Xtra today unveiled its new homepage at www.xtra.co.nz. Xtra is New Zealand's most visited web site with more than
700,000 visits each week.
The new homepage, the result of more than six months of research and development, is significantly different in style
and functionality to Xtra's previous 'X-Ville' design.
In addition to a bold new design, the new site is easier to navigate and makes a wide range of information, including
breaking news, readily accessible to all Internet users, according to Xtra general manager Graham Mitchell.
"By introducing a search function on every page within the new site, we've made it easier for users to find the
information they need at Xtra and on the World Wide Web.
"By working closely with IRN and Reuters, we're able to provide dynamic news feeds with up to 1200 news stories each day
as well as top quality pictures hot off the Reuters wire. The Xtra site will in fact be the first Internet site in the
Southern Hemisphere to feature high quality photojournalism from Reuters.
"With Xtra's customer base of more than 220,000 and a wide range of compelling news and information on offer, we're
anticipating the new site will prove very popular with Internet users. To ensure that we can handle the predicted surge
in traffic, we have developed the new site on the Story Server platform which will allow us to quickly update the site,
while providing the necessary capacity to handle demand."
What's new at the Xtra website
New Branding - the logo has changed with brighter colours, making it a more appealing place to visit and reflecting
Xtra's identity much more clearly.
New Navigation - Main menus available from every page on the Xtra site provide a consistent and easier way to find
information and to move around. .
Search Anytime - a new search box with drop down menus is now located on each page. In addition, visitors can now look
for information within Xtra, define a search to New Zealand or even the World Wide Web.
News Up Front - partnerships with key national and international news companies - IRN and Reuters - will make for
up-to-the minute news coverage. Continuous updates throughout the day, means you might see news on Xtra ahead of
newspapers, radio or television. News items will be enhanced by live pictures, making the Xtra site the first in the
Southern Hemisphere to offer news visuals.
Portal Navigation Bar - This horizontal row of buttons, known as Xtra's portal navigation bar, has been redesigned and
is now located at the top of every page. It's a fast way to travel to Xtra's Products and Services, Help, Account
Information and Join Xtra.
New Areas - There is now a 'New Users' area containing all relevant for getting started, as well as an updated 'Xtra
Members' area which centralises all details for Xtra members, such as special offers and account information.
Channel Changes - A new channel has been added - NZ Life - as well as greater breadth in the existing Channels. The
redesigned website makes it faster to get to popular parts of the site, especially in the core channels of News,
Business, Entertainment, Sport, Travel, Technology and Real Estate.
Increased Capacity - Xtra has approximately 225,000 customers and records over 700,000 visits each week, with these
figures increasing rapidly. A major capacity upgrade, using the Story Server Platform, caters for more users and more
concurrent online sessions.
ENDS