Observer reveals redesigned website

The Winter Park/Maitland Observer — an award-winning weekly newspaper in Central Florida’s highly desirable affluent areas of Winter Park, Maitland and Baldwin Park — launched a complete redesign of its website, wpmobserver.com, on Wednesday, Sept. 1.

Debuting only months after the Observer successfully redesigned its print newspaper, the new wpmobserver.com offers enhanced interactive features, more user-friendly functionality and a sleek, modern design.

As the Observer finishes its 22nd year, it is best known for its independent reporting and commentary on issues including city and county government, crime, economy, arts, education, business and high school and college-level sports. The newspaper’s opinion pages serve as a forum for community dialogue about local issues.

“The new website makes it even easier for us to forge community interaction and deliver the hyperlocal news that readers expect — news that they can’t get anywhere else,” said Jenny Andreasson, managing editor of the Winter Park/Maitland Observer.

Some of wpmobserver.com’s new features include:

• Story comments — Readers can comment at the bottom of on any article and also link their comments to their Facebook profile.

• Interactive calendar — Users and organizations can upload calendar events, which upon editor approval, are displayed in the Events tab.

• Staff and columnist entries — Favorite columns have been upgraded to Web 2.0 standards, allowing users to keep tabs on the site’s most popular content.

• Search Engine Optimization — News and articles are now easier than ever to find in

wpmobserver.com’s newly improved search feature and are also more accessible through

your favorite search engines.

• Drop-down menus — Looking for stories about Rollins College sports? Just mouse over the “Sports” tab and click on “Rollins”. Use the many defined categories to help you navigate to the news you want to read.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled about the wpmobserver.com redesign,” said Kyle Taylor, publisher of the Winter Park/Maitland Observer. “The new site not only continues to deliver the same great content that the community demands, but also capitalizes on the latest trends and technologies, allowing the Observer to strengthen its relationship with its coverage area.”

—Observer staff report