Island Echo was already an award-winning, trail-blazing news service before the pandemic hit, but 2020 has accelerated the growth of the Island’s number one news website resulting in record-breaking visitor numbers.
This year has been like no other, with the demand for accurate and up-to-date news greater than ever before. This has put a significant strain on resources, but Island Echo has been there every step of the way as the pandemic emerged, dominated and now continues to affect our day to day lives.
The month of May saw a staggering 2.8 million page views on islandecho.co.uk, setting a new monthly record for this locally owned and operated business. Over 27.7 million pages have been served in 2020 – up 10.5 million (61%) on 2019.
Over 2 million pages are now being viewed on the website each and every month, making Island Echo one of the best places to advertise on the Isle of Wight in 2021.
Since 1st January, a staggering 5,390 articles have been published through Island Echo – an increase of 1,120 year-on-year. That equates to around 103 news stories being delivered to you each and every week, for free. Over 1,280 of these articles have been related to the COVID-19 pandemic in some way.
All of this has only been possible thanks to the continued support of our engaged readers, our loyal clients and our fantastic supporters. You have continued to support Island Echo throughout both this pandemic and the challenges of changing the way news is reported on the Island forever over the past 8 years.
Our reporters, photographers and developers have been working around the clock to bring you all the latest news as it happens and in early 2021 the team will be expanding to cover more Island news than ever before (Interested in joining Island Echo? Register your early interest by emailing [email protected]). Alongside this, we will be investing in new technology to continue our innovation and reaffirm our position as the leading news website for the Isle of Wight.
Darren Toogood, Editor and Publisher of Island Echo, says:
“2020 has been without a doubt a very challenging year for everyone, but I’m proud to say that Island Echo has been here throughout to keep Islanders informed of all the latest COVID developments and of course all the regular local news.
“I strongly believe that the pandemic has pushed digital news consumption forward by at least 2 years and that means our readers will be getting a faster, more comprehensive news service quicker than originally anticipated. The Isle of Wight must now be one of the best-served locations in the country for news, when stories are reported within minutes – not hours or days.
“Back in June we were highly commended for the ICNN Community News Website of the Year in the newsawards 2020. This is something I am incredibly proud of, especially as it came just 8 months after being crowned the IW Chamber Micro Business of the Year.
“We look forward to welcoming you back in 2021 for what will hopefully be a more positive year all round!”
