From today, we are entering the beta phase of our new website.
As all SmartCompany readers know, it’s essential to work on your business as well as in it – and that’s exactly what we’ve been doing.
SmartCompany has undergone a complete overhaul; after several months of analysing how our readers use the site, then conceptualising, designing and building the new SmartCompany, we’ve moved in!
Our objectives were simple and challenging.
We were sorely overdue for a site that is friendlier across devices. We needed to decrease the time it took to load the site. We wanted to modernise and refresh our design, while also maintaining our core pillars and brand identity. We needed to reduce some of the crowding we’d developed over the years in the way we organise our content.
Here are some of the things you will notice.
The last redesign of the SmartCompany site was undertaken in a PC-centric world – hard to imagine now I know. We know that almost 40% of you read our site on mobile devices. You will now be accessing a version of a single site to suit the device you are using.
Yes, it takes less time for the site to load now.
Some pathways to content that you’re used to have been shifted, consolidated or renamed. In making these changes, we’ve considered what is most meaningful to our readers and what best represents what we do every day. We want you to be able to browse and discover content faster.
While we’re sticking with our core SmartCompany logo, we have made changes to the colours and fonts used on the site. Our font choices are based on both visual and technical considerations and are motivated by what will adapt well across devices. We made adjustments to test size and layout across mobile and desktop to create a clearer, more comfortable reading experience.
Finally, Aunty B is now front and centre because what would SmartCompany be without her? You can submit your questions and observations to Aunty B.
If you are still seeing the old website, please clear the cache of your browser.
Just like with all beta phases, it’s not all going to work perfectly right away. Please be aware some parts of the website will render content differently. Some older content won’t adapt seamlessly to our new design. Content migrations are a little tricky and things take a while to propagate and then to retrofit. We’re working on getting all of our content to look as fresh as our new daily content in the coming period.
We’re very much in beta mode in here as we continue to roll out products and features – some of which we have started working on and others that you will tell us about. This time is all about settling in and prioritising these rollouts.
As with all living things, this is a process and we want to hear from you about what may be buggy, awkward or absent over at product@smartcompany.com.au. For all other feedback, contact us here.
Thank you for all your support and we hope you enjoy the new site.
Eloise Keating, SmartCompany Editor and Nadine Raydan, Head of Product
Do you love the new website? If you are interested in advertising on SmartCompany, please contact our sales team for a customised solution by emailing sales@privatemedia.com.au.
Editor
Eloise is an experienced business journalist and editor, who has held senior editorial roles at SmartCompany since 2014. Prior to joining SmartCompany, Eloise was news editor at Books+Publishing, the trade press for the Australian book industry. Eloise has degrees in media and communications, marketing and business management, and political science. You can follow her on LinkedIn, and Twitter at @ellykeating.
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