Though Fashionably Late, Vogue.com Still Has Potential to Win the Online Game *UPDATE*
Though it's built Style.com into the go-to site for online fashionistas, Conde Nast decided turning it over -- to its Fairchild Fashion Group, publisher of WWD and other trade titles -- is the best course of action for "business executives and consumers obsessed with fashion." What does this mean for the Conde Nast Digital division? Though it's handled most of the Web sites for its magazines thus far, many have gotten so big, they're functioning independently. Time will tell.
File this one under: what took you so long? Vogue Magazine is trotting out a revamped Web site at Vogue.com, just in time for Fashion's Night Out and New York Fashion Week. It's better late than never, but one wonders how the management team at Conde Nast is going to develop Vogue.com alongside its predecessor Style.com -- while both face the challenge of building robust communities along with boosting revenues.
It doesn't help that the two sites have the same goal: to provide fashionistas with the ultimate destination for all things au courant. Style.com has been around since 2000 and gives both a hat tip and slap in the face to its parent calling itself the "definitive fashion Web site, extending the editorial authority of Vogue magazine to the Internet." Style.com's snagged a few Web awards over the years, and has built up a following (of sorts) among die-hard trend hunters.
Meanwhile, the "fashion bible," was launched with its own URL quietly in November. Vogue.com is now being touted as the site to hit for up-to-the-minute collections coverage, original features, videos and photos. Funny, but Style.com's collection coverage already appears to be pretty exhaustive with reviews, details, photos of fashion's glitterati in the front row, even beauty (think loads of close ups of the model's faces so makeup can be seen and copied).
Vogue's creative director Candy Pratts Price says enhancing the sense of community on Vogue.com is another priority. Does this mean that Vogue.com will try to draw users away from Style? Farm for a different group? It's puzzling, especially because right now visitors can comment on stories, connect to Twitter and Facebook, vote, or check The Aggregator, for fashion news on other sites â€" but they can't comment on the one feature that makes for such lively communities on independent fashion bloggers' sites.
Vogue.com's 5 Days, 5 Looks, 1 Girl takes a page from such successful fashion sites such as The Glamourai. By providing day-by-day looks (especially as seen on the street), those bloggers draw hundreds of comments and thousands of page views which can add up to handsome revenues.
Alas, 5 Days presents Vogue staffers' chic work looks one week at a time with no way to cheer or jeer -- only share via Facebook or Twitter. While this eliminates the need of having to police crack criticism and offensive language, it seems a small price to pay to leverage a key opportunity for growth.
It's not like Conde Nast is playing stingy. In fact, lagging in the digital game has pushed the company to spare no expense to enhance photography and videos to be more eye-catching to the compulsive clicker. However, at the same time, the advertising is just as big and attention grabbing. A Technicolor multimedia splash box for Gucci drops down from the top of one page making the content disappear in favor of the ad. Though this will clearly be a draw for the brands (many pages will only have one sponsor), it will be interesting to see how readers react. And also if they'll come back to Vogue once they've clicked over to the sponsor's site.
That said, Vogue.com's potential to be a revenue generator has not been lost on Conde Nast. After all fashionistas are a captive audience who live to shop. This group is much more likely to click all over a site that offers the option to buy coveted goods. Conde Nast's Lucky Magazine is undergoing a digital makeover as well, starting with a new editor-in-chief schooled in the ways of online community engagement. Likewise, with smart leadership, team Vogue.com will produce enough fresh, compelling content to keep visitors clicking on their pages -- and even convert to sales -- all without ever leaving their stylish site.
Image via Vogue.com
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