Streaming News

Streaming media is hot, and according to a new poll can boost the value of your Web site.

A new survey conducted by E-valuations.com for theDial shows that the availability of streaming audio boosts the value of a Web site. Results of the survey show that 64 percent of respondents believe streaming audio increases a Web site’s value. Almost 60 percent said it would increase their interest in their favorite site.

In addition, streaming audio can lead viewers to spend more time with the site, increasing what industry reps commonly refer to as “stickiness.”

According to the survey, more than 60 percent of consumers listening to streaming audio spend anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours on a site.

The results were released yesterday at the MB5 conference on the future of digital media in Emeryville, Calif., located outside San Francisco.

“We conducted the survey to better understand the role of streaming audio on the Internet and how people find and use theDial,” says Todd Herman, theDial’s CEO and president. “What we found confirmed the increasing demand for and value in streaming audio. Consumers want their favorite Web site to contain a streaming audio experience beyond a shuffled stack of CDs or a simple rebroadcast of a traditional radio station.”

A total of 685 participants completed the survey developed by E-valuations.com in consultation with theDial from June 28 to July 20, 2000. Respondents who have used streaming audio were allowed to complete the entire survey. Participants were recruited for this study from Questions.net and from theDial. Among the total sample, 222 were from general Internet users and 462 were users of theDial.