News International is to invest in its Times website in an attempt to transform it into the most popular online news service. Times Online will undergo a major relaunch in August which will see the group ploughing millions into the site.
Currently the site is little more than a web-based version of the newspaper. But plans for the relaunch are believed to include the development of virtual interviews, searchable archives and delivery through mobile platforms by the end of the year. Every six months updates will be made to the site to ensure its place at the forefront of online news.
The news comes as Forrester Research releases a report on news services on the web which finds many of them failing to meet the online challenge. In a survey of 49 European print companies, it discovered that many continue to treat the new channel like paper, with companies making no distinction between on- and off-line content. It picked out the Sun and the Times in particular as examples of established newspaper brands which have yet to match their success online.
Publishers must move away from traditional, static content to embrace “dynamic content”, which it describes as “actively creating, selecting, and enriching content on a real-time basis to create a close community of readers who are targettable for commerce partners.” In other words news must be constantly evolving, must target its audience with focused content specific to their needs, and the site must find commercial partners to push its product towards new revenue streams.
The Financial Times is described as an example of a “net pacesetter”, having developed its site into a rich content portal for business and financial users (see FT.com Undergoes Revamp Into Global Business Portal). The site now reports 22 million page views per month and 2 million registered users, despite a print circulation of only 600,000. One of its main features is its personalisation aspect, which allows its readers to customise the information they receive with daily tailored e-mails on specific industry categories and the creation of stocks and shares portfolios.
Interactivity is also an important feature of the Guardian network of websites under the Unlimited banner. Chat rooms allow readers to put questions to public figures or Guardian journalists and to join debates on topical issues.
The report finds that most newspaper companies use the traditional route of advertising to finance their websites: 88% use banner ads, with 33% using targeted user ads. To make full use of the online environment, however, brands must find alternative revenue streams, through e-commerce or strategic partnerships. It also suggests that closer relationships should be developed with offline advertisers to offer deals which include both print and net promotion.
News International: 020 7782 6000 Forrester Research: 020 7631 0202
