The Sun-Times News Group has just launched their free real estate site that enables Chicago users to search for homes in more than 10 counties, covering Northeastern Illinois and Northwest Indiana.

The launch of the residential site is the arrival of what is being called their ‘classified trio’. Via SearchChicago.com, browsers can look for cars, jobs and now homes. All the big elements normally found in an online classified entity.

The birth of SearchChicago.com came out of the original concept, to create a content heavy classified site that would attract both private users and commercial advertisers, and obviously allow Sun-Times to romp with the big boys, online. The smartest way for them to build the type of content necessary (fast and effectively), was to combine the classified listings in their regional publications (the Greater Chicago area), all on to one site.

“SearchChicago.com is one-stop shopping for people in Chicago and surrounding communities who are looking for necessities of life – jobs, homes and transportation,” said Cyrus F. Freidheim, Jr. , Chief Executive Officer of Sun-Times Media Group, Inc., the parent company for the Sun-Times News Group. “Users will have the advantages of our broad classifieds listings across the more than 90 newspaper titles that make up the Sun-Times News Group network and reach millions of readers each day.”

The SearchChicago Classified site has some distinguishing qualities that will allow it to differ itself from the rest. Mainly, the sites search capabilities are what stand out the most. The options and user tools to find information is extremely robust and user friendly. And just as impressive, the information served from a search, is delivered in a plethora of ways, allowing all viewer types to find items quickly.

When looking for a job, the sites advanced search allows a user to choose from 11 different criteria and at the end of the search form, the user has the option of receiving their job profiles in a long or short format view. This is extremely useful for those just wanting to browse. The newly launched homes vertical of the site, also has some interesting options to aid home buyers in making decisions. In addition to allowing browsers to search by community and home type, the site offers an interactive map search and video tours of homes. Another notable application on the homes site is their ‘School Report Card’ section. This allows browsers to review ratings of schools in a particular area they are thinking of moving to. This is key for all families with children and is usually information not found on a classified site – again promoting one stop shopping for site users.

Given that this is a fairly new venture for Sun-Times, I have excused some of the obvious fixes still required with the site. For example, while searching for autos you don’t have the option to hyper-link out to homes. If on either the auto or jobs section of the site, there is no easily navigated way to get back to the principal home page. Lastly, there is great content mix for both homes and jobs on the site, but auto results were somewhat light.

The one-stop shopping feel SearchChicago.com promotes, could be a real success for the Sun-Times News Group. However, ensuring the presence of healthy content that is easily found, will be the differentiator between success and heavy site traffic, versus being just another classified site attempt, by a group of newspapers, trying to compete against the online only elephants, in the publishing space.

written by Beverly Crandon

One of the largest employment vertical, online partners to the print world has just announced it is cutting jobs in-house, to maintain revenue to cost ratios. The partner I am speaking of is Monster.com.

To me, this is fascinating news, as we have seen so many print publishers create advertising partnerships, with the likes of Monster, Workopolis, Career Builder, etc…. These relationships were built because the online entities, mentioned above, were supposed to be the leverage point that would allow print publishers to keep their Employer/Advertiser databases strong. Sales leaders at newspapers would create special packages, giving their customers placement in the newspaper and website, as well as provide a presence on the global network owned by their ‘well known’, online employment partner. A brilliant plan, provided you had the right sales force, to keep market penetration numbers up. Those who understood new media vantage points, recognized they were being the conduit for their clients to other media forms, as opposed to being left out of the clients purchasing strategy, completely. This downsizing announcement however, makes one think that some of the online only companies, print publishers have joined forces with, may not be much better off than they.

As Monster made clear that it will cut 15% (800 jobs) of its work force to keep investors happy, at the end of the day publishers already in bed with the elephant will need to be aware of the changes to staffing and how that may affect their business.

The challenge the reduction of staff brings to both Monster and their partnering publishers, is the question of service and reliability. Will something be lost in the shuffle? Keep in mind Monster has a relationship with approximately 59 newspapers, which means that there is a lot at stake here. Press releases indicate that the greatest reduction of staff will be here in North America, as it is here that the revenue growth has been noticeably slowed.

I hope Monster has a formidable transition plan or further reduction in North American market share may be their faith.

