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Mar 31, 2022

Our good friends from TheCodeCo advise that just that your original site was the basis for what you are today, this does not mean it's going to ever be a good for you. This article is reproduced with permission. find the Original here..

Digital publisher staring at website backend

The trusted platform for publishing has gone through many experiences together. They are deeply bonded. So it's only natural to want to attempt all possible to recreate the joy of good old days.

Although, just because your initial web design led you to become an expert author , does not mean that it can take you to the next step. As with all relationships that last for a long time, breakups are difficult to do. However, don't let your feelings hinder your advancement.

Are you ready to give an incentive to your website?

Sometimes, you just need to face the facts. You've changed. The market has changed. Now is the time to make a change. In your heart, you recognize this. Yet, there is a way to feel like a more relaxed stumbling around in your old, creaking CMS in search of an alternative, button or magic that will lift you from the ever-growing mess.

Why? because it is a technology project. The majority of individuals (even the digital publishing industry) have an uncomfortable relationship to technology. Indeed, a study conducted at Chapman University revealed that technology was Americans their second leading source of anxiety. That's right, technological changes are scarier than death (and just a little less frightening than being in the middle of an earthquake). However, if you want to be a successful contemporary media-related entrepreneur, it's the right time to confront the fears you have and reconsider your relationships with those you care about most.

Your tech stack may be far behind

Do any of these scenarios sound like yours?

  • Your editorial team is constantly getting bogged down by admin of your website and other processes
  • It costs a lot of cash for what appears to be fairly simple tasks.
  • The majority of your budget for technology is going to be used to keep your site's lights on
  • The developers you've hired have told you that something cannot be done "because of how the system is constructed"
  • The number of people who visit your site is increasing, but the profit is flat.
  • The advertising agencies are demanding audience insights/data that you're not capable of providing
  • You're running low on advertising inventory or have a a nagging suspicion that you're not taking advantage of potential revenue sources
  • How you conduct business has changed significantly since you first launched

If you agree with any of the statements above It's the time to consider a tech change. If you're a publisher who's grown tired of their site, replatforming is often the most effective way of bringing about substantial and long-lasting change. This can be a way to witness results quickly.

     Learn how Private Media increased front and back-end performance for their publication Crikey 200 percent.

Why publishers fear tech projects

There's no doubt that it's not only the fear of technology that's holding you back from making the jump. What's really causing the delay is the anxiety about technology going wrong. For most digital publishing businesses, their inability to innovating is driven by one (or several) of these "nightmare scenarios."

  1. Cost explosion
  2. This never-ending pursuit
  3. The agency that isn't right

This is totally understandable. You're currently leading an organisation which is digital during one of the most challenging times of disruptions that the planet has ever encountered. This is why you're less than enthusiastic at the thought of undertaking a huge web rebuild. But, the waiting-and-wait approach will not be a successful approach, as the new McKinsey research on "Digital strategy during times of Crisis' demonstrates.

MCKINSEY, 'DIGITAL strategy in a time of excitement'

What technologies should publishers consider investing in?

It's definitely the right time to start investing in tech however, you should be careful not to overinvest. Tech debt is easily accumulated, but more difficult to dispose of. Publishers are overwhelmed by the number of technological alternatives. That's why we start every task with an thorough discovery. We want to provide people who manage media the chance to thoroughly look into their options, determine the most important factors and avoid costly errors.

The art of succeeding as a media entrepreneur lies in making sure you know what technologies to make investments in. In the words of Steve Jobs famously acknowledged, technology is merely tools to help facilitate the work of exceptional people. It's the way you use it when using the tool that's the key to the success

It is the truth that technology shouldn't be overwhelming or confusing.

When introducing any new technology or tool consider if this simplify my business How can it help me? If not, you're only adding to the confusion. When working with owners of media Our approach has always was "anti-complexity'. We have to be able to deliver the best commercial results in the easiest possible way? By avoiding distractions like flashing lights or ineffective equipment and ensuring that clients' budgets are utilized only on the areas where they are truly necessary. Thus, your project will always be completed with no surprises, as nightmare situations can be avoided.

Most effective transformations typically occur through easy changes that have been planned and carried out. They are able to be perfectly aligned to the company's primary goals.

Why traditional publishing goals aren't working

The first step for determining your technology needs is to determine your business goals. The following is what editors typically reveal about their primary targets

  • More traffic
  • More advertising
  • Additional time

The past was when these could have been a sensible goal to shoot for. The digital revolution has revolutionized the publishing game.

Make sure that technology is aligned with the objectives of your document

Focusing on traffic isn't the strategy to expand your publishing site. Potential advertisers don't care about the amount of visitors who go to your site. They'd like to be aware of the types of users who come to their website, how they engage through content and the benefits they provide to their brand.

To this ever increasing data-focused customers, vanity metrics such as traffic don't even scratch the of the surface. Now is the time to stop the idea of selling ads and focus instead on how you can make use of technology to build profitable relationships with brands. When you have your strategy in place, you'll get greater time.

This is what your goals should be:

Objective 1. More precise details about your target audience The more details you have about your readers and their preferences and preferences, the more you will be in a position to improve and optimize the quality of your content. This will result in more engagement (see Goal 2) and provides you with the ammunition to create exciting opportunities for your customers (see Goal 3.)

The second goal is More involvement of the public: An engaged audience is an important target audience. It's the reason why it's an ideal time to become a niche publisher. A small and active community is where the potential for the future lies for media operators.

