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The Catholic Herald launches a new, more intuitive website

Kevin Schweers | Catholic Herald Executive Editor of Content

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The Catholic Herald launched a new website March 9 at catholicherald.com, and I invite you to take a look.

This marks the first significant redesign of our publication’s primary online presence in five years. In undertaking it, we sought to preserve what worked well in the previous website — such as prioritizing local Catholic news that is most valued by readers — while introducing several new features.

What’s tried and true

—Same great website address: Early on during the advent of the internet, the Catholic Herald staff wisely snatched up the catholicherald.com domain name. That decision continues to pay dividends and the refreshed website was launched on the same URL.

—Simple, clean layout: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. One of the best attributes of the previous website was its basic presentation on an elegant, easy-to-scan page. That style, evocative of the print edition, was retained.

—Print edition access: You can still access each biweekly issue via the website’s interface with Technavia software.

—Archives: Before we began the website project, we asked some regular readers what they valued most from catholicherald.com. Many responded that it was access to past articles because the Catholic Herald is an important part of the Arlington diocese’s history and its present. Fortunately, all previous content was migrated onto the new platform, with an effective search engine to locate it.

For an exhaustive search, query both the primary website search engine as well as Technavia’s search of the digital archives. Some older content may be only available in the e-edition.

What’s new

—Dynamic homepage: Right off the bat, you should notice the homepage includes more articles, from local to national to global Catholic news. Each day will feature the most recent articles and provide you with regular, fresh looks.

—Easier, intuitive navigation: The website navigation is simpler, with fewer tabs to sift through. Previous categories such as Catholic Schools Week, Graduation and Back to School are presented in one unified Schools tab. The umbrella Columns section incorporates regulars such as Elizabeth Foss in addition to the Gospel Commentaries from diocesan priests.

—The Popular section: A new section on the homepage titled “Popular” features the most-viewed, recent articles.

What’s less obvious yet still important, is how the new website will help the staff better serve you, the reader. Loading stories and photos for publication is much simpler, giving the editorial staff more time for other projects. Advertisers will discover new opportunities for online ad placement and reach more Catholics as our digital audience grows. An improved hosting platform will bolster the website’s reliability.

A word about the Catholic Herald weekly e-newsletter, which is how many readers access our online articles and our social media channels. The free e-newsletter keeps readers informed on the latest news between print issues, and offers additional coverage of Pope Francis and the Vatican and more. Check out our social media platforms — Facebook, Twitter and Instagram — for the latest news and ways to connect with your local Catholic news source.

On balance, between what’s old and what’s new, we hope readers will recognize and appreciate the enhancements that the redesign has accomplished. We thank Bishop Michael F. Burbidge, Chief Communications Officer Billy Atwell, the Catholic Herald board of directors, staff and everyone else involved in making this happen.

Schweers can be reached at [email protected].

 

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