By the numbers … 2011 Life of an Architect

February 21, 2012 by Bob Borson 27 Comments

Back on January 3rd, 2011, I wrote a post about the traffic that comes to my site … and I showed what information seemed interesting about my 2010 traffic. I didn’t put together a similar post for 2011 but as I sit here working on my National AIA convention presentation on Social Media for Architects … I’m kinda wishing that I did … mostly because it would already be done … but I didn’t so I am having to collect it now.

Boring for most, but somebody other than me will find this information helpful so … here’s to you (that person) I hope you appreciate this custom post.

While I’m motivated a little bit by this information, it’s a bunch of numbers and data that I have no specific purpose for knowing. None of the information I share today shapes what I do or what I decide to talk about. The main reason I post it now is to continue one of my goals for this site – which is transparency. Most people protect the information from their site like it contains the secret to the universe or the meaning of life…

… it doesn’t.

First up is the main enchilada – the holy grail of data … visitor numbers. I collected this information from the company that hosts my site because I figure that they (as gatekeepers to my site) would have the most accurate information available. For the year, I had just under 1.2 million visits to my site.

I still have a hard time wondering why people come in such numbers but I am happy they do. The exposure and communication that comes with this sort of traffic is staggering to me. Sadly, the ramifications of such volume have made this “hobby” of mine into a full-time 2nd job.

This is a map of the world courtesy of Google Analytics. Technically, I have had visitors from every continent in the world except Antarctica (damn you!!). I have shaded red the countries where I haven’t had any visitors – it’s down to a very small handful. Right in the middle of the map at the top are the Norwegian islands of Svalbard and Jan Mayen – which I mentioned last year as not having sent anyone to my site. Getting someone to visit my site from those islands is a point of pride since I am half Norwegian … but I’m not going to hold my breath, those islands have no permanent population.

Now that we’ve established that by design (or by mistake) Life of an Architect is a global site, just how global is it? This chart indicates by country who comes the most – no surprise I suppose but it’s the USA with 60% of the total page views. About the only time I look at this information is when I am writing a post such as this one or I am about to give a presentation on communicating using a blog and other forms of social media. Ironically, what qualifies you to be in a position to talk about these things is that you:

have a blog
use other forms of social media
have had some measure of success with previously listed items 1 and 2

Personality and attrition seem to be the two most important variables, take that for what it’s apparently worth.

So, how am I doing in my home country by state? … let’s see, it would appear that the states with the largest population have sent the largest amounts of visitors.

Really?!? Shocking.

I suppose that I could find a way to make this data do something for me, but I honestly don’t have the time (what with me having another full time job as an architect.) When I stop and think about it, I am quite proud that the site has such a nice following and I am grateful for the opportunities I have been provided in the last 2 years. I am all the proof anyone could ever need of the benefits that come your way when you take some risks, stick your head up above the crowd, and try and do something outside your comfort zone.