Minnesota’s Most-Visited Local Site Redesigned to Deliver Better Experience for Readers, More Opportunities for Advertisers
MINNEAPOLIS—April 4, 2011—Star Tribune Media Company today announced the April 5, 2011 re-launch of its flagship website, StarTribune.com. The redesigned site delivers a better reader experience and strengthens Star Tribune’s position as the preeminent online source for news and information in Minnesota.
“Star Tribune continues to evolve along with the community and state it is committed to serve,” said Star Tribune CEO Mike Klingensmith. “The new StarTribune.com represents months of planning, research and investment, all with the goal of better serving our readers and advertisers.”
Already, more than 7 million monthly unique visitors generate over 100 million monthly page views at StarTribune.com. According to Experian Hitwise, which measures online activity and behavior, StarTribune.com garners 41% of visits to local Minnesota media sites—more than Minnesota’s top 4 television stations combined, all radio stations combined, and 3 times as much as TwinCities.com.
According to Klingensmith, visitors will instantly appreciate the easier navigation and readability of the new site: “The new StarTribune.com is built around best design practices, supported with extensive user testing. In terms of presentation and speed-to-information, this change elevates StarTribune.com into the top tier of national media sites.”
Klingensmith explained the site was also re-architected to enable expanded advertising opportunities. “In addition to a better homepage experience, the new site offers more of what progressive advertisers are looking for: more rich media ad units, behavioral targeting, geo-targeting and search marketing.
“Online and in print, our market share and brand recognition make reaching a mass audience a simple proposition for advertisers. At the same time, best-in-class targeting capabilities can give campaigns a laser-like focus. Any way you look at it, Star Tribune is the most effective way for national and local advertisers to reach Minnesota’s most desirable audiences.”
Klingensmith said the new website is one of many strategic investments the company is making to deliver the news and information Minnesotans want, when and where they want it:
“Companies are making extraordinary investments today to target readers online with highly localized, highly relevant editorial and advertising messages. With more than 200 editors and reporters covering the issues Minnesotans care about, no one can do ‘local’ better than Star Tribune.”
About Star Tribune Media Company
Star Tribune Media Company is a locally owned and operated media company serving Minnesota and the upper Midwest. Minnesota is the only U.S. market in the top 10 in household income, home ownership, health and fitness, literacy, spending on the arts, credit scores and online activity. With the 14th largest daily circulation newspaper in the U.S., the most-visited local website, and Twin Cities Values, Star Tribune reaches more consumers than any other Minnesota media brand. For more information visit startribune.com or startribunecompany.com.