After analyzing Real Simple this semester, I have noticed that the web component of the magazine tries to differentiate itself from the print publication. Much of the content on the website is unique and offers a truly interactive experience.
The navigation and art on the entire site fits with the experience of the Real Simple brand. The website isn't too crazy or filled with a bunch of advertising. This makes the user's browsing experience that much better. This type of feeling is carried out through the social media pages. Each platform feels connected. Real Simple also takes advantage of everything the web offers. They utilize video, audio and database searches.
Areas that could use more attention on the site are the sub pages. Some of the content on those pages can become stale. They often use the same art for months at a time and most of the stories don't have dates. This makes new users feel like the content is still fresh, but after revisiting the site for months at a time it became old and felt dated. Maybe expanding the online staff could help solve some of these problems. The man power to constantly keep a website maintained is huge, and requires the help of multiple people.
Some of the best stuff on realsimple.com was on the blog. This never got old and was constantly being updated. I was happy that this was something I could look forward to reading each day of the week. The amount of work that goes into making sure a blog is updated is extreme and I appreciate the effort it takes to keep the blog fresh.
Overall, the site does a great job of keeping readers interested and in-the-know. It will be interesting to see if any of the improvements I noticed will be addressed in the future.
No comments:
Post a Comment