1. Home
  2. Web Analytics Tools
  3. Chartbeat Reviews
  4. User Review of Chartbeat
Chartbeat provides the know how for how well online news is doing right to the second
September 03, 2020

Chartbeat provides the know how for how well online news is doing right to the second

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Chartbeat

We use Chartbeat to track how well our online stories are doing, how many people read them, and how many people are concurrently reading stories. What works and what doesn't. We can see on a daily basis what news stories are doing well, and see what to follow up on. And also, what isn't doing well and try and work out why. With Chartbeat, we can work out what stories to place more prominently on our page, as they are being looked at by our readers, so it helps with prioritizing what stories go where on our homepage too.
  • Instant feedback, live figures.
  • Accurate statistics.
  • Ability to check figures on the current day.
  • Ability to check historic figures.
  • Know where to place stories on our homepage.
  • Know what links work in stories and what don't.
  • The app doesn't show the same stats as you can get on a desktop computer.
  • To get the most out of Chartbeat you really need a desktop computer, improved mobile features would help.
  • As a reporter it shapes what stories to focus on to drive the biggest audience.
  • Chartbeat figures can also inform what didn't do well and what things we need to work on in the future.
This is key for our business where online clicks translate into advertising revenue. We can see exactly what is working on our site at any given time. Stories that are doing well, so they can be promoted more on social media. Ones that are not doing so well. Headlines that grab attention and those that aren't drawing people in. Chartbeat also gives the source of where those people are coming from—Google search, social media, links, internal links, and other news sites. We can then work out what to strengthen.
Once you have a log-in, Chartbeat is easy to use with a host of information on the desktop. There is more limited information available on mobile devices via the app, which could be improved to give more of the desktop experience. That would really help as we work more and more from mobile devices. Especially when out reporting.
Yes, you can see what works in terms of stories and what to do more of. And likewise, what doesn't and therefore what to avoid. It helps with the placement of stories, with the heads up display. And within stories, shows how far people read and therefore what can be done within a story to boost engagement time and also to get your readers to look at other stories within your site. The headline test is helpful to work out what draws in an audience.
We learn every day on what stories work and don't and it shapes what we do immediately. If loyal readers are returning to a subject matter, we can look for fresh angles on that subject matter. Recirculation rates are important to try and retain readers on your site and maximize the time they spend there. Linking to other linked or interesting stories that may hold the reader's attention is an easy win off the back of your initial story if you can get it right. Ideally, you want both a high number of concurrents and for them to stay on your stories and retain their interest to help advertisers get their return too.
Perfect for online journalism and working out what your stories are doing in terms of readership. What's working and what doesn't. With Chartbeat you get instant feedback on how well stories are doing, what stories are being looked at, how long people are engaged with a story for (how long they spend reading it). You can check what placement works well on a homepage, what stories to promote, and what to move down the list. You can also check what headlines work well and draw in readers and Chartbeat will automatically select the one that does the best for you.