COLLIER CITIZEN

Udut, Kenneth on Jul. 10 2009 edit · delete
New and improved -- Collier Citizen Web site gets extreme makeover

Friday, July 10, 2009

New and improved. That’s the promise as E.W. Scripps rolls out its new Web site design for the Collier Citizen, July 15.

According to Herb Himes, director of design and user experience for Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group Web sites, the new colliercitizen.com site will provide viewers with more content, interactive features and a superior online presence.

Himes said the new site’s sections will be easy for viewers to scan, with bolder headlines and a three-tiered navigation system to create what Himes calls “a visual hierarchy” that makes headlines and photos pop from the screen.

The current Citizen site, which is more than three years old, limits the user’s ability to scan stories, file quickly through photo galleries and gather related content.

The new site design is based on Web user behavior and will capitalize on viewer patterns to increase the number of page views per visit and the amount of time visitors spend onsite.

Easier-to-use story tools will also help viewers quickly find the stories that interest them, according to Himes.

New features include the ability to share story links and photos directly with other Web pages or networking sites, such as Facebook, as well as turn comments on and off. One innovative tool allows viewers to customize the site for their specific interests. For instance, users who like to read the business section first can move it to the top of the page and save that change for the next visit.

When the Citizen launches it mobile edition, users will also be able to upload photos and story leads from cell phones via RSS feeds and access the Web site on most platforms, including Ipods.

The site’s new weather section will be a one-stop hit for weather coverage with live radar and NOAA updates every 10 minutes in addition to the six-day and hourly forecasts and local microclimates.

In August, the Citizen offices will relocate to the new $96 million, 186,000-square-foot Naples News Media Group facility on Immokalee Road in North Naples. The Citizen is expected to begin rolling off the new press in early September.