The strategy behind Quartz’s home page redesign

Ken Doctor writes for Politico about why Quartz redesigned its home page.

Doctor writes, “Publishers can take an extra three key points from Quartz’s new look.

“First, it’s worth considering the value of briefing, as briefings have been a popular play of the year in news media. Quartz’s daily briefing is now gone from the smartphone and tablet products (and available in sampling form on the desktop).

“Yet, it lives strongly on. On what platform, then? E-mail. That oldest of ‘platforms’ is the perfect place for the daily Qz.com briefing, delivered once a day, but around the clock in the mornings of North America, Asia and EMEA. Seward says Quartz can now count 170,000 briefing subscribers to the free product, with an average open rate of 40%. That creates the kind of core readership Quartz needs in the next stage of its business, and increasingly large definable audience for its top-drawer advertisers. Quartz loyalists like the email delivery.

“Second, simply enough: Feature what makes you unique. The new design does that.”

Read more here.