All the little things have been getting to me lately. This one is oh-so easy to get right, yet I can present site after site which fails to tell us exactly what they do or where they do it. Or both.

Whew.

If there is any one thing that nearly every user has learned, it's to look in the upper left corner of a site to find out where in the World Wide Web one has landed.

I'll give a little leeway to, say, the NY Times and Washington Post and the like. If your publication is pretty much universally known, well, bully for you and this probably isn't so much an issue. As a general rule, the smaller your audience size the more important it is to tell the rest of the world who you are (you know, with the hopes of convincing them of your qualifications to present the news so they'll respect you and with any luck return frequently).

That masthead should contain:

The Who. Almost everyone manages to include the site name and many even tie in the name of the corresponding print publication. Good start... and award yourself extra points if you thought to carry over the masthead logo style from your print edition for branding purposes.

The What. Here's where it all falls apart. Sure, most locals of any given area will know the name of the major newspaper (here's hoping at least), but what of those just passing through? What of those moving to your area? We do care about them don't we? What if you aren't the major newspaper in your area? Keep in mind that most non-journos can probably only name the major newspaper of places they've lived plus those of a few major cities. And if you're the biggest, say so. If you're an alternative news source, say so. Whatever your particular selling point, this is your big chance to spell it out. Here's a hint: The word "newspaper" should appear in your tagline.

(Aside: My personal favorite not-so-helpful tagline comes from the Sacramento Bee: "Life. Captured Daily." It's catchy, I'll give them that, but are they bounty hunters or a newspaper?)

The Where. Columbus where? Richmond where? Which Charleston? Be specific. It's not good enough that it's in your title bar or implicit in your navigation or the items you're covering. We shouldn't have to read anything beyond your masthead to know where you are.

At least two fairly large papers have gotten it right: Congratulations and thanks to The Cincinnati Enquirer and The St. Petersburg Times.

July 20, 2003

• My example: Ultimate Online Newspaper PLEASE NOTE: Nothing is linked properly!
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