{"id":155289,"date":"2025-01-22T15:15:25","date_gmt":"2025-01-22T21:15:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/?post_type=resource&p=155289"},"modified":"2025-01-22T15:15:33","modified_gmt":"2025-01-22T21:15:33","slug":"make-a-news-site","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/resources\/make-a-news-site\/","title":{"rendered":"Making a News Website: Steps and Best Practices"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The majority of adult Americans<\/a> (86%) get at least some of their news digitally, whether it comes from a website, a dedicated news app, or directly through zero-click results<\/a> on a search engine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As web users continue to broaden their views on what is considered a source for news<\/a>, including influencers, public figures, online networks, and other alternative sources, there\u2019s ample opportunity to make a news site and grow an online audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we\u2019ll walk you through the process of creating a news website, including important steps and best practices to ensure quality content and a high-performing site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Step 1: Define your news website\u2019s purpose<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Small, up-and-coming news sites are unlikely to compete with leading news organizations<\/a> like CNN, Fox News, or MSNBC. Before you start to create a news site, you\u2019ll need to figure out the unique value you intend to provide, whether that\u2019s local coverage for a small area, news specific to a particular topic, or something else entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defining the purpose of your news site is vital to finding and engaging with the right audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Identify your target audience<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Understanding the audience you want to target is key to shaping the content strategy of your news site. For example, a local, independent newspaper in the Midwest might not appeal to readers on the East Coast, but it might have a massive appeal for readers in the Heartland and Great Plains regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to knowing key demographic information about your target readers, you\u2019ll want to see how your competitors target the same individuals. Evaluate competitors\u2019 sites and top-trafficked articles to see what resonates and what you can emulate in your own site design. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By designing with your target audience in mind<\/a>, you can ensure that each reader gets a high-quality user experience from the moment they land on your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choose a news niche or focus<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another way to stand out among your competitors is to focus your content around a specific niche topic<\/a>. This ensures that your site\u2019s visitors will be highly likely to engage with your content and continue to come back for more because they are already seeking information about your chosen niche.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This could manifest as a news site focused on a geographic location, like the hypothetical Midwestern newspaper mentioned above. You could also concentrate content around a niche industry<\/a>, like tech or agriculture, or specialize in a specific topic, like climate news or global politics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, Politico<\/a> covers only information related to the global political landscape, while Morning Brew<\/a> focuses on business and the economy. While certain topics will bridge both of these publications, other stories may be suitable for coverage on Politico that would not be suitable for Morning Brew, and vice versa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 2: Select a platform for your news website<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When building any website, the digital platform you choose to build on is among the most critical aspect that will affect your final results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While you can build an effective news website using any site building software, like Joomla, Squarespace, and Wix, WordPress offers a unique opportunity to build using a low-cost publishing framework with plenty of flexibility and scalability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why WordPress works for news websites<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

WordPress is already the world\u2019s most popular CMS, powering more than 40% of sites <\/a>globally. It is an ideal framework for building news media sites<\/a> due to its flexibility, scalability, and extensive ecosystem of themes and plugins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its open-source codebase enables developers to customize functionality and design to meet a news outlet\u2019s specific needs and allows publishers to truly own their site content<\/a>, which can be a point of contention with proprietary software like Wix and Squarespace. With a user-friendly interface, even non-technical users can manage content, update stories, and upload media efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WordPress also supports a range of publishing tools, enabling scheduled posts, author management, and collaborative editing. Plugins like Yoast SEO<\/a> optimize content for search engines, enhancing visibility, while caching tools improve site performance for high-traffic periods. WordPress\u2019s mobile responsiveness ensures that news is accessible across devices, which is critical in today\u2019s mobile-first environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scalability is another key strength. WordPress can handle large volumes of content and traffic, making it suitable for growing news sites. Integrations with ad networks, subscription platforms, and analytics tools enable monetization and audience insights, allowing media businesses to thrive. Furthermore, its multilingual capabilities and international plugins make it suitable for reaching diverse audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Security is also a priority, with regular updates and plugins designed to protect against cyber threats. The vibrant WordPress community provides extensive resources, from tutorials to professional developers, ensuring support is readily available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WordPress combines ease of use, powerful features, and robust scalability, making it the go-to choice for news media sites aiming to deliver fast, reliable, and engaging content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Step 3: Plan your content and features<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve identified your target audience, the niche sector or sectors your news site will cover, and the platform you\u2019ll build your site on, it\u2019s time to plan your content strategy and essential site features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of the subject, there are certain functional elements all news sites will require, and a solid content strategy will ensure you can provide frequent, consistent articles related to your chosen topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Identify essential features for a news website<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When thinking about how to create a news site, there are a few functional elements you\u2019ll want to consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first is your site\u2019s search experience. To keep your visitors engaged, you\u2019ll need to ensure they can quickly and easily find the information they\u2019re looking for. A robust site search experience that uses tags or categories to label content paired with a search algorithm that can understand semantics and see past typos will help your users find the best, most recent content you\u2019ve published on a topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tools like Smart Search AI<\/a> offer a natural-language-based search experience that can help deliver more accurate results without bogging down performance. Plus, the insights you gain from Smart Search AI can help you identify trending topics or \u201cno-result\u201d queries to show you what types of content your users want and fill holes in your content strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll also want some way for your editors or contributing authors to access your site to publish new content. Typically, the backend access offered to content creators should allow them to access only functionality essential to the publishing process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Providing too much access to development tools or features creates an opportunity for publishers to disrupt or break your site accidentally, so aim to provide them with only the functionality they genuinely need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For WordPress users, the ability to lock down certain site elements comes baked into your website thanks to the user roles created by WordPress<\/a> itself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a site owner, you automatically take on the role of Administrator, which gives you full access to make changes to any and everything on a site. From there, you can set other users as Editors, Authors, Contributors, or Subscribers, each of which comes with varying degrees of access. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Develop a content strategy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Now that you\u2019ve identified your niche, audience, and the tools your site will require, it\u2019s time to create a content strategy. Your strategy will include everything from the types of content you offer (articles, videos, infographics, podcasts, etc.) to the frequency of your publishing cadence to the brand guidelines you intend to follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publishing frequently ensures visitors always have new information to digest, allowing you to position your site as a source of relevant, up-to-date information. That said, frequency is not more important than quality. Choosing the right publishing frequency<\/a> balances your ability to create high-quality work and publish at a sustainable pace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For most news sites, adherence to AP Style guidelines<\/a> will help you promote a polished, professional presence, but you\u2019ll likely have some unique branded guidelines that are specific to your organization. Ensure these guidelines are clearly communicated to all contributors so your content remains consistent regardless of author.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of contributors, another critical part of your content strategy is deciding how you\u2019ll source your content<\/a>. Even for the most prolific writers, running an entire site, including all content creation and management, is not feasible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When looking to bolster your content, you have a few options:<\/p>\n\n\n\n