In the 12 days since launching its paywall, NYTimes.com has seen a decline of between five and 15 percent of its daily readers, according to analytics firm Experian Hitwise.
NYTimes.com debuted the paywall on March 28. The pay scheme allows non-print subscribers to read up to 20 articles online. For smartphone and tablet applications, the only content remaining for free is the top news section. Readers need to subscribe for accessing other sections.
Compared the 12 days after and before the paywall launch, Hitwise found a drop in the overall visits of between five and 15 percent during most of the day. The biggest traffic drop was on Thursday, March 31, which accounted for 15 percent, when the greatest number of readers would have reached their monthly article limit, paidContent reported.
The one exception, with a 7 percent traffic rise, happened on Saturday, April 9, which was likely due to visitors seeking news regarding the potential government shutdown, GIGAOM reported.
The impact has been even stronger on total page views. Data collected by Hitwise shows that total page views has been down between 11 and 30 percent during the 12 days after the launch, compared to the same period of time before the paywall being effective.
Image: Experian Hitwise
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