SCMP revamps website homepage to elevate reader experience

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) has revamped the homepage of its website, bringing its readers an array of new features and a more dynamic and reader-first experience.

The enhancement of its existing homepage, which has been in operation for four years, comes after its readers revealed that there’s an issue of information overload. “Today’s digital world is extremely busy and trusted news brands need to find a way to cut through the noise and ensure that news content is easily findable on a well-structured page,” said SCMP in a statement. 

The new revamp involves reader feedback, market research, and cross-department input from multiple teams at SCMP, including editorial, product, and data. It aims to design a page that understands the preferences and expectations of its audience.

The new streamlined design is sleeker and cleaner, making it easier to digest articles on the go. Having two columns instead of three and more white space allows readers to locate core content fast, while navigation has been upgraded with a new one-line top menu, according to the release.

Moreover, the SCMP has updated its section and topic labels to include a wider variety, enabling readers to dive deep into areas specific to their interests with ease. The redesign has also reduced the need for swiping, allowing readers to easily skim the page with vertical scrolling.

In terms of improvement in content discovery, the SCMP has reviewed its balance of content and improved its variety, citing results from the World Association of News Publishers Digital News Report 2022 that 38% of online readers sometimes or often avoid the news. 

Readers will now find new spots for “Multimedia”, “Focus” and “Things to do in Hong Kong”, which feature videos, visuals and interactives, alongside content personalisation tailored to their interests.

The SCMP has also refactored the page and updated its technical framework to provide a fresher and faster reading experience, citing results from a Google study named "The Need for Mobile Speed" that 53% of mobile site visits are likely to be abandoned if a page takes longer than three seconds to load. 

With the new revamp, its readers are now able to scroll up to 41% further down the page on the desktop, which in turn helps them discover a wider variety of content.

Don't miss: SCMP celebrates 120 years of HK's international story with popup exhibition

Back in October, the SCMP and Hongkong Land joined forces to launch a pop-up exhibition at Landmark Atrium, Central to showcase its heritage and future relevance in shaping the international story of Hong Kong, in celebration of its 120th anniversary.

An extension of the I Read the SCMP marketing platform, the exhibition targeted a wide group of social, cultural and business influencers. It aimed to celebrate 120 years of Hong Kong's international story and the broad and deep relevance of the SCMP.  

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