DailyMail.co.uk operator Associated Northcliffe Digital (AND) is investing in a redesign for its fleet of national and regional websites. The DMGT (LON:DMGT) web unit told NMA it had hired digital design consultancy Conchango for a reported £1 million to “develop new ways of accessing news content”. Amongst the additions will be combined text-and-video news productions built using Microsoft’s new Flash competitor, Silverlight. It sounds like one of the biggest redevelopments since the company relaunched Evening Standard’s website as an entertainment guide last year and started DailyMail.co.uk in 2004.
Also set for a change is AND’s aging roster of 41 ThisIs sites affiliated with regional and local newspapers, in part to ensure the stability of the network in the event of major news stories. NMA said Bristol agency E3 would be implementing a new content management system along with a redesign. Together, they appear amongst the most significant redevelopments since AND relaunched th Evening Standard’s ThisIsLondon site as a pure entertainment guide last year and since it launched DailyMail.co.uk in 2004. AND managing editor Robert Hardie: “The key aims are to grow traffic and the length of time users spend on the site.” AND’s flagship DailyMail.co.uk’s debut monthly ABCe returns in July placed it the UK’s number two online newspaper.