Online only subscription policy
Many subscriber based online newspapers offer a reduced rate for online only subscribers and we plan to be one of them. But we have to wait until advertising can support the expense of maintaining the site. We can’t sell advertising until the site has been up long enough to develop a “track record”. In other words, we have to wait until the site gets well-known enough to be able to show advertisers how many users they will be reaching when they advertise on the site.
Until then, the only revenue we have to support the site is from the savings in postage expense we will reap when subscribers decide to drop the printed edition for the online edition. If we cut the subscription rate, we will see no savings and hence, no means to support the expense of maintaining the site until advertising can take over.
Give us a year
I am delighted that you like the site enough to be interested in a subcription. I hope you will subscribe at the conventional subscription rate for the reasonable time it will take to develop an advertising base. Our goal is to have the site 100% supported by advertising by this time next year. So if you purchase an annual subscription now, when you receive your renewal notice next year, you will see an option for a reduced “online-only” rate.
The website was undertaken at great expense to us to better serve our readers. I hope you will help us to nurse this baby along by agreeing to pay the conventional rate for a year even though you do not wish to receive the printed edition.
We have a suitcase full of great ideas for the site. Again thank you for your interest.
Best regards,
Tomi Grote
Star-News Webmaster