I mean that news sites should be linking to all relevant information even if some of that information is on a competitor's site.

What do you have to lose?

Obviously you're going to send some of your traffic over to the competition. That's really not a problem unless those people don't come back, which, especially if you're the top local news source in your area, is unlikely unless your content is just plain bad in which case you've got bigger issues to tackle than this anyway.

What do you have to gain?

1. The likelihood that people will come back

Right now you're offering your information on a given topic while competing sites x, y and z are offering their respective information on said topic. All this information is simply what it is and which information is most valuable to users is, in most cases, arguable if not entirely dependent on the person accessing it.

But if you offer your information plus easy access to information x, y and z, suddenly the value of your site has dramatically increased. You are now, by default, the number one source of information on this topic. If readers can come to expect this as a general rule, they are more likely to use your site as their top resource for local information, even if they don't always like your information the most, because you're saving them time and providing them with the most comprehensive service.

2. Respect and trust

People will recognize and respect that that you're confident enough in your stance to offer a look at alternative viewpoints or suggestions. Openly "advertising" your competition makes you more trustworthy. Trust and respect are hard-won and extremely valuable attributes.

3. Competitive edge

Linking to competitors' sites will naturally keep you informed about what they're up to. It will probably give you ideas about how to improve your information. There's your feel-good inspirational poster.

Need something more concrete to wrap your mind around?

Let's take dining reviews as an example. Let's say in your city there are three sites which provide dining reviews. I want to read a review of <restaurant everyone's buzzing about>. The first two sites each require me to find their dining section and search for the review. So does number three, but once I get to the review, I see links to the ones I just spent 10 minutes finding. And maybe there's a fourth one I didn't even know about. It doesn't matter which reviewer I agree with, I'm coming back to site No. 3 the next time I want dining information. That's the one I bookmark. That's the one I check when I need the restaurant's phone number, etc. etc.

Now most people probably don't set out trying to hunt down every site that will have a dining review -- and if they do, they're more likely to be using a Google or Yahoo! search rather than the above method. But the people who do come to your site will recognize that a) this information is useful whether they'd thought of looking for it on their own or not and b) it's faster than either of those methods because you've done the "legwork" for them.

OK, good then, it's settled.

Now you just have to decide whether you'll open a new window when you send users offsite. ;)

And as long as I've wandered onto the implementation side of this little rant, I should point out that there's a good reason Progressive makes such a big deal about the way their service works. You'll probably want to make it clear that you are sending your users to the competition. Separate links to competing information from other content and label the box something along the lines of "the other guys' opinions." (Hey, I'm not going to think of the catchy title for you!)

It would also be smart to include a message dating the links and reminding users that you can't control whether those sites move or remove that information, thus breaking the links. On long-running and well-trafficked pieces (perhaps dining or movie reviews) it might be worth periodic run-throughs to check the information. If your resources don't allow for such upkeep, add onto that note and encourage readers to report broken links to you.

November 2, 2003