The Washington Post recently underwent a homepage redesign in an effort to address one of its biggest problems: an outdated homepage that was disliked by its own staff. Publisher and chief executive Will Lewis is leading the charge to turn around the publication’s fortunes, as it is forecasted to lose about $50 million this year. The new homepage redesign is seen as an important step forward in capturing paying subscribers and returning the Post to profitability.
The old homepage at Washington Post was criticized for featuring relatively few stories at any given time and lacking cohesion. The new iteration, which launched recently, now offers double the amount of space for top stories and six slots instead of three, a change that has been well received by staff. Opinion pieces have been moved higher up on the page, while some sections like “Help Desk” and “Technology” have been dropped. Staffers are anticipating further upgrades in the coming months to enhance user experience.
The importance of the homepage has increased as social networks limit traffic and Google integrates A.I. into search results. The redesign is also a sign of the new management regime moving quickly to make significant changes at the Post. Earlier this summer, the paper launched a marketing campaign with the slogan “Switch On” in an effort to boost growth. While Lewis faced allegations of involvement in a UK phone hacking scandal coverup, he has focused on rebuilding the Post’s subscriber base, with the Post reporting its highest net growth week of the year for subscriptions.
The turnaround strategy by Lewis has been met with mixed reactions from staff, but progress in rebuilding subscriber rolls has been highlighted in his weekly memos. While the Post has not disclosed their current number of digital subscribers, the most recent total published was 2.7 million. The pressure is on Lewis to capture more paying subscribers and return the publication to profitability, with the homepage redesign being seen as a step in the right direction. Staff are looking forward to more enhancements and upgrades in the coming months to improve user experience and attract more readers.
