FT website to match pink paper

The Financial Times website will extend the use of the newspaper’s pink colouring in a redesign aimed at boosting paid subscription numbers.

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The new FT.com site will show articles on a pink background (currently only the landing page is pink) and will also feature bigger graphics and videos as well as “more intelligent” linking on articles to steer readers to related content.

In addition, the website’s search function will include blog and video content for the first time.

FT.com managing director Rob Grimshaw says: “This is a major change to the look and feel of the site, which will make it much more readable and encourage more people to come and take a look.”

The revamp is estimated to go live by the end of June this year.

FT.com, which introduced a paywall in 2009, increased its paid-for subscriptions by 50% in 2010 to about 210,000 – over half of its print circulation, which fell 1.14% month on month to 378,708 in February this year.

However, it also has about 3 million users that do not pay for content but register to access 10 free articles a month. The FT hopes to convert these users into premium subscribers with full access to the site’s content.

FT.com recently launched a welcome programme that sends new registered users seven customised emails in the 25 days following registration to encourage them to visit different areas of the website.

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