Hello and Happy New Year to my many friends and readers!!
First off, THANK YOU!! 2012 was a fantastic year for me and the blog. I sincerely appreciate all of your comments, encouragement, and feedback, and aim to make 2013 an even greater year for JWJ! According to my annual report, I logged in over 100 posts and 500 pictures, and accumulated 45,000 views! This all equates to about a gazillion hours of effort and lots of creative satisfaction 🙂
If you’re interested in seeing the whole annual report (very eye-pleasing and not too long), then Click here to see the complete report.
Blog stats can tell you a lot of things; like who comments the most, which countries your page views are coming from, what the most popular search engine terms were that linked to you, and which posts get the most visits. For bloggers, that’s great — a constant flood of information on the who, what, and where. It sometimes helps us figure out how to craft future posts.
What the stats can’t tell you is WHY. For instance…
–> Why did my Barbados Beef Stew recipe get a bizarrely high 800+ hits from the U.K. in just one day? I mean, I can appreciate a sale on key ingredients as much as the next girl, but molasses really aren’t all that expensive, are they?
–> Why do the words ‘soccer ball’ and ‘New England Patriots’ draw more folks to my blog than actual food terms? Could it be that I’ve accidentally jump on the coat tails of popular American sport by mentioning them in a post? Hmmm. If that’s true, then all I can say is now would NOT be the time to mention that historic team that plays at Fenway in the summer. Not. The. Time. Get it together, boys!
–> Why are Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins so popular? Is it because muffins are like cute little bundles of sweet morning hallelujah? Heavens, yes. Or because zucchini is easy to grow, but a challenge when it comes time to dispense with the overwhelming bounty, so you start throwing it into every recipe you can find? Likely so. Or is it because we are obsessed with chocolate chips? Guilty.
In the end, though, I’m not sure the “why” is all that important. I’ve seen the blog grow, reach new friends, and impact family dinner tables. I’ve started conversations, got people thinking, and, if nothing else, spread the love for some of my fave ingredients:
Exciting things coming for the blog in 2013! Of course there’ll be more delicious recipes and even better photos. But also…
(drum roll, please)
a brand new home for my blog!!
Yep, I’m renovating early in 2013, and aim for the site to be beautiful, easily searchable, more welcoming to first-time visitors, and will include a convenient “print this recipe” feature.
Are you excited?? I’m EXCITED!
What else would you like to see on the new site??
You rock my friend! Best blog ever!!!!! Great ideas, great entertainment. And I LOVE the bangs. So gorgeous, you hottie, you!
Aw, thanks, Shan!!!! And that , folks, is why you all need a Shannon in your life 🙂
Julie – your crock pot chili and soups have become a staple in our weekly dinners! Thank you so much for the tips and entertainment! Looking forward to some new crockpot ideas for this juggling mom in Franklin! oxox
Thank you!! Your comment means a lot to me, especially knowing you are finding lots of good stuff here 🙂 More to come for 2013 🙂
Rock on Julie!
Thanks, Bryan 🙂
Thanks Julie, I enjoyed many recipes and was motivated to get cooking and baking (my fav!) Looking forward to the new and improved!
Thanks, Jeanie!! Really appreciate your feedback throughout! See you in Spin 🙂