You can always improve on something, the technology is different today, but I would leave it well alone. If there was something that was incomplete, that might be interesting... because I do that on my website.
Dave Davies
It would be totally remiss of me if I did not add my two cents to the bacchanal about the new Trinidad Express website. This week comments galore started hitting the social media about the new site. It did not look good for the Trinidad Express. It seems as if almost everyone hated it but that was just the general perception. The research says it is a little different.
Using the 46 comments on the Express website as a sample, 23 of them voiced serious displeasure with the site and 17 actually congratulated the Express for the good work they had done. Four had mixed feeling and two asked questions. Statistically there was not a significant difference between people who liked the new site and those who hated it.
It all boils down to purpose. What is the purpose of the site? I would guess the primary purpose is to generate revenue from advertisers. People forget that the Trinidad Express is primarily a business and that the newspaper industry has been steadily losing market share to the internet. Nobody wants to pay a dollar anymore for a newspaper. When people understand that the purpose of the site is to generate revenue not provide free news to the general public then they could appreciate the Express position.
A lot of the comments were genuine criticism of the site although some are emotionally charged there are lessons to be learned from the comments. The lessons are not only for the Trinidad Express but local designers, developers, business owners and IT people. Just in case you have missed it here are some of the comments made by a few visitors to the new Express website:
Negative comments included:
1. I'm going to Newsday. This new web site is too confusing
2. Okay, 5 minutes of this and it's hurting my eyes. Sorry - this is a no-no. I can not continue to use this site in its current layout and format.
3. TOO MUCH GOING ON THE SCREEN!!!
4. The navigation and layout of the website in a mess
5. What a disappointment today to read the Express online as I do everyday and to encounter the debacle that is your new web site. It is not user friendly, the font is too small the navigation is difficult and all that red type is distracting. Progress is good but this is not, give us back the previous site please.
More positive comments included:
1. Kudos on the website guys. It looks great
2. You new website page is great and seems to contain more information. The downside is that the text is rather small and the text is difficult to read more so if you have poor eyesight (thankfully I don’t) You must have research/trial to check this beforehand. You need to increase the text size ASAP
3. This is great! Much better than the monotonous design of yesterday. The page is exciting to look at in spite of the size of the typeface in the content of the stories. Love it Leslie....USA
4. This new site is a marked improvement over the previous version. Thanks
5. Very impressed with new web site.Very trendy, use-friendly, attractive layout. Good job.
Read the rest of the comments here (beware super fine print) Trinidad Express Website Feedback
According to comments posted by the local IT community the site was probably done in-house because according to them, the Express does not see the value in a website, nobody is paying to read the paper online so why should they care what happens. Here are some of their comments, all on the “don’t like” side:
1. The Express can PAY to develop their site because a well designed site can bring in revenue from smartly placed contextual ads. Ask the Houston Chronicle, the...
2. Well let's hope it was done in house then I can say it was a good attempt, there was no research into how other newspapers have design or embraced the ...
3. I don't care much for the new site either. Functionality wise they're doing some fanciness where I can no longer middle click on a link or right click and open in a new tab... totally messes up my morning news workflow.
The Photos gallery is using flash, a poor choice in my opinion.
And if you click on an article you'll see endless ADVERTISE HERE boxes running down the side. It looks as if this redo was done to provide more advertising space!
Read other comments by the T&T It community is saying here.
The real marketing blunder had nothing to do with the .07 font the Express used, it was their reaction. None. Would have it been too much for the people at the Trinidad Express to give their side of the story. The reality is that almost every person that commented is a free reader who feels that their rights to get free unobstructed news as loyal readers were being violated.
However, by not responding the Trinidad Express has demonstrated a “we doh care” or “yuh eh paying so why yuh complaining” attitude. They are right but in an age where websites are paying for visitors the Trinidad Express reaction to what their audience is saying is an anti-market move or lack thereof.
In my opinion, the website will not be changed; they will not even attempt to change the small fonts. The people complaining will either stay or leave, it does not matter to the Trinidad Express. Any bets?
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Be well
