It’s been a long time coming, but the Vail Daily website will be getting a new look Thursday morning.
On March 21, expect a new experience on the VailDaily.com — one that delivers the same local news you trust in a much more user-friendly format. The mobile-first site is designed to be more navigable and visually appealing, with a focus on a better experience for those reading our stories and watching our videos on their mobile devices.
Why mobile-first?
Over the years, we have watched our digital audience transition from enjoying our stories mostly from their computers to reading them while on-the-go with their cell phones. Today, over 50 percent of our online traffic is generated by people using mobile devices, and that number is growing. Such a drastic change in reader behavior creates demand for a website that allows mobile users easy access to the news stories most important to them.
Our response: a website that is cleaner, faster, and much more simple to navigate via mobile phone.
What else is new?
- A video section will be added to our homepage, allowing users easy access to our latest episodes of On the Hill, Off the Hill and more.
- A newly re-organized sports section. Our audience has a robust interest in sports, ranging from local preps to the Colorado teams we support to the Olympians who are born, raised and trained on our mountains. Our new sports section will be segmented into categories that help readers find exactly the sports content they crave.
- Improved ad placements will reduce disruptions to readers while increasing exposure for local businesses.
- Simple navigation tools that help readers quickly access trending stories or their preferred sections.
What will remain the same?
- The same community-focused reporting you have enjoyed online since 1993, delivered by the same reporters who have been embedded in local issues across this valley for years.
- Our classifieds section will continue to enable users to create listings, submit letters, obituaries and more with ease.
- Worried that your favorite section will disappear? Don’t be; the new website will feature all your favorite sections and more.
What’s next?
- The website will continue to improve with the help of readers like you. Your feedback is essential, and we will be adding new features, fixing issues and making proper adjustments with a focus on reader satisfaction.
Questions?
If you have any questions, concerns or praise for the website, please let our team know. You can reach out to me at snaylor@vaildaily.com, to our editor Nate Peterson at npeterson@vaildaily.com or our publisher Mark Wurzer at mwurzer@vaildaily.com.
