Kirkus Reports 88% Increase In Website Traffic After Launching New Design

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- After launching a new site design last week, Kirkus Media, best known for publishing Kirkus Reviews, a highly regarded book review magazine circulated to the publishing industry since 1933, reported an 88% increase in unique visitors to kirkus.com over the average week last month. The website, which expanded Kirkus' audience to consumers in 2011, had already become an established resource for readers to discover new books, receiving an average of almost 1 million page views per month in 2012. The recent makeover was designed to simplify the book discovery experience for consumers and to make it easier for authors and publishers to navigate Kirkus' suite of professional service offerings (such as book editing, reviews and promotion).

"The response to the new site design far exceeded our expectations," said Meg LaBorde Kuehn, Kirkus' Chief Operating Officer. "We sought to improve the user experience and to align the look and feel of the website with Kirkus' brand and business objectives. This traffic increase is delicious icing on the cake. Our advertisers will be thrilled."

Highlights of the new Kirkus.com include:

• A feature on each week's bestsellers called "Our Critics' Take on the Bestsellers: They're Popular, but Are They Good?"
• A regular feature called "Vintage Reviews," which introduces consumers to fabulous books they may have missed when the title was first popular
• "Trending Now," a section that gives consumers an inside look at the books and happenings that have the industry buzzing
• An enhanced Author Services area that makes it easier for writers to get reviewed by Kirkus, learn about book editing services and promote their titles in Kirkus Reviews magazine, Kirkus' email newsletter and on kirkus.com
• "Back Story," a weekly feature in which best-selling authors, such as Sue Grafton, share how they went from writers with a dream to publishing success stories

About Kirkus Media LLC

Founded in 1933, Kirkus has been an authoritative voice in book discovery for 80 years. Kirkus reviews more than 8,000 books per year and distributes the reviews through Kirkus Reviews magazine and online through kirkus.com and a weekly email newsletter. Kirkus also has a full suite of professional services for publishers as well as unpublished and self-published authors. For more information, visit www.kirkus.com.

SOURCE Kirkus Media LLC