We eliminated the Live Wires in the past week.
And when I say we, I really mean we.
I came up with the idea, I loved the idea, and then ... they really didn't feel like they clicked. And then ... they started to hurt the business because we weren't reaching Google and other aggregators. And then ... a few readers this week barked at me over how far they had to scroll down on the home page to find our subscription content. And then ... Taylor Haase, who's never wrong about anything, reminded me why she never thought they'd work in the first place. And then ... Dale Lolley agreed with everything.
This ain't Belarus, and believe me, what I say here doesn't always stick. So they're gone.
But our goal of getting the news to you remains a gazillion percent intact, and here's how we'll do so:
• Every slice of news will get its own article, with its own headline. Even little stuff like Bud Dupree making an appearance on NFL Network. You've seen this in action the past three days, and it's our pledge that it'll continue.
• We'll alert everything, though we need you to do your part and activate your alerts for the team(s) of your choice. Go to your profile (your avatar in the top left corner of the home page), thumb down to Preferences, then Notifications and choose Select. Pick what you want. Boom.
• Use the team pages. This is the big one. I've stripped away all content -- multimedia, Live Qs, whatever -- so that the team pages show only our most recent articles in the order in which they're published. It can't be any cleaner or simpler. Tap the team button, and scan the headlines. It's like a bigger, prettier Live Wire.
• We'll social everything, too, meaning we'll let you know via Twitter and Facebook when we've got news. And when you're brought here, it'll be straight to the article containing that news.
The other benefit here is that the articles will offer more than the Live Wire did. That's what had our staff most frustrated, being held to a quick couple paragraphs when maybe more depth was merited. And what they want counts, too, since they're kind of critical to this process.
WHAT'S A LIVE PODCAST?
There's no such thing, of course, but that won't stop us from trying.
Beginning Monday, Feb. 8, I'll add to my own DK Sports Radio programming -- already three Daily Shot shows each morning -- with a lunch-time show that encourages you to participate! It'll roll out live at 12:30 p.m. in our new studio, and you can contribute questions, comments whatever through any means you choose, whether it's written or by simply joining me on the show!
Once the show's done, we'll post it in podcast form immediately for anyone who'd want to hear it afterward.
CORONAVIRUS VS. COVERAGE
We've made every effort all through 2020 and still now to bring you the usual standard of coverage for all of our sports teams, despite coronavirus restrictions, and we're continuing to do that. Next up is Major League Baseball, of course ... maybe.
As of this moment, spring training's expected to open in mid-February, as scheduled. But I've been in contact with the Pirates, and they're as hesitant as lots of people right now as to whether or not it'll happen. Arizona's cases are sky-high, which jeopardizes the Cactus League and, even though Florida's basically a free-for-all with the virus, one can't start without the other.
We'll see. Whenever it starts, we'll be there.
GET YER APP HERE!
Our app promotion's set to be unfurled soon on a bunch of platforms, and here's the spectacular new commercial we'll use, designed by Thad Christian of Mount Washington-based Phenomenon Post:
Here's how to get your free Apple and Android apps.
WEEKLY APP TIP
Sharing ways to make your app experience even better:
• We'll have RSS feeds within the coming week. Lots of you have been asking about those, and we've needed them for other purposes, as well, so we'll happily welcome those. I'll let you know in What's Brewing exactly when they're active. They're currently only on our test site.
Our previous two app tips:
• If anything on your app ever looks/feels/is stuck, close the entire thing out and reopen. Same goes if you see the flashing yellow dots on a file for too long. It might be us that's causing it, or it might be your device, but this solves it either way.
• We've unfurled the first of our statistical packages, that being for the Penguins, the one team that's currently in season. You can check it out right here, then tap on STANDINGS, STATISTICS and SCHEDULE on the big blue bar near the top of the page.
BACK TO BUSINESS
• Our page views for the past week were 540,531, our biggest total in months. Our most-read original piece was Dale Lolley's analysis of the Steelers' hiring of Matt Canada, at 24,416. Broken down by team, the Penguins brought 29.6% of our traffic, the Steelers 16.6% and the Pirates 13%.
• Our podcast downloads for the past week were a yet-another-record 73,934. This thing just keeps growing.
• We're at 39,170 (+150) followers on Twitter, we're at 37,056 (+24) followers on Facebook, we're at 14,494 (-35) followers on Instagram, and we're at 960 (-1) followers on YouTube. These figures are just for our official company account on each platform, not for us as individuals.
• We make mistakes. If you see one, email: Typos@DKPittsburghSports.com
• Anything you need, including lost/forgotten passwords, email: Help@DKPittsburghSports.com
• Oh, and we had 3 active users of our app in Uzbekistan this week. This is a true thing, but I really just want to test that you're reading to the end of this thing.