Life welcomes a digital age

Stylish, interactive, packed with information and easy to use, another batch of Archant Life websites are set to launch over the next few weeks.
The revamp is the second stage of a project to develop the websites for all of Archant Life’s magazine titles with everything from news, entertainment, fashion, food and drink, property and interior advice to arts & antiques, gardens and wildlife sections are present.
Sites for Living South and Grove have already been launched and revamped sites for Kent Life, Surrey Life, Cornwall Life, and Somerset Life will be ‘going live’ over the next few weeks.

The first phase was completed in January with London titles The Green, The Hill, SW and Resident, alongside county glossies Cheshire Life, Yorkshire Life, Sussex Life, Cotswold Life, Devon Life, and Lancashire Life all given a make-over.

As well as being full of information, the new-look sites have developed interactive features such as a Your Space section for readers’ news and views and the opportunity to send in photos and diary dates for social events, balls and concerts.
In addition there will soon be a trail of a new search tool to enable users to find out exactly what is going on in their area from cinema listings to organised walks. Cotswold Life will be the first site to trial this new function, we expect this to be up and live from early September.
Before the project began, most of the county titles already had sites, however they were very dated, and many of the London titles had no websites at all.
The new sites will also have more commercial opportunity to increase advertising revenue as well as the facility for photo sales and links to the new Homes24 site.

Project manager Sandra Fennemore was given the task of overseeing the project, which will eventually see 23 sites revamped this year.

“They have done a great job with the first sites and we are well set for the on going roll out the remainder!”

“The new county and London websites are being launched one a week for the next six weeks, after which it will settle down to a more leisurely one every two weeks! running parallel to the work for the county / London sites, there is a major re-launch of three sites from within the Archant Life France portfolio including France, Living France and French Property Shop plus the Archant Life ‘mother’ site too, so, a busy schedule ahead.”
Now that some of the websites are successfully up and running, the print magazines will be promoting the sites and vice versa.

Life MD Johnny described the web revamps as “a heroic effort, everyone has really embraced what we’re trying to achieve and the results have been absolutely fantastic. The new sites are modern and stylish, reflecting both the county and London magazine image.”

Related Links:
http://www.sussexlife.co.uk/
http://www.surreylife.co.uk/
http://www.thegreenmag.co.uk
http://www.theresident.co.uk
http://www.livingsouth.co.uk
http://www.lancashirelife.co.uk
http://www.cheshirelife.co.uk
http://www.southwestmag.co.uk
http://www.devonlife.co.uk
http://www.cornwall-life.co.uk
http://www.thehillmag.co.uk
http://www.grovemagazine.co.uk
http://www.kent-life.co.uk
http;//www.cotswoldlife.co.uk
Notes on Archant
Archant is the UK's largest independently-owned regional media business. It is a community media group that owns regional newspapers, contract and consumer magazines, contract print and internet businesses. All its titles serve clearly defined communities - be they based around locations or interest groups.
Archant produces four daily regional newspapers and around 75 weekly titles with a combined circulation of 2.7 million copies every week.
It is a UK top five regional newspaper publisher with a turnover of £191 million.
It also publishes around 80 magazines and more than 120 websites. It is a private company and employs around 2600 people across England and its head office is in Norwich.

For more information contact; Mary Willis, Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich, NR1 1RE, 01603 772188, mary.willis@archant.co.uk.