Readers' Satisfaction Survey Report

Earlier this year, we asked Computing Japan readers to fill out an anonymous Reader Survey. While the response was relatively light (137 responses: 96 by fax, 40 online, and just 1 by mail), the results give me some valuable data from which to plot our future course. The answers to selected "profile" questions (such as age and level of responsibility) closely match our previously gathered readership data, so I'm reasonably confident that these results accurately reflect the opinions of our readers.

Of those answering our Reader Survey, 86% are subscribers (56% with personal subscriptions, and 30% with corporate subscriptions). This is higher than the typical monthly ratio of subscriptions to retail store sales, but it isn't surprising since subscribers naturally feel they have a greater "stake" in the magazine than those who only buy or read it only occasionally. Ten percent of the respondents say that they buy Computing Japan at a bookstore or newsstand, and 4% say they either depend on "borrowed" copies or read us online.

Content
Clearly, our name pretty much defines what readers expect. On the question of what factors influenced their decision to subscribe to/purchase Computing Japan, 99% rate the "desire to read a Japan-focused IT magazine" as "very important" (76%) or "important" (23%). The next-most-important factors are our "reliable news and analysis on Japanese trends" (77% rated this "important/very important") and "timeliness of the information" (72% "important/very important"), while "technical information" comes in a distant fourth (at 56%).

We also asked about some "image attributes" of the magazine. In a boost to my ego as editor, 97% of respondents either "strongly agree" or "agree" that "the articles are well written." (And, perhaps just as important, no one "disagrees"; the other 3% are "neutral.") Other attributes getting a high combined percentage of "agree/strongly agree" responses are "the information is useful" (92%), "it helps me stay informed about new trends and developments" (87%), and "information is accurate and up-to-date" (84%).

Features
What are the most popular of Computing Japan's regular features? The top five (combined "very important" and "important" ratings) are "Industry News" (98%), "Newsbriefs" (89%), "Industry Eye" (89%), the monthly interviews (74%), and our ads/employment opportunity listings (71%). This suggests that you, as readers, place primary emphasis on industry-focused news and commentary.

The five features with the lowest percentage of "important/very important" responses, on the other hand, are "The Query Column" (48%), "BCN Market Overview" (47%), "The Digital Forest" (45%), "What the Japanese Are Reading" (37%), and "Mac Chooser"/"The Mac in Japan" (12%). (Our monthly Online Extras also have a low 44% importance rating.) In contrast to the business focus of the favorites, these columns tend to be more end user/individual oriented. Significantly, though, the only features of the previous five garnering more than 15% of "not very important/unimportant" answers are the Mac columns (67%) and "What the Japanese Are Reading" (27%). "The Help Desk," meanwhile, is relatively polarized, with a 21% "not very important/unimportant" rating in spite of getting a majority (54%) "very important/important" score.

Reader profile
By interpolation, I can identify the "composite" Computing Japan reader as a Western male in his mid-30s working as a corporate manager and earning about \8 million per year.

Of respondents who identified their nationality (over one-fifth didn't), 29% are Japanese and 53% are "American/Canadian." Respondents are also predominantly men (79% male, 21% female) and almost evenly divided between those age 40 or over (33%), in their thirties (35%), and age 29 and under (32%).

Some 12% of respondents identify themselves as a company executive (CEO, president, or VP), while 13% peg themselves as senior management and 24% say they are mid-level managers. Another 15% are either a business owner or independent consultant. This high percentage of management-level readers correlates well with the great interest in industry news, analyses, and commentary evident from the content-focused questions.

Bottom line
My own reading of these survey results is that you, as readers, view Computing Japan as a "business" resource rather than a "technology" magazine. That our focus should be not on new technologies and how they work, but rather on how current and emerging technologies can be best applied to address specific business needs. That you value specific Japan-focused IT information presented by (or from the perspective of) today's industry leaders. So, unless I get a deluge of e-mail expressing contrary opinions, that's increasingly the direction that I'll be steering Computing Japan.?