Not to torture the metaphor, but the Seattle Times could romance readers a bit more for a relationship. On price alone, the offer is appealing. But the sign-up page should work harder to convince the undecided reader. With nine Pulitzer Prizes, the Seattle Times certainly has the goods; share some of that award-winning content on the subscription sign-up page. And for the picky reader, give an option to enlist for something more personalized - maybe just local business headlines, cooking video tips, or statewide real estate trends. Then use all of that data for an upsell in the months (and years) to come. With just a few content strategy adjustments, revenue from subscriptions will improve.

Overall: 6.5

Revenue Potential: 7

The potential for revenue with a publication as substantial as The Seattle Times is clearly large. And if the data is showing that a low-cost subscription package is getting traction, all the better. Until the UX for subscriptions improves, however, the revenue may be stunted.

Value to Brand: 7

Taking a low-cost angle for subscriptions without also dialing up the bona fide credentials for The Seattle Times does not do enough to support the brand.

User Experience: 4

The page that readers land on from a home page subscription tout should woo the reader more than it does. Elsewhere in the subscription funnel, the wonderful publication that is The Seattle Times seems better packaged for prospective digital buyers.

Published by The Seattle Times:
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