Varosh — an independent online publication in Zakarpattia that keeps readers informed and helps to develop the local community.
Task
To revamp the media website, streamline the content publication process and develop a system for effective engagement with the readership.
A community is what keeps an audience engaged with the media. It consists of people who trust the outlet, return to its content and are willing to support it.
But without a clear system, this interaction quickly falls apart: contacts are stored across different platforms, some data is lost, the database isn’t updated, and communication becomes irregular or haphazard. As a result, the media outlet gradually loses touch with its readers. The editorial team does not understand exactly who supports the publication, how to engage with these people, or how to turn them into an active community.
Engaging with website visitors
For Varosh, we’ve changed our approach to community management and consolidated all processes into a single system. Subscriber data is automatically stored in Published!The information remains in the system, is accessible at any time and is not lost. Editors can see who supports the publication, what type of subscription has been taken out and the status of transactions: successful, cancelled or with errors.
*Image for illustrative purposes only
We have further automated interaction with media subscribers. Participants’ email addresses are synchronised with the SendPulse email marketing service. The editorial team no longer wastes time manually exporting contacts or transferring the database between services. The system determines which email newsletter a reader should receive based on the amount of support they provide to the media outlet. This approach strengthens community development and opens up new opportunities for engaging with the audience. The Varosh team can segment users, communicate with different groups, provide updates on events, invite people to meetings, and offer bonuses or special products.
Media Identity
We have updated the digital media visual identity system: the logo, brand identity, and the design of social media and promotional materials. This visual identity system forms the basis of the website’s design.
News website design
We map out the user’s journey from the first piece of content they view to the decision to support the publication. Navigation, page layout, publication types and key highlights create a clear user experience with the content. This enables readers to find articles quickly, whilst the editorial team can manage the online publication’s content effectively.
Development of an online publication
We have migrated the website to Published!— a platform for creating and managing media websites. This process involves the complete transfer of all publications and media files.
We have retained the archives of content, the URL structure, internal links and the publication history. For readers, the transition was seamless, and the editorial team has not lost any of its accumulated content: all materials remain accessible, links work correctly, and the website retains its search engine rankings.
Published! has opened up new opportunities for the editorial team
Collaborative editing
The platform shows who is currently working on the document and warns against simultaneous editing to prevent changes to the text from being lost
Working with drafts
Changes are saved automatically, and you can return to your drafts at any time. A preview of the content is also available
Embed elements
Posts from social media and video platforms are displayed directly whilst the content is being edited, so the editor can see how the content will look once it has been published
Multilingualism
The website is available in two languages, and no separate command is required no separate team is required to translate articles. Published!It supports manual or automatic translation using neural networks and specialist translators, which speeds up the release of new publications.
Smart crop photo
Built-in technology for recognising faces and key objects in an image. It identifies the main focus of the frame and automatically crops the image to suit various formats. This means editors do not have to spend time on manual cropping, and the images look just right in different sections of the website.
Voice-over for materials
The news website supports audio versions of articles. The built-in player reads out the text using neural networks, and editors add the audio version directly to Published! This broadens the ways in which content can be consumed, as readers can choose the format that suits them best.
Types of publications
The website’s architecture supports various types of content. The media organisation can create and develop new areas of focus, launch themed series of articles or long-term editorial projects, without making any changes to the website’s structure.
At Varosh, there are separate sections for special projects and podcasts. These are configured directly within the platform Published!, so the editorial team manages these formats just as easily as regular posts. Podcasts have dedicated episode pages featuring a description, cover image and links to YouTube Music, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. This allows listeners to choose their preferred service and start listening straight away.
One of the main advantages Published!is the media site’s flexible structure. If the editorial team launches a new content format, it is added as a separate page or post type.
A modern news website
As a result, the team at Varosh now has a comprehensive platform for managing and developing its media operations. The editorial team creates and publishes content within a single system, where they can manage various content formats and build a community of readers.
Rosana Tuzhanska
Співзасновниця медіа, СЕО
We decided to relaunch at a time when we realised just how much the media landscape had changed. Varosh had evolved: new topics, formats and ambitions, but the website was still operating under the old model. The admin panel was cumbersome, most processes took a long time, and we literally ran up against limitations whenever we wanted to launch something new.
After the launch, we really felt the difference. A large number of minor technical hurdles disappeared from our editorial workflow. At the same time, the site itself became more user-friendly for readers — better structured, more convenient and a pleasure to read.
I’d particularly like to highlight the collaboration process. It was incredibly valuable to us that the team at ideil. got involved in discussions and suggested solutions. Equally important was the post-launch support, ensuring you’re not left to your own devices with a new product.
Support Ukraine
Published!The information remains in the system, is accessible at any time and is not lost. Editors can see who supports the publication, what type of subscription has been taken out and the status of transactions: successful, cancelled or with errors.