This is definitely a story we will be watching closely.

written by Beverly Crandon

Late Friday, the Chicago Tribune launched their site redesign, to cater to how users are interacting with the web and their site specifically. The changes surround both streamlined advertising methodology and user tools.

Now, readers can navigate easily and cater their view of the Chicago Tribune’s online news. With access to video ads, increased search capability and interaction tools promoting conversation with the dailies staff, users are definite part of the news they read, promoting the very essence of the ‘Citizen Marketer’.

Along with the site redesign, comes a marketing campaign entitled ‘ChicagoTribune.com revolves around you’.

According to the newspaper, it was time the changes took place, as the previous major site uplift occurred approximately seven years ago -and let’s face it, a lot has happened to the web and with the way users interact with online entities since then. “The redesign underscores our commitment to adapting to meet our users’ needs in the constantly evolving online environment”, said Allison Scholly, Chicago Tribune Vice President and general manager of Chicago Tribune Interactive.

With the news now being updated 24/7, as relevancy dictates, the site is one step closer to reaching the user engagement and retention levels it desires.

The changes are similar to what the Gannett has mandated their American newspapers to undergo and I assume we’ll only see more publishers come on board, with what I like to call ‘ the publishing and media 2.0′ mainstream.

written by Beverly Crandon

The Google Print Ads program that had a soft launch in November of 2006, was officially opened to Google AdWord customers this week. The program allows advertisers to choose from approximately 225 US based news papers and magazines, for widespread print advertising.

Google’s embrace of print and its recognition of the value a communally deep-rooted daily can offer advertisers, shows their understanding of how effective use of the two mediums (print and online) can be a compliment, versus a hindrance, to growth.

One of the Print Ad program’s pilot clients, Covad (a T1 Internet Connection Provider), was used as an example by Google representatives, to show the levels of success the program can bring. “They saw roughly a 20% increase in the quality of leads and sales, as compared to control markets where they didn’t run newspaper ads. Online plus print actually gives a multiplier effect to a marketers bottom line.” (Spencer Spinnell, head of Sales Strategy for Google print Advertising).

It will be interesting to see how Yahoo responds, as they have too have an arsenal of print partners in their back pocket.

written by Beverly Crandon

It surprises me, how many newspapers and niche magazines, feel that they can fulfill their online reader’s quest for information, by taking the PDF of the print publication and promoting it their website. Some, who feel they have surpassed the PDFers’, pride themselves on taking the same copy in print and promoting that to the web, at or around the same time the print publication hits the street.

Take my hand, and let me explain to you why this approach will not stand the test of time.

Although elements of the data may be the same, the functionality of the sources, at which people access information, are different. For example, lets review the new age, yet old, make up of two primary media competitors. Print Media and Online Media.

User generated differences, with information gathering, should not be ignored. Countless studies exist today and prove that readers use the web far differently than they do print. So seeing publishers try to compete online, with dated online formats is puzzling. The key is to always be thinking about how the relationship between the publishers print and website can evolve to give readers more of what they are asking for.

Honorable mention goes out to the Gannett Company, a publishing group taking steps to transform traditional print media. Gannett’s daily newspapers have recently undergone a change in news media that in some cases, have Gannett editors working shifts around the clock.

In late 2005, Gannett Executives commenced the testing of a special newsgroup called ‘The Information Centre’. The idea of ‘The Information Centre’ was that editors and writers work at earlier start times to get breaking and time sensitive news, on the dailies accompanying web site, as soon as they occur. For a Gannett reader, ‘The Information Centre’ meant no more waiting 12 to 24 hours after the event occurred, to read about it online. The test proved favorable and in some cases, dailies saw slight increases in print circulation. As Gannett proved that relevancy and accessibility was key for their online readers, all 85 of the Gannett dailies, across the United States, were mandated to implement an ‘Information Centre’ of their own. As of May 2007, all centres were up and running. Gannett sees this special newsgroup as another way they can better compete, with the plethora of online only sites.

The Gannett’s ‘Information Centre’ is an example of the types of things publishers should be thinking about, to stay current and in the game. The move is brave and gutsy, as it defies the conservative, extensive fact-checking principal, but is risky enough to make a difference when sized up against the other guys in the traditional publishing world.

written by Beverly Crandon