@web smith

I found myself bored on a Saturday morning.  One of the things that I enjoy doing is finding subtle shifts in market direction and consumer interest to best speculate the future of the company’s appeal. To do so, I compiled numbers (double-checked for accuracy) and plugged them in to this simple yet thought-provoking bar graph. CrossFit Inc. is an international fitness certifying company, subscription media provider, and competition governing body. It is difficult to define their niche-market and their plan for long-term revenue growth escapes definition. Without metrics, it can be difficult to gauge the popularity of a company like this. From the graph, is the popularity increasing or is it fading?  

This infographic compares the comments posted to their corporate site in the months of June 2004-2010. It shows a swift growth and a 50% drop between 2009 (~16,000/month) and 2010 (~8,000/month). I am working on an in depth analysis for my other blog, where I tackle business and culture-related issues for that niche-specific audience. Two questions come to mind when you consider the possible conclusions drawn by this graph:

1. Can user comments be used to gauge interest in a site/blog?
2. Is it possible that this 50% drop in comments is a positive for a company in the process of rebranding themselves?

I look forward to your thoughts!