Sign of the times

The only thing constant in this world is change, and as of this week the News-Register has changed the look and feel of its online footprint.
After months of discussion and review, we launched an updated version of our website in an effort to enhance our operation on several fronts. It’s not the first time, and it most certainly won’t be the last.
Under the guidance of former publisher Butch Furse, this newspaper was one of if not THE first Nebraska weekly to launch a website twentysomething years ago. It was a visionary step at the time, but of course things have long since changed as almost any business considered “a going concern” now has an online presence.
The ANR’s digital footprint has been revised many times since then, and as is the case in 2020 now offers enhanced connectivity.
It’s a fresh, clean look, for starters, with a design that offers online viewers more ANR photos and videos. Our staff posts fresh content throughout the week, not just on printing day, which attracts “eyeballs” and makes this one of the most viewed websites in the community. That’s a statistic that holds true in many rural communities, as the local newspaper often devotes more time, effort and resources to covering what’s happening on the hometown front than any other news source.
Because of the eyeball traffic drawn to the site, it’s a valuable conduit for other local businesses as well. That’s why we made more advertising spots available with ANR online 6.0 (or whatever version we’re on), to share that online traffic with others in a win-win trend.
So many changes we see and hear about in 2020 are due to the COVID pandemic, and in an indirect way perhaps this one is as well. With community members stuck at home during these unprecedented times, we’ve seen our online viewership rise, including a growing number of e-subscribers. That surge provided the nudge we needed to up our online game.
While we were at it, we added more emphasis to the printing end of our business, which is an essential part of our operation. Many people know the News-Register as the local newspaper, which is our bread and butter, but in fact a significant part of our business involves commercial printing in various formats. Our new and improved site provides more information and easier access to those resources and we’re proud and excited to be that needed source of local business.
If you haven’t already, check us out at auroranewsregister.com.
-- Kurt Johnson