Afloat.ie, Ireland's maritime website, has reached a new milestone in 2023, breaking the two million reader mark for the first time.
In one of a number of key metrics for Afloat.ie, the website's visitor numbers for the 12 months to date were 2,100,756, a rise of some 14%, giving a total of 3,123,633 page views.
Afloat's 2023 unique visitor count Source: Clicky Analytics
The success of Afloat.ie can be attributed to its combination of opinion, hard news, and features, which has made it a key player in the national and international conversation on sailing, boating, and maritime affairs.
As regular readers know, the website's mission is to provide Irish sailing and boating clubs, classes, and the wider boating and maritime community with a comprehensive, reliable, and independent platform. In the age of AI, this matters more than ever. Verifiable, contextualised information is a vital resource, and the growing traffic figures show Afloat's content resonates with readers.
Despite the challenging climate for online media, Afloat.ie has not resorted to putting its content behind a paywall, thanks to the support of its readers. The website's marine journalism remains open to the widest possible audience, which is one of the keys to its growth.
Afloat.ie's success - over sixty years - would not have been possible without the passion and contributions of its full-time marine journalists, web developers, advertisers, and supporters dedicated to promoting Irish sailing and boating.
As we enter the new year, Afloat aims to continue informing and entertaining its engaged boating audience.
All of us at Afloat wish you the best for 2024, and we hope you will continue your valued support.
Merry Christmas
