Here’s a frequent email I get:
Love the site. But answering a survey each day is killing me.
While I think our decision to lean on once-daily or weekly surveys to unlock site content is a better solution than using 30-second autoplay video ads and tricky pop-ups, which many sites do in one form or another (including CSN Philly, Philly.com, Gawker and others) I understand that for our most frequent readers, many of whom visit the site 4-5 times per day, the surveys can be an annoyance.
So, we’re offering up an alternative: A monthly or yearly premium subscriber option that will allow you to disable all surveys on the site.
Let me be clear: This is not a paywall. If you have no interest in paying to read content online, which some of you never will — that’s fine. You can continue reading the site as you have been. Nothing changes. There will still be the occasional survey question to unlock content for a day or week. But you now have the option to pay a small fee – $4 per month, or about the price of one cup of coffee at Starbucks – to disable the surveys and receive great discounts at select local businesses (more on that in a second). You can also subscribe annually for just $30, which takes the price down to a measly $2.50 per month.
What does all that get you?
- No surveys.
- Exclusive discounts on tickets, t-shirts (ours included), restaurants, services and more. We are still working on getting these together and will be announcing all of our partners in the coming weeks. We already have several good ones signed on.
- Automatic entries (2) into any contest we have– tickets, t-shirts, memorabilia, etc.
The goal is for the second item – discounts – to essentially make the subscription pay for itself and then some for the typical reader (saving real money on things you as a Philly sports fan actually buy or use on a regular basis). Though I’m aware that most of you who sign up will be doing so to gain a more seamless reading experience, I want to make sure the discounts make it worth your while.
It’s been almost three years since we started using surveys on the site. At the time, I explained that one of the goals was to use the additional revenue to bring on a second full-time writer. Which I did, one year later. The use of surveys has in no way hurt site visits. In fact, the site has grown substantially since:
Similarly, the goal of the subscription option, from a business standpoint, is to both diversify site revenue and make it more consistent throughout the year, with the eventual goal of growing the site to include more writers and contributors and paid video and audio editors and producers. In a few years, website will be an archaic term used to refer to something that simply lives beneath a URL. To keep up the momentum, Crossing Broad needs to grow into a multi-platform outlet with video, audio, app and social content that is different, irreverent, funny, and what you’ve come to expect from CB. Those sound like buzz phrases, but that’s the way things are moving. In 5-7 years, I don’t expect Crossing Broad to be something you just type into your browser. It will be something you also watch on YouTube, read in apps, and stream through your TV and in your car. The subscriber option will allow us, through a more stable income stream, to hire the talent needed to grow. Though advertising and surveys (for non-subscribers) are not going away, having a subscriber base will lessen our reliance on those things and give us more flexibility to grow and stay ahead of the curve. I imagine the subscriber option will also extend to those aforementioned platforms in some way, shape or form.
How do you sign up? Simple: You can just click here, or click the link below the banner that says “Subscribe or login to disable surveys.” It’s been up there all week and the response, with no promotion whatsoever, has already been pretty incredible. Annual subscriptions outnumber monthlies roughly 2-to-1. It’s very easy to do. You may use your credit card, but you can also use PayPal, Amazon or Dwolla. There’s a good chance you use one of those latter three (probably Amazon), so you likely won’t even have to take out your wallet.
Here’s what the process looks like:
Your confirmation email will look like this:
And if you realllllly like what we do and want to support the site, you can choose to pay more. Tinypass reports that in many cases up to a third of subscribers offer some amount more when given the option. You don’t have to and that is of course not even expected – I am legitimately grateful for everyone who hits that subscribe button – but it is an option.
The transaction is 100% secure and managed by Tinypass – which works with many much larger websites as well as local newspapers and publications – and we never see your payment information. All we get is your name and email address, which will only be used occasionally to communicate news and updates related to your subscription, from us (no spam!).
Once you subscribe, Tinypass leaves you logged in by default. So as long as you don’t clear your cookies frequently or browse in private mode, you will always be logged in when you visit the site. You may have to do so once for each browser or device (computer, phone, Facebook, etc.). If you do log out, you can just hit the login link at the top of the site and sign in through Tinypass.
