Consumer Reports Online Reaches 100,000 Paid Subscribers
Posted on June 23, 1998
Consumer Reports Online, the website from Consumer Reports magazine, has 100,000 paid subscribers, making it one of the largest subscription sites on the Web. The site launched in November 1997. Paid subscriptions can be either annual, at $24, or monthly at $2.95. Current subscribers to Consumer Reports magazine can join for $19 a year.
"The clear consumer acceptance of www.ConsumerReports.org shows that Web users are looking for trusted, reliable information," says Nancy Macagno, Director of New Media at Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports magazine. "Some consumer information sites on the Web have built-in commercial conflicts of interest or are simply unreliable. Our site is ad-free and bias-free, so we can truly state which products and services are top-rated by experts at Consumer Reports."
Designed to serve the interests of consumers, the site offers two levels of usage. All visitors can get consumer advice for free while paid site subscribers can receive product and service ratings and recommendations. This month, the website introduced Consumer Reports Online message boards -- an opportunity for subscribers to exchange questions and comments with other each other. And in the future, Consumer Reports experts in various fields, from automobiles to finance for example, will participate in scheduled discussions.
