USA TODAY Kicks Off the New Year With Redesigned Website Home Page

MCLEAN, Va., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- USA TODAY, the nation's top-selling print newspaper and a leading online destination, announces a newly designed home page for USATODAY.com. Launched in 1995, this is the first major redesign for the news and information site since 2007, when USATODAY.com launched the concept of network journalism, becoming the first major newspaper website to allow user commenting and community engagement. A video tour of the newly designed home page can be seen at: redesign.usatoday.com.

"Over the last few years we at USATODAY.com have been listening to feedback, watching users engage with our site and analyzing usage patterns," said Jeff Webber, publisher of USA TODAY.com. "We believe these improvements to USATODAY.com improve our home page, better serving our readers and offering new opportunities for our partners."

The new USATODAY.com offers a cleaner and simpler navigation and experience, making it easier for users to find the content they are looking for. There is also a noticeable increase in performance with the new page loading 25 to 35% faster, giving users the news they need as quickly as possible. Initially launching just on the home page, design changes will spread throughout the rest of USATODAY.com over several weeks in the beginning of 2010.

The top part of the page displays main stories and unique content and includes a listing of the site's most popular stories, news from financial markets and our Snapshot(®), the popular infographic. Just below, USATODAY.com offers a row of multimedia content featuring interactive graphics, videos, photo galleries and more. Further down, content is grouped by print and online-only sections to include: News, Money, Life, Sports, Better Life, Weather, Tech, Travel and Opinion. The right side of the page offers a "Community Buzz" area, highlighting recent posts from our award-winning blogs; "You Said It," which points out recent user comments; plus daily polls and more.

The newly redesigned USATODAY.com also creates new opportunities for advertisers, marketers and partners through dynamic and creative solutions and ad positions. A full offering of these new ad units can be seen by visiting: 2010adunits.usatoday.com.

USA TODAY was founded in 1982 with a mission to serve as a forum for better understanding and unity to help make the USA truly one nation. Through its flagship newspaper and popular Web site, USA TODAY engages the national conversation and connects readers online through social media applications. USA TODAY, the nation's number one newspaper in print circulation with a total average daily print circulation of nearly 1.9 million, and USATODAY.com, an award-winning newspaper Web site which launched in 1995, reach a combined 6.1 million readers daily. The USA TODAY news and information brand also includes: USA TODAY Education, USA TODAY LIVE, USA TODAY Mobile, and USA TODAY Sports Weekly. USA TODAY is owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI).

SOURCE USA TODAY