The comments on this have the potential to be ?, but know that this is merely an option if you want a better reading experience and to help Crossing Broad continue to grow. As always, thanks for your support!
Subscribe to Crossing Broad
Note: If you’re a local business and are interested in being included in our discount offer – free of charge, with promotion in all subscription marketing – drop me an email.
73 Responses
Blow me. No one will pay for this garbage.
Many already have. It’s just an option, though.
many have blown him or paid already?
Both?
he was getting blown while subscribing to crossingbroad? win-win.
It’s not one of the benefits, but hey, it could happen to you.
Let me ask you something. Do you think that your target demographic, kids in their 20’s, the Bernie Sanders socialists that want everything for free, will pay for information they can get elsewhere? Hahahaha! You must live on Fantasy Island. You are Mr. Roarke and the midget known as Adair is Tattoo.
Average reader is 28-32 years old and makes $72k per year working a 9-to-5 job. So, yes.
https://www.crossingbroad.com/2015/07/who-are-you-cb-reader-survey-data.html
let me translate for you, Bob.
Kyle is saying: “Go fuck yourself, Bob.”
“Average reader is 28-32 years old and makes $72k per year working a 9-to-5 job.”
I call bullshit. No way your average reader has a $72k per year income. Your stats also must have been extrapolated on Fantasy Island. You have your site confused with the Wall Street Journal.
Bob, as a card carrying subscriber to this website, I now am qualified to tell you to piss off.
So… you know… piss off.
That’s true I’m 29 and I have a 9 to 5 job but I ain’t paying for that shit
Only $72,000? I’ve got to stop hanging around this online ghetto. Is there anywhere else online where I can get local sports takes without dealing with the great unwashed mouth breathers?
Bob is really Jim from Havertown!
If I subscribe, Will you fire Jim?
if I subscribe will you unblock my home wifi??????????????????????????????????????????????
If you subscribe, I will unblock your IP. 100%.
does the subscription come with hits of Villanova acid?
That’s one of the discounts I’m working on.
well then sign me up for the platinum membership.
whats the promo code?
I’ll be the first with the obvious: the site took a huge dive when Jim was hired and took a huge leap when Riley Cooper’s racist rant was published, reinforcing 2 facts at CB: Jim sucks and the readers love (are) racists.
Dip after Jim was largely because of slow summer and fact I was off a large portion of it– getting married, honeymoon, other stuff. Cooper thing helped, but little to do with overall growth. Most Q4s are down.
Why do you protect Jim so much? You took blame for his post with a terrible headline and are now taking blame for the dip because of your honeymoon and not the fact he just sucks and people don’t like his writing.
Married?
who’s the lucky guy?
Serious question, will you let anyone who pays you avoid your annoying and over aggressive comment filter? If not, this is almost worthless.
Absolutely.
As long as you pay, I’ll do anything you want.
I’ve been going on Gawker and its sister sites for many years and have never seen a video ad or a popup.
Their “branded content” shit is pretty bad tho
I’d wager that Gawker sites make a killing on their Amazon Affiliate program participation. There are Amazon deals all over that place every day. It’s pretty genius, as it’s an unblockable form of ad revenue. You don’t really see any other ads if you’re using Ad Block. Though they do have those “suggested” links at the bottom of all their articles with links to click-baity crap.
“Love the site”
said no one ever…
Comment awaiting approval. What a joke!
This sounds just like what Kyle’s father and I used to do when he was a kid. Kyle had to pay us $4 for each present he opened on Christmas morning. And think that moron is still living in our basement.
Will there be a Christmas party this year and will KC be reinstated as a word
what is this talk about xmas partys all the time? was there ever one in the past?
If we get $50k in revenue from subscriptions, I will throw a Christmas party and invite Kacie.
