn't change much, if anything it went down. Same thing with my Wordpress site.

    Smugmug
    Jan - April 2013
    i-3JWpHz9-M.jpg

    Jan - April 2014
    i-m8n5VRm-M.jpg


    Wordpress
    Jan - April 2013
    i-dKfbwFT-M.jpg

    Jan - April 2014
    i-MW6kwhv-M.jpg
    - Mike
    Images in the Backcountry

    My SmugMug Customizations | Adding CSS to Your Site | SEO for the Photographer | Locate Your Page/Widget Number | SmugMug Help Desk
  • Darter02Darter02 Registered Users Posts: 947 Major grins
    edited May 1, 2014
    zcrookston wrote: »
    Wow Ron, what a unique site. I'm impressed with your customizations and original content. You do great work.


    Thanks! It's been a chaotic few years. December of 2010 I decided to move my stuff from Pbase, where I'd displayed my photos since 2003. Soon thereafter I decided to really step up my game. I invested in color calibrated monitors, built a new workstation from scratch, and retrained myself in using Adobe products (which I'd been using since 1998!)

    While moving forward with all new content from 2011 onward only uploading to here, I also began reprocessing all my previous work! Three quarters of the way through 2011 we suddenly moved from PA to WI. Reprocessing, and photography took a back seat to renovating the old house for sale, moving us, and then settling in. I closed my business for the whole of 2012 so I could work on the new house, which I'm still doing. I've been occupying my time reprocessing all my old stuff, combing through archives... very tedious. I'm almost done! As I speak July of 2010 is uploading! It's mostly family stuff.

    I reopened out here in 2013, and so far so good. It's going to be a busy season though not full. I figure it'll take some time before referrals from weddings I've shot come into play. Back in PA that accounted for over half of the weddings I'd book! It was tough leaving all that behind, but at the same time, it's exciting to be starting over. One good thing is I've more time to work on the house, work on the site, plan out how I want to present things, hone my ads, and catch up on this backlog!

    Sorry for the book! This was a lot of irrelevant personal information...
  • Darter02Darter02 Registered Users Posts: 947 Major grins
    edited August 4, 2014
    Wasn't it at the end of July of last year that the new Smugmug rolled out? I thought I'd do a comparison of August 1st to July 31st of 2013 & 2014. While not super star numbers like some of SM user sites, I see a big difference between my old site & new. Some stats did surprise me. Average session duration didn't rise much, even though pages per session rose. Bounch rate climbed.

    Sites like Reddit, where only one image gets linked, and people are just looking for click bait, may have contributed to that. I notice users from there rarely go from the initial page. Facebook has been a huge thing for me this year. Lots of shares, and users from there tend to wander around more. Maybe this winter I'll look into the whole G+ thing. I noticed you've a large following there Mike.

    Anyway, thanks SM.

    i-KCrSQrj-L.jpg

    i-Qkp3L2L-L.jpg

    Anyone else want to share your stats?
  • AceCo55AceCo55 Registered Users Posts: 950 Major grins
    edited August 5, 2014
    While I don't want to burst your bubble Darter02, do you realise:
    1) Smugmug stats now count your slideshow. So if I have a slideshow of 20 photos, then when people land on the slide show page you may get 20 hits even if they don't look at any photo in your galleries.
    2) Smugmug stats no longer filters out YOUR views - so if you spend a bit of time looking through your website, or making changes or staying on a page with a slideshow
    3) Smugmug now pre-fetches photos and these are counted by Smugmug stats ... EVEN IF THE PHOTOS NEVER GET VIEWED

    I'm not sure what you can get out of Smugmug stats anymore - not sure WHAT they show. I don't think you can compare Legacy stats with New Smugmug stats in any way what-so-ever. Maybe Seth will respond. thumb.gif

    On an interesting side-note ... You post a positive comment and it IMMEDIATELY gets a response from Smugmug rep, Seth. Dozens of other posts looking for a response from Smugmug ... and nothing
    My opinion does not necessarily make it true. What you do with my opinion is entirely up to you.
    www.acecootephotography.com
  • Darter02Darter02 Registered Users Posts: 947 Major grins
    edited August 5, 2014
    These are not Smug stats. This is Google Analytics.
  • Darter02Darter02 Registered Users Posts: 947 Major grins
    edited August 5, 2014
    And this is Statcounter.

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    Something's working...
  • AceCo55AceCo55 Registered Users Posts: 950 Major grins
    edited August 5, 2014
    Darter02 wrote: »
    These are not Smug stats. This is Google Analytics.
    My apologies - sometimes my stupidity astounds even me! thumb.gif
    My opinion does not necessarily make it true. What you do with my opinion is entirely up to you.
    www.acecootephotography.com
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