Blog: Are newspapers taking online fashion revenue seriously?

Are newspapers taking online fashion revenue seriously?

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Many of our favourite newspapers have recently redesigned their websites, but are they taking the commercial opportunity in online fashion retail seriously?

If reports are to be believed online fashion is immune from the credit crunch, and it's no secret that newspaper groups are keen to find more revenue opportunities from their online offerings.

Newspapers can only look on whilst the brands and products they feature in their paper editorial fly off the shelves. There's no revenue share for them.

With online it's different. Affiliate schemes allow for newspapers to profit from sales they drive. When a reader clicks a link, a percentage of anything they may buy will be passed on to the newspaper.

So in a time where online fashion seems to be infallible, are they doing everything to maximise sales (and thus commission) and future proof themselves?

The Telegraph for instance has a prime advantage in that it ranks number one on Google for 'fashion'. It offers a shopping facility, called a Power Shop, using Pixta technology. To find it you have to scroll down the page – they should really make more of this above the fold.

I feel the News of the World's Fabulous magazine has a huge amount of potential in driving online fashion sales. I like the way they feature clickable hotspots on individual items, and think they would convert more if they linked directly to retailers rather than to another page on their website.

The Daily Mail has a high female readership and their celebrity coverage is second to none, so I'm surprised to see not only is the fashion content difficult to access but also isn't revenue driven.

What do you think about newspapers driving online fashion sales?