Cooperation, planning marks new Web design
Sunday, March 18, 2007 1:06 AM PDT
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| Beckey Arnold | Argus OBserver
Argus Observer Publisher Steve Krehl (right) along with editor Pat Caldwell (upper left) and Webmaster Dean Berryman (sitting) look over the Argus Observer’s new Web site Thursday. The new Web site came online in late February. An internal study group at the newspaper began working to fashion a new Web site nearly nine months ago. |
When Argus Observer publisher Steve Krehl first indicated that he wanted to do something different with our Web site, the challenge seemed simple enough.
Just create a new Web site.
Easy.
Yet, what started out as a seemingly simple task, ballooned into a nine-month-plus cooperative effort between a number of employees of the Argus Observer. The effort only really concluded this week.
Most readers of the Argus Observer probably already know we’ve showcased a new Web site since late February.
And I’ve written about our ongoing effort with the site for several months in my Sunday Argus Observer column.
The new Web site project turned out to be a success, but not without a tremendous amount of hard work, planning and, probably most important of all, cooperation.
Key people at the Argus Observer united to try to piece together a new Web site, but we realized early on that there was a need to refocus our goals and efforts to create something truly new for our readers.
Krehl’s expectation was fairly straightforward; the challenge was how to make it all happen within a fixed amount of time and still be a success.
Krehl suggested we form a study group on the matter, and that ad hoc task force — with Krehl as the chair — began to meet last summer. We quickly realized that we had more than one challenge as we moved into uncharted territory in terms of our vision.
We wanted something new and innovative that was locally focused but also involved the community in a way we’ve never been able to do with our print product.
At the same time, we wanted something that would enhance our print product, not take away from it, and a mechanism that would be pleasing to our readers. At the end of the day, we instinctively realized the web project, as with all things in our business, had to be about the reader.
While as editor I played a role in the process, other individuals stood out in terms of impact as we planned the new site.
Our Webmaster Dean Berryman was the point man on the entire operation, but he gained help from Argus Observer Information/Technology Technician Rhonda Moberly. Advertising Director John Dillon also helped with our effort, and employees Judy West, Beckey Arnold, Julie Engel and circulation director Tom Hooten helped us through the planning process. Finally, without the assistance of Web designers at TownNews, a company that serves as our Web host, our effort would never have left the ground.
The planning process itself proved to be a challenge, but the right kind of challenge. As the Web site study group met each week, new ideas were developed and new concepts debated, always with the reader in mind.
We opted to do what we called a “soft presentation” with the Web site in late February. What “soft presentation” meant, basically, was that we were ready to go but needed a shakedown period to iron out a lot of little items. While a group or organization can do all the planning and preparation possible, when it comes time to actually put the product into play, little items almost always become visible that need to be refined.
We were no different.
At least early on, we had a number of unique attributes on the Web site that needed to be adjusted.
Now, though, after several weeks of fine-tuning, the “bugs” have been worked out.
People who venture to the Web can view our Web site that displays a host of features geared to help our readers.
Our new Web site is a huge leap forward in terms of technology and access for our readers.
We now offer a host of different attributes that we simply could not do before.
We offer: a place to purchase photos; a section to search for local businesses; blogs; a photo gallery; Web exclusive state and local stories; an online poll; easy methods to place classified advertisements and a method to upload community events to the community calendar and photos to the photo gallery, plus much, much more.
There are more places to go on our Web site now, more choices and more diversity which, in turn, we believe helps our readers stay linked not only to their community, but to the nation and world as well.
The focus, as always, on our new Web site is local news and sports. But we offer other features — such as Home and Lifestyle, Lawn and Garden and Food and Recipes, to name just a few — as well.
We’ve been able to leverage an existing platform into a state-of-the-art Web page framework that pushes us into the 21st Century.
Berryman probably said it best this week when I was talking to him about the future and the new site.
“It is a fresh approach to community involvement,” he said.
I can’t agree more. The new Web site allows readers, the community, to get involved. Especially with such features as the community calendar, where readers can upload their own upcoming events, the new Web page puts the reader and the community in the forefront of our new technology.
A lot of credit should go to Krehl. Krehl recognized, as did many of us at the paper, that a new Web page was a necessity if we were going to remain a relevant element to our community.
We’re pretty proud of the new Web site and we’ve received a ton of positive feedback.
Yet, while our satisfaction is important, at the end of the day, what really matters is the opinions of our readers on the new site.
Because that was the reason we started this project: to help our readers and make their journey to find their local news not only more enjoyable, but easier.
“It’s been fun creating something that we know will be appreciated and used by our readers. Personally, I’ve learned a little bit of a new vocabulary along the way as well. Please use our ‘customer feedback form’ if you have any ideas on how we improve our Web site. Enjoy,” Argus Observer Publisher Steve Krehl said.
I, too, encourage all readers to check out the new site and to offer suggestions.
In the end, we hope readers like our new Web site.
Pat Caldwell is the editor of the Argus Observer. He can be contacted at PatC@argusobserver.com
No Dhimmi wrote on Aug 14, 2009 9:38 PM:
And this isn't "racist," because Islam is not a race, anymore than Communism or Nazism are races, both of which killed far fewer people than Islam.
Disgusting. "