The internet offers a wide-range of information for the average reader, but not all information is equally desired. What many viewers are searching for are recipes. The FoodNetwork.com, a website that offers famous recipes, has a 24% increase in usage from January 2003 to January 2004 according to Nielsen/ Net Rating. Another site, AllRecipes.com , recorded an increase of 11% in one year. These viewers, often female, also are likely to be heavy users of libraries. This opportunity could be a way to build further brand loyalty among an already interested user.

Offering your patrons a link to a recipe website or a section on your homepage with recipe of the week/month, may help attract patrons to surf your website. This addition can be beneficial on several levels. Your staff may enjoy getting involved in collecting new recipes, while giving patrons another reason to read over your website. Try it out, then let us know if it boosts your web viewing numbers.

Source: Elizabeth Schatz, Hitting the Web for Dinner Recipes. Tuesday March 9, 2004 edition of The Wall Street Journal.