A new research study by the International Federation of the Periodical Press (FIPP) has unveiled key methods used by business-to-business (b2b) magazine publishers to create some of the world’s most successful and profitable b2b websites.

The Routes to Success for Business-to-Business Publishers’ Websites study is a veritable ‘how-to’ of web publishing. The survey has found that around 66 per cent of websites surveyed are in profit, compared with only about 25 per cent in the same survey four years earlier. Correspondingly, the proportion of sites making a loss has fallen from about 50 percent to less than 20 per cent.

The objectives of the survey were as follows: to examine good practice online among publishers of printed b2b magazines worldwide; to learn how success has been achieved; and to better understand .

A hallmark of these successful websites is that there has been a marked strategy of expansion in the past year, and there is an even stronger anticipation of further expansion in the coming year. The survey also highlighted the following:

• In most cases, the site has broadened the magazine brand’s audience base, attracting new users who do not necessarily read the printed magazines. In some cases, the new web-only customers are very significant in number in relation to the printed magazine’s readership.
• The web extends the brand’s reach overseas and makes the brand accessible to related disciplines outside the core ones.

Websites are creating new communities whose boundaries are set by the people who choose to participate in the community, rather than being defined more narrowly by publishers.

• The internet has widened the brand’s advertiser base, by persuading non-magazine advertisers to take advertising or sponsorship space on the website.

The new web advertisers who do not use the print product are attracted by the low cost of online advertising, the nature and quality of the online audience, and the measurability of the results. Other appealing features are the highly selective positioning of advertisements – on specialised pages whose nature defines all visitors as being hot prospects – and the related advantage of generating high-quality sales leads.

The survey also unveiled how some publishers are using considerable imagination is devising print-plus-web packages for advertisers. The best examples go beyond simply offering discounts for using both media, and include features such as bespoke mini-sites, stand-alone emails, features in regular electronic newsletters, a listing in product alerts, online enquiries or sales lead facilities, and even organising online seminars for the advertiser.

The survey yielded many insights into the elements of web content which draw in the customers as site visitors. News-related services and alerts, which can take many forms, are particularly important. One of the most popular is the regular electronic newsletter, which is a good example of a vehicle which helps create communities. Another service which is offered by most sites is archive retrieval. Substantial reference databases of information are a further source of appeal. The ability to search such databases with sophisticated search tools is also very important.

The full report on the research – covering a variety of other issues such as marketing, competitors, RSS feeds, digital editions, search engines, and so on – may be downloaded for free from the FIPP website at www.fipp.com/publications

For further information please email FIPP research consultant Guy Consterdine at guy@consterdine.com or FIPP editor Cristina Esposito at cristina@fipp.com

The 2006 study used online questionnaires, and results are based on the experiences of 46 websites from all over the world. To qualify, publishers had to judge that their sites were successful. The criteria for success could apply to creating new revenue streams, attracting new customers or advertisers, or in any other way in which the website had achieved pre-set goals. Consequently, the results are not necessarily representative of all b2b websites.

The International Federation of the Periodical Press (FIPP), founded in 1925, works for the benefit of magazine and business-to-business publishers around the world. FIPP’s mission is to promote nationally and internationally, the common editorial, cultural and economic interests of magazine publishers, both in print and electronic media. FIPP focuses its activities on freedom of the press, intellectual property, information provision, freedom to advertise, freedom of distribution and environmental protection.
   The membership of FIPP includes 246 members in 55 countries, which consist of 43 national associations, 147 publishing companies and 51 associate members and 5 individual members. FIPP serves a global market with a total annual advertising revenue in the region of US$70 billion and approximately 110,000 titles based on figures from FIPP/ZenithOptimedia World Magazine Trends 2005/2006.

The International Federation of the Periodical Press (FIPP)    
Queens House,          
55/56 Lincoln’s Inn Fields,     
London WC2A 3LJ,    
UK      
Tel:  +44 (20) 7404 4169       
Fax:  +44 (20) 7404 4170      
Email: info@fipp.com
Internet: www.fipp.com

Contact:
Donald D. Kummerfeld, president & CEO                             don@fipp.com
Helen Bland, vice president                                                    helen@fipp.com
Cristina Esposito, editorial communications manager          cristina@fipp.com
Claire Jones, events & business development manager       claire@fipp.com
Rachel Adams, sales & direct marketing executive               rachel@fipp.com
Rolf Rohwer, events & sales executive                                  rolf@fipp.com