When TV Guide was founded in 1953, its primary function was to inform consumers what was on television, when, and on what channel. But with the recent proliferation of onscreen programming guides, its role in our culture has changed. To compete in today's online media market, tvguide.com needed to become a forum for both information and connection. The company came to frog for a complete website overhaul, eager to bring their publication more effectively out of the grocery store and onto our computer screens.
Extensive interviews with TV Guide shareholders revealed an overwhelming desire for improvements - not only to the aesthetics of the site, but to its functionality. TVGuide.com had more data than any of its competitors, but users found it difficult to navigate, the strength of its content lost behind its sheer volume. TV Guide needed new ways to bring the right information into the hands of its users.
Careful market analysis revealed increasing levels of personalization and user interaction on media websites, capabilities TV Guide had yet to harness. frog needed to locate a solution that would make changes at the strategic level, balancing the company's vast, traditional content with groundbreaking new features.
TV Guide's enormous database of film and television information was reformatted for easy user access and involvement. Looking for an obscure fact about the 1974 made-for-TV remake of the classic French thriller "Diabolique"? TV Guide has it. Or simply can't stop raving about the exploits of Jack Bauer on this season's "24"? The new website leads you not only to the facts you desire, but also to critical reviews, synopses, photo archives, actor biographies, and editorials. A second layer of interactive features expands upon these offerings, connecting you with others of a similar interest through blogs, forum discussions, and email sharing.
By incorporating a "My Favorites" dropdown menu into the site, frog makes it easier for users to find the information they want most, with info on favorite shows and celebrities, customized links to blogs, and daily updates. From continuous-storyline dramas to the onslaught of vote-in reality shows, television programs inspire deep loyalty between viewers and their favorite on-screen characters. The new menu places those loyalties at a user's fingertips, granting them instant access to the shows they love.
Initial recommendations were tailored to account for market viability, technological capabilities within TV Guide, and the aggressive timeframe set by our client, resulting in a website that stretched TV Guide in new directions while maintaining the integrity of the brand. With frog's guidance, TV Guide expanded its in-house technology team to facilitate the new interactive capabilities of the site, ensuring that our design could become reality.
The website launched September 12, with great response from industry experts and users alike. Since the launch of the redesign, web traffic has risen 83 percent to 3.8 million, making TV Guide Online the most heavily trafficked TV information website, when measured by page views per unique users.
The site was also awarded a MIN (Media Industry Newsletter) Best of the Web Award for Best Redesign in April 2007.
