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| Trade magazine publisher moves to the Web for improved content, cost savings
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Business Challenge
A publisher of trade magazines began to lose market share as its competitors increased their presence on the Web. In addition, logistical issues made it difficult to meet the expectations of readers for responsive coverage. A static Web site featured selected articles from seven industry-specific publications, but there was no way to update readers or provide additional details until the following month, after the print publication appeared. The publisher also was concerned about the loss of advertising revenue, since competitors were capitalizing on the substantial increase in Web advertising.
Benefit Provided by IBS
The technical evaluation and analysis revealed that the publisher could achieve substantial benefits by changing the workflow process to Web-first rather than print-first publishing. IBS developed a Return on Investment model based on projected revenue from banner ads, rotating ads, and vendor listings in online buyer guides. Templates were used for each of the Web sites, simplifying maintenance and lessening the need for technical expertise for updates. Much more content has been provided via the dynamic Web sites, including daily updates and additional articles appearing throughout the month. In addition, the sites feature a weighting system so that the content and presentation will be dynamically tailored to specific users based on their past selections. The publisher not only has the capability to track traffic, but also to generate reports for analysis to support advertising revenue as well as marketing initiatives and content development. Other capabilities in development include personalized user pages with e-mail, chat rooms, specialized subscriber information, and an online storefront.
IBS Expertise Applied
Technical evaluation and analysis; business transformation (from print-first to Web-first publishing); Web site development using Lotus Domino, Lotus Notes, NetObjects, NetCalendar, WebTrends, and HTML
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Success Stories 
