Bradenton Herald

Questions and Answers about the Bradenton.com redesign

Question: Why change?

A: This is the first major redesign of Bradenton.com in several years. Our main goal has been to produce a site that is less cluttered and easier to use, while still providing all the breaking news, photo galleries, things to do and other information you expect to find. You should immediately notice that the speed of the site has improved.

Q: Am I going to get used to this only to have you change it again?

A: This is version 1.0 of our new site and we do expect to add several features and enhancements over the next several weeks and months. But the look and feel of the site will basically remain the same.

Q: Will I need to register again?

A: No. Your existing username and password have been carried over to the new site.

Q: Where is the best place to find breaking news?

A: Check the Top Headlines section on the home page for latest news. You can also find news on your favorite topics by going to that section.

Q: Where are the obituaries?

A: You can find a link to "Obituaries" in the navigation bar near the top of the site.

Q. What are the primary sections of this redesigned site?

A. As listed in the blue bar near the top, our primary sections are Local News, Business, Sports, Photos, Entertainment and Shopping.

Q: I have my favorite sections or pages on your site bookmarked. Will those bookmarks still work?

A: Yes, they should. We did pare down some redundant sections, so if you have a problem finding something, please check our Site Map, linked from the bottom of all the pages or use the search function towards the top of the page.

Q: Where did my favorite blog go?

A: They are all still here. You’ll find a roundup of recent blog posts under the Local News menu, in the Blogs section just as you used to. In addition, you’ll find links to blogs on their topics pages – “Sounding Off” and “Prep Rally” will be on the Sports section; “Buzz Worthy” will be on the Entertainment section, for example.

Q: How do I find what other people are reading?

A: A list of the most read stories of the day can be found on the right side of most pages on the site. It’s labeled “Most Popular Stories.”

Q: I love your photo galleries. Where do I find them now?

A. You’ll find the most recent photo galleries on the Photos section of the homepage. You’ll see photo galleries for the topics on each of the section fronts as well. In addition, you can click on the “View All Galleries” link in the “Recent Galleries” box to see all the photo galleries.

Q. I can’t get enough of Crime & Courts news. Where do I find more of those stories?

A. You’ll still find many of the latest Crime & Courts stories on the homepage just as before. Additionally, we highlight several of the latest Crime & Courts stories in a homepage digest section. The full list of Crime & Courts stories can be found by clicking the section header.

Q. I’m looking for things to do in Bradenton and Manatee County. What do I do?

A: You can find things to do around town on the “Calendar” page of the “Entertainment” section. From the Calendar page just click on the category you want to view – movies, restaurants, etc. You can also add your public event from the calendar link. You can click on the Entertainment link in the blue bar to find dining reviews, movie showtimes and more.

Q: What happened to the poll question?

A: We appreciate that you liked our poll tool. As part of our design change, we are transitioning to a new solution. Once it is ready, we’ll put it back on our website for you to use.

Q: I can't find what I am looking for, what do I do?

A: You can go to the search box at the top of the site and type in a name or description for what you're trying to find. We think one of the improvements on the new site is an improved search function. You can also click on the "Site Map" in the line of links at the bottom of each page. The site map is a listing of sections and pages on the site.

Q: I can click a Facebook "like" button on other sites, what about here?

A: Yes. When you are on a story page a Facebook "like" button is located just beneath the time stamp on the story. You can click there to "like" the story. If you wish to post the story to your Facebook page, you can click the Facebook icon at the bottom of the story itself, in the bar that says "Share this story."

Q: Can I still comment on articles?

A: Yes.

Q: I'm using an older browser. Will that make a difference in what the site looks like to me?

A: Yes, the best experience for you will be to use Firefox 3.6 or above, Internet Explorer 7 or 8 or above or Chrome.

Q: How do I make a suggestion, offer a comment or ask a question about the new site?

A: Please go to http://www.bradenton.com/customer-service/ and give us your feedback using the form we have posted there. You can get there directly by clicking on the “Customer Service” link on any page, right above the Search box on the top right side.