Orleans Hub had nearly 10 million pageviews in 2021

Most-viewed article of the year: Closing of Tillman’s Village Inn

Photo by Tom Rivers: Doug Jones, left, chats with Jason Hardenbrook before the start of the Kendall parade on July 16. Both are past Kendall fire chiefs. Hardenbrook drove one of Kendall’s fire trucks in the parade. The Kendall parade was the first community parade since late 2019. The Covid-19 pandemic and the restrictions on gathering sizes wiped out all the parades in 2020 and continued to have an impact in 2021.

Orleans Hub had nearly 10 million pageviews in 2021. The 9,853,855 pageviews is the second most since we started in 2013.

The 10,932,597 pageviews in 2020 remains the all-time high. The Orleans Hub and many other news sites saw a big jump in traffic during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Some of that initial craving for Covid-related news has been tempered as many of the Covid restrictions have been lifted from the early days of the pandemic.

The Hub traffic in 2021 is still well ahead of the years before 2020.

Bad news tends to get more “clicks” and 2020 was a steady diet of cancellations and concern due to the Covid pandemic.

Many of the events came back in 2021, but with changes. Some high school graduations and other community celebrations moved outdoors, rather than indoor settings.

Covid hasn’t gone away, but in 2021 there were vaccinations to offer people added protection from the virus.

The list of the top 10 most-viewed articles shows “Covid news” is popular with many readers though we get some pushback from some in the community who would prefer we not include anything about Covid.

Most of the Orleans Hub coverage remains community news, reporting on events, high school and youth sports, obituaries, local governments, people and businesses.

Here are the annual pageviews and average daily unique visitors annually since the Orleans Hub started in 2013:

• 2013: 1,697,887 – average daily unique visitors: 2,100 (went live April 1)

• 2014: 5,267,498 – average daily unique visitors: 4,700

• 2015: 7,811,345 – average daily unique visitors: 6,739

• 2016: 8,334,946 – average daily unique visitors: 7,112

• 2017: 8,553,605 – average daily unique visitors: 7,884

• 2018: 8,467,818 – average daily unique visitors: 7,463

• 2019: 9,556,253 – average daily unique visitors: 8,529

• 2020: 10,932,597 – average daily unique visitors: 9,956

• 2021: 9,853,855 – average daily unique visitors: 9,195

The closing of Tillman’s Village Inn was the most-viewed article in 2021. That article was posted on Dec. 30 and went viral on social media with about 800 shares through Facebook and more than 400 comments on the Orleans Hub Facebook page.

Here are the 10 most-viewed articles in 2021:

1.  After 70 years Tillman closing Village Inn today – ‘We will miss you and never forget you.’

2. Governor proposes changes in unemployment benefits for those returning to work part-time – New rules will be based on hours worked each week, not days

3. Sheriff’s Office identifies man who died inside semi-tanker in Yates

4. Sheriff releases names of 2 allegedly involved in robberies, high-speed chase

5. New Yorkers with comorbidities need doctor’s letter, proof to get Covid vaccine

6. 3 charged after 2-county chase ended with a crash in Clarendon on Wednesday night

7. NY to offer payments to secure more public access for fishing along nearby tributaries

8. Man presumed drowned in Murray quarry, trying to rescue dog

9. NY’s lowers age eligibility for Covid vaccine to 50 and older, starting Tuesday

10. 1 person dies, another injured in accident at Yates business