If you’re wondering how to start a news website, then you’re in the right place. Obviously, you already have an inkling this venture could be a success; otherwise, you wouldn’t be here.
However, did you know that a whopping 64 percent of people consume their news online? That’s a massive market just waiting to be tapped by someone with a little time, patience, and creativity.
If that sounds like you, read ahead, and heed the below advice to learn how to start a news website!
1. Create a Media Logo
Firstly, you should create a media logo for your news website. Getting this right is crucial, you need to craft something that represents your high-quality content and integrity as a brand.
So make sure you’re happy with your logo before you launch your news site. The last thing you want to do is change your branding in a couple of months time. This can confuse your visitors, and that’s the last thing you want!
2. Design Your Site
It’s imperative that your sites aesthetically pleasing. This is essential for giving your users a pleasant experience.
Here are a few things to consider:
- Is your site easy to navigate?
- Can visitors choose the information they see?
- Have you used visually appealing images, infographics, and videos?
There are a ton of templates online that you can use. Do your research and find one that suits your vision. You want something that’ll hook your audience, the aim is to get them on your site and keep them there.
You want to encourage users to explore the content you have on offer, so make it easy for them to access the stuff they’re genuinely interested in.
3. Do You Want to Make Money?
Do you want this to be a hobby or do you intend on transforming your passion into a business?
If you’re taking things seriously, you need to decide on a revenue stream. From selling online ads to scheduling (paid) news posts, there are plenty of ways to monetize this venture.
4. Sort Social Media
One of the most important things to learn on how to start a news website is the right exposure. Nowadays, it’s not enough to rely on SEO. If you want to boost your traffic and establish yourself as a brand, you need to utilize social media. Especially, during the launching phase of your site.
It can take new sites as long as six months to a year to rank for their optimized keywords; patience is key with this tactic. So, don’t hang around, take action and sort your social media accounts.
You need to use them all, and regularly, if you want to drive a lot of traffic. Be sure to harness all of the following:
- Google+
Learn how to craft engaging copy to encourage users to click through and read your articles. If you don’t feel confident using social media, we suggest hiring a social media manager to handle this for you.
Make sure they have a proven track record of success before you part with your hard-earned cash. Trust us, if you can find someone who knows what they’re doing- they’ll be worth the investment.
5. Get Organized
It’s not enough to have great content (although admittedly that’s half the battle). You have to organize it, thoroughly.
The easiest way of doing this is assigning each page appropriate categories and tags. This is the only way to ensure readers can filter through your content.
You should organize your work using the following strategy:
- Main categories: These should cover broader topics. For example Sports, Celebrity, Politics, etc.
- Sub Categories: Then for each main category, there should be an array of subcategories for people to quickly narrow their search.
- Tags: these are perfect for highlighting the frequent things you write about.
You could have the best articles in the world, but if your visitors can’t find them, there’s no point in publishing!
6. Create Killer Content
As previously discussed, you need to create content that’ll wow your readers. Here are a few tips to bear in mind:
Focus on Your Headline
You have to compose interesting headlines. Otherwise, no one’s going to want to read your article. Online readers have an exceptionally short attention span; there’s so much to distract them; YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
So, you need to keep them riveted.
We suggest using a tool called Portent (don’t worry, it’s free). It’s a fabulous resource that helps writers come up with imaginative headlines. It’s definitely worth a try, especially if you’re suffering from writer’s block.
Never Duplicate Your Content
DON’T ever duplicate your content. Period. As tempting as it might be, it’s never a good idea. Whether you’re re-publishing content from your own site or plagiarising from someone else’s, we can’t stress how damaging this is.
Google’s algorithm is smarter than you could ever imagine, they’ll know what you’ve done, and they’ll penalize you for it. This will damage your SEO, and in some instances, you could get your site banned!
Insert External Links
You should always include at least one link from another authoritative website. Not only is this great for SEO, but it’s a fabulous way of building connections in the industry.
Top Tip: when you link out to others, always email them to let them know you’ve done that. People love to have their work recognized, so it’s great for building a rapport.
Hopefully this will help to kindle a professional relationship, you’ll never know when this might come in handy.
Did You Find This Article on How to Start a News Website Interesting?
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