Goal 3: More powerful marketing opportunities for your clients If you've accomplished Goals 1 and 2then Goal 3 is bound to happen. If you're able to provide smart, customized marketing options to your clients, then you're a far more attractive prospect.

The technology for publishing can be an important game changer.

Once you've set your goals, it is appropriate to look at your technology to work with. If you work with digital publishers who are seeking to expand and scale this is the main challenges we take on:

Content Management System

Your company's success is dependent on content. It doesn't take a genuis to appreciate the significance of the content management system (CMS). A top-quality CMS is at the heart for all digital publishers who are successful. It's (or it ought to be) the sole source of accuracy and should be capable of adapting to any demands in editorial and marketing.

If you're a growing media service, you should not ignore WordPress. Well you could, but you'll likely regret it pretty soon. Numerous different platforms have attempted challenge WordPress but none could ever even come close to its flexibility, reliability, and capabilities for integration.

Read More: Drupal Vs. WordPress: What's best for digital publisher?

If you're part-owner of a large publishing firm, there's no need to develop your own platform. The cost of proprietary CMS's is prohibitive, and may pose the reason you're in the dust if (or even more likely in the event that) technology advances at the speed it is currently.

Many people don't realize is that WordPress can be optimized for complicated workflows. This happens all the time. Publishing platforms are extremely complex and difficult to meet developers who have enough expertise (or sufficient time) to answer all the specific questions you have. Therefore, with the help of several workarounds it's a complicated publishing framework.

What are the pros and cons to using SaaS publishing platforms such as Substack as well as Medium?

If you're a blogger or just a little entangled into the publishing world, SaaS platform are awesome. But plug and play tech stacks could be a big red flag for serious authors. Would you be willing to base your entire business relying on a plugin that costs $50? We have a large portion of the work we perform in The Code Company involves 'rescue operations' for publishers that learnt this the hard way.

Read Further: The three biggest mistakes committed by webmasters when developing or replatforming websites

Hosting Platforms

Slow websites are the most efficient method for losing advertising and customers. This is why choosing the right the right hosting platform is crucial. In selecting a server you're faced with two options:

  • Hosting that is self-managed
  • Platforms for managed hosting

Historically, due to the complexity of their requirements many enterprise publishers chose to build their own hosting infrastructure. But managed hosting platforms have been developed to the point that virtually all the fundamental requirements of publishers expanding are being addressed.

Read More: What is the most reliable hosting option for digital publishers? Managed hosting options are particularly straightforward for those using WordPress. In terms of safety, reliability, backups, caching and upgrades, the features offered by platforms like WP Engine and WordPress VIP outdo all other options. There is a good chance that you can save money. We have discovered the advantages of hosting services recently while we worked with a brand newly launched publishing client. Simply by switching them over to a managed hosting solution and saving them over $200,000 each year!

AdTech

Our team recently had a meeting with a niche publisher who has built an active market that has advertisers waiting to advertise. A publishing dream come true? You'd think. However, there was a problem. They were out of inventory. They had a shortage of ads on their site for client inquiries. The company's profit margin was shrinking, but they turned clients off.

First thing we attempted to do to turn our situation around was to invite the members of our AdOps group to properly set up Google Ad Manager and build an efficient WordPress connections. This gave editorial and advertising departments complete control of campaign management and their targeting. In addition, it contributed to an immediate ROI as well as significant growth in client revenues.

The publishing industry's focus shifts rapidly towards advertising and traffic, while focusing on the right clients is requiring more sophisticated strategies for advertising. For the best chance to maximise potential revenue streams, now is the perfect time to design your AdTech to be successful.

Data Collection Tools

Are you sitting on an information gold mine? Probably. The majority of digital publishers are but few are aware of this. And even fewer know how to make use of it to increase their revenue. is the name of the AUNZ division of WPP. CEO Jens Monsees's statement during the 2020 Mumbrella 360 when he likened digital data to high-school sexuality.

"Everybody is talking about it." however, only a small percentage of who actually practice itand none of them do it right. This is more than just talking and one must be aware of the subject. What form of information is it in? What is the best way to communicate it in my hands and be able to understand the information at a glance? What proportion of customers are using a good plan for data collection and the IT infrastructure that can gather and interpret the information?"

If you use the appropriate technology, you can gain profound behavioural insights that show that you what your target audience's performance is over a longer time. One way to start is by setting up your ESP (email service supplier) for a deeper understanding of what content categories people click. You can then customize your visitor's experience, and offer highly relevant information and marketing opportunities to clients.

"Behaviorally targeted ads can be more than two times as effective and useful than non-targeted ads on the internet"

Google Tag Manager (GTM) is also a must-have at the top of your list. The name is appropriate, GTM allows you to manage your tags on your website. This is a major game-changer for website owners because it gives you more control over the kinds of tags that used on your site and also ensures that there isn't a constant involvement of developers to make minor adjustments. GTM event tracking tool GTM event tracking tool is an effective method to monitor interactions between your users and certain features/elements of your site.

READ More server side tagging with Google Ad Manager What does it mean for publishers?

Thinking about Parting

Being a digital-only publisher is an extended partnership with technology. However, is your website giving you everything you need to be successful? Are you restraining yourself from making changes due to the fact that it's comfortable and familiar? Be aware that nothing great are possible from the comforts of a zone.

Yet innovation needn't be stressful. When you find the right tech partner , and have an uncluttered mindset, you and your platform for publishing can be happy for years following.

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