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With more than 1,500 newspaper partners and 4,000 funeral home partners in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, U.K. and Europe, Legacy’s large network allows us to analyze industry-wide obituary-related trends and share them with our valued partners. This month, we’re looking at Guest Book engagement trends across the United States and Canada.

Percent of Guest Books Signed by State and U.S. Region

Across the United States, 83% of all Guest Books are signed. These are people engaging with your site, sending condolences and sharing memories of the deceased. Regionally, the Midwest sees the highest Guest Book signage rate, with 84% of their Guest Books being signed, and the West sees the lowest percent of Guest Books signed with 77%.

The state with the highest percent of Guest Books signed is Arkansas with 92%. Nevada has the lowest percent of Guest Books signed with 68%.

States with Highest Guest Book Signage Rates in 2017

  1. Arkansas: 92% of Guest Books signed
  2. West Virginia: 91% of Guest Books signed
  3. South Carolina: 89% of Guest Books signed
  4. North Carolina: 88% of Guest Books signed
  5. Idaho: 88% of Guest Books signed

States with Lowest Guest Book Signage Rates in 2017

  1. Nevada: 68% of Guest Books signed
  2. Arizona: 72% of Guest Books signed
  3. California: 72% of Guest Books signed
  4. Illinois: 73% of Guest Books signed
  5. Texas: 77% of Guest Books signed
<iframe frameborder="0" class="juxtapose" width="100%" height="524" src="https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/juxtapose/latest/embed/index.html?uid=01a87a10-d5f8-11e7-b263-0edaf8f81e27"></iframe>

Canada’s Guest Book Engagement

Overall, Canada has more Guest Book engagement than the United States. Our Canadian affiliates’ Guest Book signage rate is 15% higher than the United States’s.

94.71% of all of Legacy’s Canadian Guest Books were signed in 2017, only .5% lower than their Guest Book signage rate the year before. Saskatchewan also has the highest Guest Book signage rate in Canada, with almost 97% of all Guest Books signed.

*Map visual of Canada not available because there is no data available for Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, or Newfoundland and Labrador. See data set for available provinces below. 

The Legacy Guest Book is in a Class All Its Own

Legacy knows Guest Book entries are a core part of the online mourning experience. We are constantly A/B testing different formats and calls to action to optimize the Guest Book experience for your readers and drive Guest Book engagement.  And, our team of highly-trained Guest Book screeners works round-the-clock to moderate every single Guest Book entry for appropriateness to make sure your Guest Books remain a safe space for your readers to remember their loved ones.

 

About the Research

For this analysis, we reviewed Legacy’s internal reporting data for all newspaper obituaries in the United States and Canada from January 1st to November 21st, 2016 and January 1st to November 21st, 2017. We looked at data by state or province of the newspaper affiliate, and we also grouped states based on U.S. Census Bureau data.

Census regions are groupings of states that subdivide the United States for the presentation and analysis of data. There are four U.S. census regions: Northeast, South, Midwest, and West.

For the U.S. regional and national analysis, we removed states where we have less than two newspaper partnerships. Those states include: South Dakota, Hawaii, Nebraska, and Wyoming.

Our Canadian data is limited to provinces Legacy has partnerships in (which include: Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan).

 

See the complete data set below. To read our last by-State data analysis, Device Type by Stateclick here.

