Request - don't give Tour Series results on BR front page!

phazon

Because the race isn't on TV until the following evening, maybe just have a 'Tour Series Round x Results' headline - that way if I want to see the results I can click, but if I want to watch the programme without the ending being ruined I still have that option!!

Just a suggestion... cheers

drewfromrisca

I totally agree!

Jeff Jones

Not going to happen, sorry - why hide news on a news website? That's just bonkers.

If you don't want to find out results until you've watched the highlights, then don't visit the main page of the site.

Rhods

I think the point has been missed slightly. Surely the news would still be there, but under a different headline? Wouldn't you rather people continue to visit the site?

Jeff Jones

The problem with that is that it makes it much harder for people to find the content via Google or other search engines. That's a significant proportion of our traffic and we can't afford to ignore it.

It's web headline writing 101. Nearly all news sites do it because it works.

Coyote

Sorry but I don't agree. If I want to know the result of a race or event, I search for name of the race or the event on a search engine, I don't randomly enter names of people who I think might have won it!

No one is asking you to hide the news - As phazon says "'Tour Series Round x Results' headline" is all you need, you don't need to name the winner.

This is almost as bonkers as Eurosport when they used to put the headlines banner along the bottom of the screen giving the winners details of the event you were actually watching the highlights of!!!

But hey, what do we know, we're only the people who use the site after all

SpaceJunk

Jeff Jones wrote:

The problem with that is that it makes it much harder for people to find the content via Google or other search engines. That's a significant proportion of our traffic and we can't afford to ignore it.

It's web headline writing 101. Nearly all news sites do it because it works.

Are you seriously saying you're getting a significant amount of your hits through search engines????

That is a concern. Sure, you would expect search engines to bring you some new 'customers', but the majority of your hits should be coming from people returning to your site on a regular.

If you are getting the majority of hits from search engines, then either your website is not up to scratch and people don't want to come back, or you just haven't made your presence in felt the first place.

Kléber

No one's going to reject new traffic. The problem isn't the BR or CN site, it's that the TV highlights of a particular race are broadcast well after the event.

Ask yourself, would you expect a horse racing site not to name the winner of the Grand National on its front page?

DaveyL

Cycling results on a cycling news website - fancy that. The solution seems obvious and can be found in an episode of The Likely Lads...

leguape

SpaceJunk wrote:

Jeff Jones wrote:

The problem with that is that it makes it much harder for people to find the content via Google or other search engines. That's a significant proportion of our traffic and we can't afford to ignore it.

It's web headline writing 101. Nearly all news sites do it because it works.

Are you seriously saying you're getting a significant amount of your hits through search engines????

That is a concern. Sure, you would expect search engines to bring you some new 'customers', but the majority of your hits should be coming from people returning to your site on a regular.

If you are getting the majority of hits from search engines, then either your website is not up to scratch and people don't want to come back, or you just haven't made your presence in felt the first place.

Er most big sites get a significant proportion of their traffic from search engine referrals, that's how the internet works and why google are so successful.

drenkrom

Coyote wrote:

Sorry but I don't agree. If I want to know the result of a race or event, I search for name of the race or the event on a search engine, I don't randomly enter names of people who I think might have won it!

No one is asking you to hide the news - As phazon says "'Tour Series Round x Results' headline" is all you need, you don't need to name the winner.

This is almost as bonkers as Eurosport when they used to put the headlines banner along the bottom of the screen giving the winners details of the event you were actually watching the highlights of!!!

But hey, what do we know, we're only the people who use the site after all

So when you all create the number one portal website to cycling, you can apply your individual beliefs. In the meantime, why not let those who built the current #1 keep running it like they did to get there.

This is a cycling forum. We're supposed to act as if we were experts of cycling. If we want to act as experts in web design, we should go to a web design forum. Isn't that how the internets work?

Slow Downcp

That's why I go straight to the forum pages - I only go to the front page if there's nothing I don't want to find out.

Jeff Jones

Spacejunk: Yes, we do get a significant amount of traffic from search, and a lot of those people become regular users. Which is one of the reasons why we've grown so rapidly. 12.5 million page views and 1.3 million uniques last month. We can't complain about that

I'm not trying to come across as too dismissive. It's just that we can't please all of the people all of the time.

ermintrude

if you don't want to know the result of any sporting event the responsibility to not find out is YOURS it is not everyone else's responsibility to hide it from you. simple

pabloweaver

wonder if I can get the main BBC radio stations not to tell me the result in the sports bulletin on the way home in case i forget to turn the sound off ?

GroupOfOne MkII

Slow Downcp wrote:

That's why I go straight to the forum pages - I only go to the front page if there's nothing I don't want to find out.

I go straight to the forum just to avoid the front pages generally, not just to avoid results

John Stevenson

I love you guys!

cougie

Its a pain in the ass when theres a major tour on with coverage on tv that night.

90% of the time I go straight to the forums thru my bookmark - but theres always that 10% when I forget and click the other bookmark that takes you straight to the main page and that cocks it up.

It would be better if there was a no spoilers rule on the main page - instead of "XXXX wins today" - just 'Todays stage results here'.

All that will happen is that most cyclists will be avoiding the main page of the site thru the major tours - I cant see thats really what Bikeradar wants ? We wont get to see the reviews, or the other news - at least not as soon as its up.

Jeff Jones

Our traffic goes up during the major tours.

We've always put spoilers on the home page because we want the news to be as informative and search-friendly as possible. Keeping people in suspense is not what delivering news is about, especially on the web.

If you want to follow the Tour via TV highlights, that's absolutely fine - just avoid all news websites and radio news bulletins. If you want to know what happened as soon as possible after the race, then check the front page of the site (or Cyclingnews of course).

Tom Butcher

I've been caught out on occasion too - but fair play - it is a cycling news website and it's really up to us to avoid it.

cougie

Yeah - I do tend to avoid the website in the tours, but its not ideal for traffic for them.

Jeff - have you thought that a lot of traffic is people reading about last nights stage or any early news on how todays stage is working out ?

After early afternoon - I'll try and steer clear of the main pages.

Cant see why a non-spoiler front page wouldnt work really ?

Coyote

Thanks for all your considerate feedback.

You experts are correct, the solution is so simple - use bookmark to avoid front page all together and go straight to the section I'm actually interested in. That way there will be no distractions from all those other topics and adverts that are always so tempting so I will save time too, excellent!

Jeff Jones

cougie and Coyote - see post #5 in this thread.

I'll say it again, it's impossible to please all of the people all of the time.

John Stevenson

Coyote wrote:

But hey, what do we know, we're only the people who use the site after all

Unfortunately, you're just one person who reads the site. We have to look at what goes down well with the majority, and every single piece of research about what attracts people to websites and what works well for getting Google to bring people to your site says "make your links highly informative".

It's a very raw form of democracy in action.