India: New look for Hindustan Times site

Posted by Lindsay Berrigan on April 30, 2007 at 1:35 PM

The Hindustan Times (HT), a leading English-language daily, has relaunched its website to provide around-the-clock breaking news and more interactive features.

Based on market research, the new site has a clean, clutter-free look, drop-down menus, and tab-based controls, as well as RSS feeds and streaming video. Further, there is a “My Zone” option where readers can rank types of news stories in order of preference.

The site contains only four ads on two banners and no pop-ups in an attempt to keep consumers happy as well as further the HT brand. It uses Ajax to provide real-time updates of sports scores, opinion polls, and stocks.

In the next few months, the paper plans to launch blogs and mobile news. Editor-in-Chief Chaitanya Kalbag said, “The new hindustantimes.com epitomizes everything that the Hindustan Times will be going forward as — a truly 21st century newspaper with a convergent print/online strategy, web-savvy journalists who interact with similar audiences, and the full power of a national news network.”

Source: Exchange 4 Media through Ifra Executive News Service