Minimum Standard for Online Media July 2009

It is interesting to turn back and see how the Internet media sites that he did or related to the development have changed. It becomes clear the evolution of certain products, dead-end branches, the difference in the development of the same chip in different regions and the like. But it is no less interesting to watch in parallel how this happens in the west.
What is now taken for the necessary minimum for a media site in the States? Mark Potts published material where he raises the question of the usefulness and convenience of such sites. So, what is included in the gentleman's set (please keep in mind that Mark means the newspaper’s website by online media):

1. Plotting. So that the user can easily, without the help of searching the site, get a complete picture of the event unfolding in time.
2. Dossier. So that the user can get an exhaustive selection of materials about any person or phenomenon.
3. Geographical localization. So that the user can get a selection of publications and information about a particular place or territory.
4. Quick access to bulletins and tops. So that if a user comes to the secondary page, he can quickly go to the daily news summary, top of the most popular news, etc.
5. Rating restaurants. So that the user can easily find the address of the nearest restaurant, read its ratings and reviews.
6. Rating of theater and cinema. So that the user can easily find the address of the nearest theater or cinema. It is desirable with reviews of other users.
7. Something for the family. So that the user can learn how to spend time with his family on the weekend.
8. Geographical reference. So that the user right here on the site can understand the location of any object or event mentioned in the publication. Without leaving the site!
9. Search by key. So that the user can quickly find through the site search what was written in the daily newspaper.
10. Subscribe to sms. So that the user can receive SMS alerts. And so that they are meaningful . Do not forget about the mobile version of the site. It should be adequate.
11. Archive of publications. So that the user can easily search and navigate in it.
12. Sending by e-mail, print version, separate URL. So that the user can easily send the article by e-mail, print in a convenient form, send a link to a specific publication.
13. Contacts with the editors. So that the user can easily contact the editorial office, a specific journalist.
14. List of current advertising. So that the user can easily find the advertisement or announcement he needs. What he saw a second ago, and knows that it is really there, but can not find it.
15. The mechanism for advertising. So that the user can easily place his announcement or advertisement on the site.
16. Subscription. So that the user can get an offline subscription to your publication.
17. Search for site services. So that the user can easily find all of the above using the site search.

Not bad, is it? Even if you throw out the specifics of the States, there is something to think about.

And here is a fresh offer from Europe. Roland Legrand of the Belgian publishing company Mediafin offers several ways to look differently at newspaper sites.

1. Microsites. If possible, separate topics should be made for individual topics or even sections, which will better serve the reader than a unified publication design.
2. Flow. The content of these sites will be more like Twitter or a Facebook news feed than a selection of newspaper articles from the next issue. Content should create a sense of flow. You can use services like Publish2 for this .
3. WIKI. For reference information on publications and the formation of a knowledge base on specific topics, use the wiki.
4. Interactive with readers. To ensure readership and engage them in the process of creating content, forums alone are no longer enough. It is proposed to use services such as Metaplace .
5. Give more power to readers. Let them have the maximum capabilities on the site to independently determine how they will use the content.