Front end struggles publishers can avoid
The digital publishing industry demands quality content and presentation. Readers have over 100 options when it comes to online dailies alone. This means that for your brand to leave an impression, you need to stand out and look good.
Enter... front end solutions.
It may seem like a logical step to hire a front end management team. This way you get complete control over every square foot of your website. You can depend on your developers to listen to your wishes and demands. You are most likely to end up with a website with little bits of both worlds.
Or you could be smart.
Invest in a good front-end solution that works for you. One that you can control and use to customize your website. No more of that third party involvement. Stick to a budget and get that coding-free, front-end management.
Here's how-
1. Scalability
Does your front end management tool help you to scale your website? You need to be able to handle a million views on a Tuesday afternoon. Readers aren't going to wait for the website to resurrect. This needn’t leave a hole in your wallet. With solutions such as ours, we can provide all our clients with high-end quality products for a quarter of the price. Because of the shared cost, everybody wins!
2. Images
Visualization isn't easy. Having stories presented with tactful visual elements add the necessary color. While writers add images, having a low quality or awkward sized photo can take away from the charm of the article. You need a system that helps you manage a cohesive appeal along with superior quality of images, across your all viewing devices. We help you store images in the collections - a centre point where everyone can work. We also optimize the images you upload to give you the best website performance.
3. Security
This is a good time to talk about how crucial security is. Do you have a support team and tech partner who ensures security? Content theft is no surprise and yet publishers don't include security in their key requirements.
Authentic content has a lot of eyes on it! You need a solution that not only helps you distribute content but also protects you from DDOS attacks and other security threats. We have a dedicated tech team who's got your back and a system that won't let such a situation arise.
4. Uniformity
Technology has seen a steady growth. From wireless AirPods to voice assistants, there really is no possible way to predict the advancement. As a content creator, you're busy being everywhere. But you need a brand identity to go with it. From simple things like layout, color palette and font size. You need to be able to manage such intricacies from the comfort of your desk. With Ahead, you have the liberty to play around with the industry beloved templates with just a few clicks. Take the code away and let your creative eye take control!
You can make changes to suit all the devices your readers consume content from. Ahead helps you visualize what each change would look like with previews. You're also free to collaborate on the platform. Make changes without any commitments - we encourage experiments!
5. How's the website appeal?
Been working on making your website look good? Spent days observing the legacy publishers? Understand your own palette before you go looking for colors, right? Compare, observe, and study. Find your strengths and find the dull areas, this helps you find the right tool. Most websites look the same, this is because we're all trying to support readability. But if you do just enough deep diving, you'll see how you can stand apart without giving an awkward UI.
6. What’s new?
You need to keep things interesting and brewing. Does your tech partner have you on the same list of products as before? There are new challenges and you need a technology partner who comes up with solutions for the same. Don't forget updates! Having a stagnant solution will only pull back in the industry. Get a solution that is constantly evolving to meet the growing needs and remember to freshen up your website every now and then!
7. Easy, difficult, bleh?
As a publisher, you need solutions that keep the coding jazz away from you while not bridging your customizing rights. Does your front end tool feel like a never-ending puzzle? Is it user friendly? Have you been able to make the fundamental changes to your websites?
Ahead has got your back. We've designed this tool to specifically help journalists design their front end. Now we know not everyone enjoys designing however our interface will help you easily work through elements and layers - the preview options will also help better understand the impact of these changes. We're a tech stack, all our products are constantly evolving with the industry - so you never have to stay behind anymore! Excited to look into just what Ahead has in store for you? Click this link to get your free demo and transform your website's look and feel!