A while ago, PRWeb announced the intention to relaunch their website in a new design, better, user friendlier, and richer. And so they did, then the official release was published at Blogging PRWeb and via PRWeb’s own newswire.
The site is more aesthetically appealing, indeed, and the PRWeb brand has a more central role than it used to. What we lost, as news reporters, is the direct access to press releases that used to be featured on the main page. Now these are one level deeper, on PRWeb’s NEWS Center. However, the new structure makes browsing press releases faster, and more effective.
PRWeb now categorizes releases as follows: arts, business, education, environment, government, industry, lifestyle, sports, tech and others. Each category is organized in relevant sub-categories. In addition, PRWeb offers the following archives browsing options: View Press Releases by U.S. Cities and Metropolitan Regions; Select Year to View Press Releases (Day); and Video Releases.
The layout of the press releases as they appear published on the PRWeb site has changed as well. The main features are still there, and so far I didn’t notice other new additions. The layout, however, is more readable, and better structured. There still direct access to all press attachments, but contact details for the issuer of the release are now higher on the page, and the sharing tools are positioned at the top and bottom of the press release, encouraging users to forward, print, and share news via various social networks like Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon and more.
Nothing has really changed inside, on the UI level. The way you submit releases is still the same, although I was hoping for some changes in analytics – perhaps some added value from VOCUS News on Demand, and a more clear overview of the reads, interactions, traffic sources and impressions, instead of something that reminds more of a guessing challenge:
To summarize, the following are the changes to PRWeb:
News Release Template – a template that has been redesigned with a focus on visual elements, interactive features and better online performance. As usual, the template allows integration of multimedia content, such as videos and images, depending on the news release distribution package you choose for your release.
News Center – this new way of publishing the news releases on the PRWeb site makes it easier for both visitors and search engines to find a certain story of interest. It benefits both release posters, as they gain better visibility, and those interested in staying informed on specific industry fields.
Expert Resources – this is a comprehensive learning center featuring how-to articles, seminars, videos, all covering a specific topic – how to get the most out of a news release, which means gaining more visibility and generating an increasing number of leads.
Best Practice Case Studies – No one can teach you how to use PRWeb better than those who have already succeeded. Industry specific examples of success news releases will help new users perform better.