A news website is not simply a company website with a blog attached.
Every new article expands the platform. Over time, the website can contain thousands of URLs, images, authors, categories and internal links.
That changes what a publisher should look for when choosing a developer.
Look Beyond the Homepage
A polished homepage is important, but most readers will not always enter through it.
Search, social media, newsletters and shared links often take people directly to individual articles.
Ask to see how the developer handles:
- article pages;
- category pages;
- author pages;
- search;
- archives;
- related coverage;
- mobile reading.
The everyday publishing templates matter more than a single showcase screen.
Ask About Editorial Workflow
The CMS should reflect the way the team actually works.
Questions to discuss include:
- Who writes?
- Who edits?
- Who approves?
- Can stories be scheduled?
- Can contributors access only what they need?
- How are corrections handled?
- How are categories managed?
- How are images and credits stored?
A small newsroom does not need unnecessary approval layers.
A larger publication may require much tighter roles and controls.
Discuss SEO Before the Website Is Built
SEO decisions begin during architecture.
URLs, categories, author pages, internal links, structured data and templates all affect the way search engines understand the publication.
If SEO is considered only after development, structural problems may already be built into the system.
Ask How Existing Content Will Be Handled
If the publication already exists, migration should be discussed before the redesign starts.
Ask what will happen to:
- existing URLs;
- articles;
- authors;
- images;
- metadata;
- backlinks;
- redirects;
- categories.
A developer who proposes changing every URL without first examining search performance should be questioned carefully.
Look at Mobile Article Pages
For many news publishers, mobile is the main reading environment.
Test real article pages rather than only the homepage.
Check:
- font size;
- line length;
- spacing;
- menus;
- images;
- video;
- advertising;
- related content;
- sticky elements.
Reading should remain comfortable on a smaller screen.
Ask About Performance
Publishing websites can become heavy because they often use:
- large images;
- advertising;
- analytics;
- video;
- external embeds;
- multiple scripts.
Ask how the developer manages:
- image delivery;
- caching;
- CDN configuration;
- fonts;
- JavaScript;
- database performance.
Performance should be measured on realistic article templates.
Understand Ownership
Publishers should know who controls:
- domain;
- hosting;
- website code;
- content;
- database;
- third-party accounts.
Also ask whether the content can be exported if the technology changes in the future.
Avoid unnecessary dependency on a single supplier or proprietary system when practical alternatives exist.
Understand Ongoing Support
A publication continues changing after launch.
Ask how the following are handled:
- security updates;
- backups;
- monitoring;
- technical problems;
- new features;
- performance;
- hosting.
The support arrangement should be clear before the website goes live.
Compare the Proposal With the Publication
A small specialist magazine and a national news operation should not receive the same specification.
The right developer should first understand what is being published, who manages it and how the business intends to grow.