NorthEscambia.com Celebrates First Birthday

November 3, 2008

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NorthEscambia.com is celebrating our first birthday today. We want to offer you a big thanks, and offer a little insight into our little site.

We have been amazed at the response to NorthEscambia.com as it has grown into the area’s mostly widely read news source and one of the top most popular local web sites on the entire Gulf Coast.

With 2.2 million page views per month an independent group tells us that NorthEscambia.com ranks in the top five local web sites in the Mobile-Pensacola area. Think about that…there are way more than four newspapers, radio stations and TV stations on the Gulf Coast. We have more page views per month than all but just a few of them. Wow.

We quietly started NorthEscambia.com November 3 of last year, announcing it at the annual Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department Fish Fry. Over the next weeks, we expanded our coverage into Century and Molino, building a family of loyal readers like you.

It’s a diverse family, about evenly male and female according to a recent survey. From elementary age kids to senior adults, people across North Escambia and in surrounding areas like Atmore, Flomaton, Jay, Cantonment and Pensacola turn to NorthEscambia.com for local news.

Online news like NorthEscambia.com is the future of journalism. Television news ratings are down. Newspaper circulations are down. Online news readers are up.

Minutes after news event occurs, we can post the information you need to know. We now have the technology in place to post live updates from the scene of the news. Taking the recent tragedy where two people were shot and killed at an Atmore store as an example, we were on scene minutes after the shooting posting live updates on NorthEscambia.com. People across North Escambia and in Atmore were able to turn to NorthEscambia.com for the latest information from the scene.

Over the next year, we plan a few changes to improve our service to you. You’ll see more coverage from more stories. You’ll see more videos, maybe even a live video or two. An improved system of delivery for breaking news. More chances for reader participation.

Speaking of reader participation, we added the ability to comment on our stories back in July. Since then, you have expressed your views with nearly 2,000 comments. Thanks for joining in. If you have not yet, we encourage you to start leaving your comments on our stories by using the form at the bottom of each story.

A few more numbers we’d like to share…we’ve posted about 2,500 stories in the past year, with several new stories posted each day. There are over 8,200 photos in our photo galleries for a total of over 10,000 local photos on the entire site.

We’ve laughed with you, and we’ve cried with you over the past year. We’ve shared those happy moments with your children at their school or on their playing field. We’ve been there as communities suffered tragedies.

We’ve been at your church, your school, your club, your business and elsewhere in your community as things have happened in your lives. If it was important you, it was important to us.

Let us know how we can serve you; that’s what we are here for.

Thank you for making our first birthday the first of many to come. We are humbled and feel blessed to be part of your family in this area we call North Escambia.  Thank you for welcoming NorthEscambia.com into your family.


Comments

31 Responses to “NorthEscambia.com Celebrates First Birthday”

  1. Larry Walker on November 6th, 2008 7:41 pm

    Happy Birthday, NorthEscambia.com! May you have many happy returns and even make a few dollars along the way!

  2. CM on November 5th, 2008 2:44 pm

    Happy “Late” Birthday!

    :)

  3. Bobby on November 4th, 2008 8:45 pm

    Thanks u do a good job

  4. S.L.B on November 4th, 2008 8:03 pm

    It’s wonderful to see good things come to those who have earned it and ya’ll have definately achieved it! Also, THANK YOU for the personal and proffessional service you provide for our small community and we are very lucky to have Northescambia.com representing the people of the Northend of the county.

    *HAPPY BIRTHDAY*

  5. rhg a former resident on November 4th, 2008 8:59 am

    I moved from the area 15 years ago. It is nice to be able to see what all is happening in my hometown. keep up the good work!

  6. eng519 on November 4th, 2008 6:38 am

    Its my birthday too. congrats and keep up the good work

  7. Karen on November 3rd, 2008 9:00 pm

    Happy 1st Birthday! I read this site every day for news from the area I live in. Keep up the good work.

  8. Tracey on November 3rd, 2008 8:33 pm

    I check this site almost daily! Thanks for making it great. Happy Birthday to
    northescambia.com

  9. J.Larry Seale on November 3rd, 2008 8:28 pm

    You folks have done the north end of county a GREAT service !!! I
    appericate very much knowing what going on…………….

    KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK………………

  10. Jacke on November 3rd, 2008 7:59 pm

    Happy Birthday! I absolutely love Northescambia.com! William for President! :-)

  11. KLB on November 3rd, 2008 7:57 pm

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

  12. Spareribs49 on November 3rd, 2008 7:00 pm

    William, I think this is one of the best things that has happen to us in a long time. You have done one great job at reporting the news. I for one say “THANK YOU”. Hope you have a great birthday and many more!!!

  13. Williard Purell on November 3rd, 2008 4:58 pm

    It’s the best news location around! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

  14. Mr. Greatful on November 3rd, 2008 4:22 pm

    You do a tremendous job. You carry more news for the northend than the Atmore or Tri-City Ledger newspapers. Keep up the outstanding work.

  15. Chris Maloney on November 3rd, 2008 1:44 pm

    Hurray! Happy First Birthday!!!

  16. Rick on November 3rd, 2008 1:09 pm

    Great Job! This is one website I check on daily. Good Information. Keep it coming . . . . Thanks!

  17. Tracy B. on November 3rd, 2008 12:52 pm

    Happy Birthday ,from all your friends from station 15.

  18. Janet on November 3rd, 2008 11:47 am

    Happy Birthday!! Thanks for the great coverage of all events, great or small. It is great to have a website just for North Escambia. You give such good coverage to all school events. There is no other site like NorthEscambia.com. Keep up the great work.

  19. Cyndi on November 3rd, 2008 10:53 am

    Happy Birthday! I have been checking the site almost every day since February. I found out about it when I lost my husband and son, Danny and Drew, in a car accident. The memorial message board and the blog “Go Home Truck” meant so much to me. You do an awesome job for this community!! Thanks for everything!

  20. Excited on November 3rd, 2008 10:21 am

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY ! ! !
    Thanks for the obvious, the many things everybody sees.
    Thanks for the not so obvious, the many things only a few of us see.
    Thanks for not burning the beans !

  21. Betty Ashcraft on November 3rd, 2008 10:13 am

    William, Thank you for all the information you provide us with. Always go here first when wanting to know what is going on in the community (like the Molino shed fire). Keep up the great work.

  22. almost retired on November 3rd, 2008 10:11 am

    Happy Birthday. I discovered you in August. I now start each day with you. If possible please add local Obits to your site.

  23. Regina on November 3rd, 2008 9:57 am

    Happy Birthday! Your site is the first thing I read in the morning.
    I am proud of your coverage and prompt reporting on matters of interest.
    It is especially interesting to see all the school articles with pictures that capture the emotion of the moment. Thanks for sharing a fantastic site.

  24. mw on November 3rd, 2008 9:17 am

    Its one I check each day as well…always good and always on time!
    Congrats….and thanks…..good job!

  25. Cindy on November 3rd, 2008 9:08 am

    Happy Birthday!
    I discovered this web site in early January and it has been the 1st news site I visit everyday. It’s great to be able find out what’s going on in our area. Other news sources largely ignore us on this end on the county. Keep up the great job and readership will continue to go up!!

  26. Al on November 3rd, 2008 8:30 am

    I LOVE your site and come here everyday to catch up. I started reading when a dear friend lost family in a horrible car accident (Danny and Drew Marlow). Happy Birthday and MANY MORE

  27. Willene on November 3rd, 2008 8:17 am

    Happy Birthday NorthEscambia.com,
    you are great with the news as soon as it happens.
    I enjoy going to your web sight and seeing what has happen while I was
    getting another cup of coffee.

  28. Dave on November 3rd, 2008 7:26 am

    Happy Birthday!!! My wife and I enjoy the site. We just moved to Middle GA from Flomaton, but family lives there in Century. Thanks for helping to keep us up-to-date on things in the area!!

  29. Deni on November 3rd, 2008 7:12 am

    Happy Birthday Northescambia.com!!!! You are in so many places at one time. So many events. Even the smallest events that may matter to just a few people. Thanks for all the coverage and all the PHOTOS.

  30. Debbie Boyett on November 3rd, 2008 7:05 am

    Happy Birthday!
    Thanks for what you do. I really enjoy and utilize it.

  31. bev on November 3rd, 2008 6:22 am

    Happy Birthday NorthEscambia.com