Consistency is the key

As the look of newspaper plays an important role in an audiences appeal, so should its sister Web site. Recently, I compared The New York Times Web site to its newspaper. Surprisingly, both are very similar and consistently had the same feel. I noted that the titles and articles were placed in similar locations - the overall look is very similar.

However, the Web site has some advertisement and while this is a departure from the newspaper, it is nonetheless elegantly laid out as to not be in your face or appear to be random. Some Web sites get a little carried away in its lay-out and it’s difficult to figure out which is a story or which is a sales pitch.

Clearly, the Times Web site is well organized and certainly considers its paper-based reader’s as part of its target audience – a smart consideration. If they intend to see migration of some its readers to the Web, they certainly are making them feel right at home.