Article at a glance:

Magazines' home companion

Most magazines have launched World Wide Web sites for readers, but most of those sites aren't doing very well: despite the millions spent on them, they have failed to attract enough traffic or revenue to justify the costs. Of the 100 leading print magazines in the United States, only 27 appear on the list of the 3,000 most-visited Web sites. In short, resources are wasted and, all too often, readers disappointed.

The take-away

Most magazines won't make money on their Web sites, though they would be foolish not to build one. A Web site can extend the brand, and publishers need to learn on-line skills to protect themselves from new-media competition. They must accept the fact that a Web site will be a cost center and learn how to contain those costs.