WRAL Online Ranks Among Favorite Destinations of Triangle Web Surfers

WRAL OnLine is a top destination for Triangle Internet users, according to a new survey. New York-based Media Metrix ranks WRAL OnLine as the 13th most popular Internet site among computer users in the Raleigh-Durham market. The only other local web domains making the Media Metrix top 25 list were unc.edu and state.nc.us, which are collections of university and state government Internet sites.

“We’re obviously pleased with the Media Metrix survey,” said John Conway, WRAL-TV5’s director of new media. “We knew from our average weekly page views that we were one of the most popular destinations of Triangle Internet surfers, and now Media Metrix has confirmed our market-leading position among local news and information providers.”

Media Metrix is an Internet audience measurement firm similar to Nielsen. Media Metrix uses software on users’ computers to track web browsing habits in real time. Media Metrix meters a selected panel of users in 38 local markets to gauge traffic to local web sites. The Triangle Business Journal printed the top 25 list and says WRAL OnLine is “the top local web site in terms of clickstream data.”

WRAL OnLine’s No. 13 ranking places it ahead of popular national sites such as MSNBC and Amazon.com, and ahead of search engine sites such as Alta Vista and HotBot. WRAL OnLine, which launched in January 1996, now averages more than 1 million page views a week, more than six million ad impressions a month, and more than 200,000 unique visitors each month.

Congratulations again for a job well done.