Trinity Mirror revamps local news sites

Trinity Mirror has started a major revamp of its regional news websites with the relaunch of its online properties for Liverpool. 

The Liverpool Daily Post and Liverpool Echo are the first to have received an upgrade, while Trinity Mirror's sites in the North East will be relaunched in the coming months, followed by South Wales, North Wales, Huddersfield and the Scottish titles.

According to David Black, director of regional digital media for Trinity Mirror, the moves will focus on interactivity and community, and come after a nine month process of user testing, heatmapping, and feedback from staff. 

Both the Liverpool sites now support more user generated content - users can comment on key stories, as well as airing their views in the sites' forums and blogs.

In addition, the video and photo content has been enhanced and placed within a dedicated area, while users can upload their own photos and videos to the site. Black said:

“The significant upgrade to our sites will further improve our online proposition and gives us a tremendous platform to grow our online reach and revenues locally.”

All in all, the redesign has improved both sites, and the added emphasis on UGC is a smart move that will make for a stickier experience for users.

Further reading:
The Times unveils £10m website redesign
Daily Telegraph launches blogs for readers