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CNET adopts Instagram-like scrolling for mobile galleries


With mobile dominating consumer behavior, it was imperative for CNET to up its strategy in the space to keep current with its tech-centric readers. The publication has revamped its mobile Web site to ensure a modern experience, while also ensuring a strong revenue stream by valuing its advertisers. 

?Ultimately, the goal of the mobile redesign is to offer a modern, state-of-the-art content experience on CNET,? said Jeremy Toeman, vice president of product at CNET. ?Being the leader in tech media creates a tricky balance for us, as we have such a huge, loyal readership who are very familiar with our experiences, yet also every day new and younger audiences find our premium content. 

?So every change goes through extreme scrutiny, as we also have such a strong offering for our advertising partners,? he said. ?Ideally we find ways to continue to enhance the visitor experience and also raise the bar for advertisers. 

?Our recent success with the Powerbar ad module is one huge win, and this gallery redesign is another.?

Tech and mobile


The publication is also increasing ROI for advertising partners by replacing the mobile banner ad with inline native placements to reduce page load time. The new ad module allows CNET to serve consumers more ads but in a manner that keeps them engaged with the content and does not interrupt their experience. 

Mobile redesign
Move Inc.?s Realtor.com similarly unrolled a new graphic identity for its Web site and mobile applications, and is tapping Hollywood actress and director Elizabeth Banks to represent the brand in a series of mobile-optimized Web videos in a bid to reach more on-the-go consumers (see more). 

Also, Meredith Corp. home and gardening magazine Better Homes and Gardens also redesigned its Web site with a mobile-first attitude after research showed a spike in mobile usage (see more).

?For advertisers, we are replacing small mobile banner ads by adding inline native placements that promise to offer higher impact IABs for brands while providing a more seamless and uninterrupted experience for users,? Mr. Toeman said. ?As a result of the better user experience and quicker load times, we are seeing user engagement with our galleries surge. 

?So our visitors are seeing more ads, but also spending more time with the content - I consider that a pretty huge win-win,? he said. ?As part of our site-wide redesign effort, we are examining each feature of CNET, and looking at how well they work in the modern browsing paradigm. 

?With the new design, site visitors can now simply scroll through our galleries vertically - the same way they do with their favorite photo-sharing apps, like Instagram. From the very day we started our A/B testing, visitor engagement went through the roof.?