Web Advice For Small Newspapers

The Newspaper Association of America (NAA) has published a report tracking the success of digital changes made by two news sites.

“On Site: How Two Smaller Newspapers Energised Their Web Strategies” features two case studies where the association made recommendations on how to improve web traffic figures to staff grappling with problems posed by the digital age.

The study outlines the advice provided to the Times-Mail in Indiana and the Shakopee Valley News in Minneapolis and the changes implemented thereafter.

According to the NAA: “The report serves as a primer for other papers looking to maximise the value of their websites for increased revenue, audience development and branding while dealing with limited resources and change.”

Suggestions included creating community interaction through allowing people to submit their own content and enhancing revenue by using standard ad sizes and increasing the number of classified ads.