BELMOND — The Belmond Independent is rolling out a new website and domain aimed at creating a more user-friendly digital experience for readers, subscribers, advertisers, and the broader community.
The update is part of a larger effort to ensure the newspaper’s e-edition and online stories are easy to access, read, and navigate across all devices.
“This was a change I really wanted to make to better serve our readers,” said Chris Nelson, publisher and owner of the Belmond Independent. “It’s important to me that our e-editions and web stories are simple to view, whether you’re a longtime subscriber, someone interested in the paper, or a community member just looking for local news.”
When Nelson Media Company purchased Belmond Independent, it was the only newspaper in the company’s portfolio not using the same website hosting platform as its other publications. Nelson said the company initially wanted to give the existing platform a fair opportunity.
“We wanted to try it and see how it worked,” Nelson said. “But the intricacies of the system and the lack of customer service made it clear that it wasn’t the right long-term solution for our readers or our advertisers. That made this decision an easy one.”
With the new website, readers can expect daily digital updates, with new local stories posted online throughout the week. Nelson emphasized that while the digital experience is improving, the print newspaper will remain unchanged.
“Nothing is changing in print,” Nelson said. “We will continue to produce a strong weekly newspaper, just as we always have.”
E-editions will continue to be posted online and will be easier to access, with the long-term goal of allowing readers to view editions from weeks—and eventually years—past.
“Our goal is to make the e-edition a true archive of the community,” Nelson said. “People should be able to go back and find stories and issues just as easily as they can pick up a paper today.”
Advertisers will also see benefits from the transition, including improved visibility and a cleaner, more modern presentation of their ads online.
“This gives our advertisers a better look and more exposure,” Nelson said. “That’s good for them and good for the community.”
The transition to the new website will occur over the next week or two, with plans to be fully live by Feb. 1. Readers may notice minor changes during the transition period.
“We’re extremely excited about this update,” Nelson said. “I want to sincerely thank our readers and advertisers for their patience. This change is all about making the Belmond Independent stronger, more accessible, and better positioned for the future.”