Five years later, Criterion Web site continues to grow

A screenshot of our Twitter page, which can be accessed at twitter.com/criteriononline. Visit our page to get the latest in breaking news, special features and “re-tweets” of interesting links provided by other Catholic news outlets that we follow.

By Brandon A. Evans

It was five years ago—on Jan. 13, 2005—that The Criterion Online Edition was launched, replacing a much simpler newspaper Web site that had been in place for years.

Since then, the Web site has exploded. It now contains more than 5,100 local news stories, boasts an archive going back to 1998, and has featured thousands of Catholic News Service stories and Vatican Information Service bulletins.

In addition, 3,000-plus photographic images taken by Criterion staff members have been made available for purchase, and thousands of more photos have been posted to free photo galleries.

Over the years, the site has included special features, such as front pages from famous historical moments, homepages for major events—such as Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the U.S. in 2008—online purchasing, and the capability to send information via a Web site form.

The most recent additions to the site include a topical archive and an e-mail newsletter.

People have taken advantage of all that the site offers—in the first five years of its existence, more than 550,000 people have logged on to The Criterion’s Web site and collectively viewed more than 1.3 million pages.

Traffic has steadily increased, too. In our first year, the site averaged 211 visitors per day. In the last year, its average has doubled—about 425 visitors per day.

More than 200 people subscribe to The Criterion e-newsletter, which is sent via e-mail each week.

As 2010 begins, The Criterion Online Edition is again offering new features.

First among them is the ability to follow us on Twitter. The link to our Twitter account is on our homepage or can be found at twitter.com/criteriononline.

Once following our tweets, readers will get notifications on breaking news, previews of upcoming stories and, of course, the latest content posted to our Web site.

Another feature that we hope to add to the site in the near future is Catholic News Service’s “CrossPlayer,” which features up-to-date videos, news segments, photos and briefs from throughout the world, including the Vatican.

Lastly, we are working on an updated design for not only The Criterion Online Edition, but also for the entire archdiocesan Web site. †