Online Marketing Consultant.

Newspaper websites have come a long way.

There was a time when they were merely token presences, but they all now seem to be adhering to the ‘the more content the better’ motto. (see Jemima Kiss article on Mirror.co.uk revamp).

Whilst more content is always good, I think the next step for newspapers to understand that in the online world this content should be more pictorial and video led than textual.

A lot of content is good, but too much to read is bad.

I would like to see newspapers offer shorter articles rather than copying the editorial as it appears in print. Web users want to dip in and out and digest quickly.

The skills of journalists are going to be key to the success of newspapers online.

We have a generation of citizen journalists who have access to wide audiences through blogs. They know how to write for the web.

Newspapers need writers that understand the difference between writing compelling print copy and must-read online news. And as newspapers seek extra revenue through affiliate sales, these writers will have to know how to push sales whilst keeping an editorial tone too.

A great challenge for the next generation of great wannabe journos.