There was one at Drinkers Old City 4 years ago, it was a fucking nightmare. An unnamed neckbeard attacked kyle by throwing a bowl of nachos at him while he was giving his “state of the union” address to his loyal readers. There were 12 of us, it was a very poor showing. Kyle def lost money on it because he kept buying us drinks and kept saying ‘I feel bad you guys came out, it’s quiet here tonight”
?
That story about made up christmas party that someone held alone, in their mother’s basement, and pretended that it was a CB party is pretty indicative of the average CB reader…. made me laugh though.
what do you attribute the Q4 in 15 dip to? baby stuff? terrible sports news in the area? Is that trend continuing into Q1-16?
Eagles sucking. There’s always a slight dip. It was exaggerated because Q3 was crazy. Not as bad as it look in comparison. But last couple of years Eagles were competitive until end, so that helped. Snow Bowl in 2013, one of best teams in football most of 2014. It’s generally slow now, but things are going good considering.
This is my go to site for Philly sports news (and weather!).
Would I be willing to pay to avoid the once a week inconvenience of a survey I childishly never answer honestly…maybe, but diapers are a higher budget priority right now. I do however, appreciate the option. How many sites even think of the viewer experience? Maybe some better (and more frequent) content will be the end result.
Kyle, have you ever considered a pro wrestling writer ?
If so – email me.
I have, but think it’s too far off local sports.
“Professional Wrestling” is an oxymoron. “Choreographed Homoerotic Fictitious Drama for Neckbeards” is a more apt description.
If I pay, can I have a BOB filter? Please?
If I subscribe, does my subscription apply to my mobile devices as well? …since, well, it’s 2016
Yes. You’ll just have to sign in on each device, but it will keep you logged in.
HOW IS LOGGING IN MORE CONVENIENT THAN CLICKING “NO”
I’ll pay you monthly if you pay me every time Jim, uses a, comma.
Tried to comment about bigotry/sexism in comments. Naturally, comment was not approved. Fuck youself, Kyle.
Fuck off.
lol $4 a month for this garbage…
I’ll answer the surveys with garbage answers all day. Also, if you say prefer not to answer, no, or do not know, you typically don’t get a second question.
exactly – i never answer those surveys. kind like Kyle banging hookers and hiding it from his wife
anytime i want to click a video i want to see and have to watch a commercial longer than 15 seconds i click out of the site.
My relevance to time wasted (RTTW) is really around 10 seconds
I stopped reading your comment after 14 words, my RTTW was triggered.
I will not be paying. Good Luck.
I read the survey questions if there relevant to me I answer. The only thing here I don’t get is the ass kissing toward the 76ers awful plan. Next year is 4 seasons of tanking. What happens when players become free agents that don’t buy into this shit and say there out of here.
Colangelo.
Seriously, I’m surprised you were able to get partners to agree considering this is your first shot at a subscription. I guess it’s win-win for them?
No-lose. Offer only goes to subscribers. No harm to them if one or 1,000 people use code, offer, etc.
Hey Kyle – F….U…C…K……Y…O…U
I remember watching the video of you sleeping on your pregnant wife when rodgers throws the hail mary and you woke up. You wifes stale farts didnt wake you but rodgers throw a bomb did. You are a tool
No Ads No Surveys
…Or you could just use an ad blocker and you’ll never see those retarded surveys…
Running UBlock Origin I haven’t seen a survey on here in a long time!
I read every day while taking a shit, but I would never pay and anyone who does needs their head examined
fuck this
Dumb question from a tech noob. If I subscribe, I read this site on multiple devices so how does that work? Will I be able to get the benefits of being a subscriber when I use my phone instead of my work machine? I’m sure this has been answered somewhere but I just want to make sure.
Jesus Christ I’m lazy. Just saw my question answered so disregard.
You should charge $30 per year to read the comments, because that’s where the entertainment is. The rest is just Villanova wipe-my-ass promotion and a dumbed down version of TMZ sports.
Shouldn’t your paid appearances on 97.5 negate the need for both surveys AND subscriptions? Please answer, Captain Conflict-of-Interest
Need more Flyers coverage.
Comments are closed.