With so much information being published on the web, our reliance on search engines and trusted sources has never been higher. And at the same time, patience for sites that don’t deliver continues to erode. Search engines like Google do an increasingly better job of “autocompleting” what we’re looking for, anticipating what we’re trying to figure out, and seemingly reading our minds.
Everything is moving faster on the web, and of course, that impacts all information and entertainment media. As consumers become even more accustomed to getting what they want, when they want it, it ports over to the other media sources they use – including radio.
We need more practical information than ever before – whether it’s quickly figuring out how to watch an NCAA tournament basketball game on our phone or we want quick info about Barron Trump’s rare White House visit.
Enter Heavy.com, a website that’s surprisingly been around since 1999, and has quietly racked up impressive web visit stats.
Beyond its metrics, some of the fundamental operating philosophies on Heavy.com make it worth noting – whether you’re publishing stories on your station website newsfeed or you’re on the air (or a producer) prepping content.
A recent story in Slate by Will Oremus breaks Heavy.com’s systems down. And a lot of what this site does is directly applicable to how we’re trying to transition our station brands – whether we’re talking on-air or online. Their approach describes the “Practical Web” – a way to quickly an efficiently access information in ways that are bite-sized, entertaining, quick, and smart.
Most of Heavy.com’s stories are in their “Five Fast Facts You Need To Know” format. A look at their page over the weekend covered fivesome factoids on Andrew Napolitano (the judge on Fox News that President Trump referenced), Leslie Van Houten of the Manson Family (featured on an ABC special), and the best drinking games for St. Patrick’s Day.
Practical.
Other quick-hitters included everything from the 138 stores J.C. Penny is closing to how to buy a pay-per-view fight.
In myriad ways, Heavy.com underscores some best practices that radio can learn from as it designs digital tools and continues to reassess its over the air broadcast philosophy:
Lists and countdowns work. (Thanks, Casey Casem). They’re effective not only on the web but on the air. Keeping them limited to five seems like a good number that most people can track (sorry, David Letterman), especially while they’re on the go.
Benchmarks work, too. “5 Fast Facts” is a great format that is recognizable, easy to remember, and as importantly, a breeze to read. It is at the center of Heavy.com’s operating philosophy. And the rest of their site is built out from that solid foundation.
It promotes more usage. Think of it as TSL. Once you read one story, it’s easy to move onto the next one. Unlike radio benchmarks that simply end (sweeper into commercials), once you’re on Heavy.com, you want to read other stories because you know they’re short, concise, and smart. A low “bounce rate” – meaning that most people don’t just read one story – is what you’re going after, whether it’s on your website or on your show or station.
Keep the content bite-sized. People are vacuuming up info while they’re on the go. Being able to take in content while on mass transit, in a car (while parked, of course), in the dentist’s office, or while at a dance recital relies on speed, quickness, and easy readability. Heavy.com does a strong job of staying focused and on-point. It understands its readers are mobile, multi-tasking, and time-pressured. Catering to those cultural conditions is what Heavy.com is built for.
Focus on your UX. Unlike so many so-called news site littered with ads, pop-ups, and fake-outs to make you click in the wrong places or force you to sit through ads you have no interest in, the Heavy.com web experience is clean and easy to navigate. It’s a clean, uncluttered site, and that promotes greater usage.
Stay current. Heavy.com isn’t just about what’s new – now – it is incessantly current. If there’s a personality in the news – showbiz or of the serious variety – Heavy.com is on top of it, usually with its “5 Fast Facts” format. That same level of brevity, simplicity, and freshness translates to your station or show, whether it’s “5 Five Facts About The Recently Announced Concert West and Classic West Tours” or “The 5 Best Things To Do This Weekend.”
Connect with your core. Heavy.com has a weekday email – “5 Things You Need To Know Today” – that emphasizes “facts not fluff.” That’s something that any station or personality could put together that addresses practical needs and common interests. With accessible links, it’s the “gateway drug” that starts the web user moving from story to story, building up page views and promoting usage.
But here’s something else to consider with Heavy.com. They don’t have an app at the moment, and that’s a deficit. While their old app has an “under construction” sign, the lack of an easy to access mobile application is something they know they need to fix. For radio stations and personalities, an app that makes it easy to access that news feed is table stakes as consumers continue to access information wherever they are and whatever they’re doing.
Heavy.com is worth a look because whether you’re a webmaster, a producer, or the afternoon drive jock, there are lessons to be learned from the “Practical Web” and how that can apply to the traditional radio business.
Check it out here.
Special thanks to Harvey Kojan for the “Heavy” tip!
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Really appreciate this kind of info.
Thanks, Dan.