United States Data

<style type="text/css"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> table.tableizer-table {<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> font-size: 12px;<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> border: 1px solid #CCC; <!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> } <!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> .tableizer-table td {<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> padding: 4px;<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> margin: 3px;<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> border: 1px solid #CCC;<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> }<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> .tableizer-table th {<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> background-color: #3B80C3; <!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> color: #FFF;<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> font-weight: bold;<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> }<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --></style><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><table class="tableizer-table"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><thead><tr class="tableizer-firstrow"><th>State</th><th>Region</th><th>% GB Signed, 2016</th><th>% GB Signed, 2017</th></tr></thead><tbody><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>AK</td><td>West</td><td>84.30%</td><td>77.31%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>AL</td><td>South</td><td>90.89%</td><td>86.86%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>AR</td><td>South</td><td>93.75%</td><td>91.56%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>AZ</td><td>West</td><td>82.59%</td><td>71.77%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>CA</td><td>West</td><td>80.74%</td><td>72.36%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>CO</td><td>West</td><td>85.45%</td><td>78.35%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>CT</td><td>Northeast</td><td>87.81%</td><td>83.27%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>DC</td><td>South</td><td>86.57%</td><td>81.50%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>DE</td><td>South</td><td>93.77%</td><td>85.81%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>FL</td><td>South</td><td>84.40%</td><td>78.67%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>GA</td><td>South</td><td>88.10%</td><td>82.36%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>IA</td><td>Midwest</td><td>91.75%</td><td>87.29%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>ID</td><td>West</td><td>91.29%</td><td>87.77%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>IL</td><td>Midwest</td><td>78.88%</td><td>72.72%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>IN</td><td>Midwest</td><td>91.59%</td><td>87.04%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>KS</td><td>Midwest</td><td>89.88%</td><td>87.14%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>KY</td><td>South</td><td>90.08%</td><td>85.24%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>LA</td><td>South</td><td>90.57%</td><td>86.74%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>MA</td><td>Northeast</td><td>85.81%</td><td>81.44%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>MD</td><td>South</td><td>91.14%</td><td>87.40%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>ME</td><td>Northeast</td><td>92.11%</td><td>84.72%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>MI</td><td>Midwest</td><td>92.01%</td><td>86.98%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>MN</td><td>Midwest</td><td>86.01%</td><td>78.23%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>MO</td><td>Midwest</td><td>87.11%</td><td>85.02%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>MS</td><td>South</td><td>91.51%</td><td>86.79%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>MT</td><td>West</td><td>93.33%</td><td>84.03%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>NC</td><td>South</td><td>92.73%</td><td>87.80%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>ND</td><td>Midwest</td><td>91.21%</td><td>84.59%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>NH</td><td>Northeast</td><td>92.18%</td><td>87.48%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>NJ</td><td>Northeast</td><td>89.32%</td><td>81.77%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>NM</td><td>West</td><td>89.71%</td><td>84.86%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>NV</td><td>West</td><td>78.85%</td><td>68.48%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>NY</td><td>Northeast</td><td>90.02%</td><td>81.15%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>OH</td><td>Midwest</td><td>89.78%</td><td>85.01%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>OK</td><td>South</td><td>85.34%</td><td>78.82%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>OR</td><td>West</td><td>87.32%</td><td>83.42%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>PA</td><td>Northeast</td><td>88.59%</td><td>84.84%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>RI</td><td>Northeast</td><td>90.75%</td><td>85.82%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>SC</td><td>South</td><td>93.47%</td><td>88.74%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>TN</td><td>South</td><td>92.27%</td><td>85.76%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>TX</td><td>South</td><td>82.11%</td><td>76.71%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>UT</td><td>West</td><td>85.64%</td><td>80.25%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>VA</td><td>South</td><td>89.75%</td><td>80.97%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>VT</td><td>Northeast</td><td>92.96%</td><td>87.38%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>WA</td><td>West</td><td>87.51%</td><td>81.13%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>WI</td><td>Midwest</td><td>91.89%</td><td>87.69%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>WV</td><td>South</td><td>94.21%</td><td>90.68%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>TOTAL</td><td> </td><td>88.09%</td><td>82.55%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --></tbody></table>

Canada Data

<style type="text/css"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> table.tableizer-table {<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> font-size: 12px;<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> border: 1px solid #CCC; <!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> } <!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> .tableizer-table td {<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> padding: 4px;<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> margin: 3px;<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> border: 1px solid #CCC;<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> }<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> .tableizer-table th {<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> background-color: #3B80C3; <!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> color: #FFF;<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> font-weight: bold;<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> }<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --></style><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><table class="tableizer-table"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><thead><tr class="tableizer-firstrow"><th>Province</th><th>% GB Signed, 2016</th><th> </th><th>% GB Signed, 2017</th></tr></thead><tbody><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>Alberta</td><td>95.11%</td><td> </td><td>95.25%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>British Columbia</td><td>94.08%</td><td> </td><td>93.31%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>Ontario</td><td>95.04%</td><td> </td><td>94.67%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>Quebec</td><td>95.52%</td><td> </td><td>94.34%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>Saskatchewan</td><td>97.70%</td><td> </td><td>96.80%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> <tr><td>TOTAL</td><td>95.18%</td><td> </td><td>94.71%</td></tr><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --></tbody></table>