I was beginning to get used to reading the Punch Nigeria online. I really liked the Best of Punch Today list which enabled me have a quick glance of major headlines without digging through the site. The mobile site is also very handy.
Last month, Loy featured an article questioning the mobile web strategy of Punch Nigeria. I didn’t pay too much attention to it for some reason. Last week, I was trying to read an article on my mobile and noticed a online subscription request. I thought “fair enough”. I went online and got the same message. It is not possible to view a single article on the site, not even a preview.
Free versus paid model
There is a serious debate going on about the merits of the free versus paid model, particularly given the current downturn. There is nothing wrong with charging for niche media content but not for general news, your readers will simply move elsewhere.
Some suggestions for Punch Nigeria
- Restrict subscription to niche articles and not on general news. This will provide some free articles to your target audience. This will keep readers coming back to your site which increases the chance of them actually subscribing. It also helps if show preview of subscription articles and mark them clearly
- Make it easier for readers outside Nigeria to be able to subscribe by using paypal. If you don’t plan to attract international readers, you can safely ignore this point. However, international readers are probably more likely to subscribe
If you follow these suggestions, you will get free readers and fee-paying subscribers. Punch Nigeria was the No.1 most visited site in May in Nigeria, let see what June brings.
Now to find a replacement for Punch Nigeria – Nigeria Next and All Africa are looking like strong contenders. Let me know if you have any suggestions.
