When it comes to product development, speed, agility, and creativity are key components for success. However, many traditional media companies struggle with slow processes due to lengthy discussions and attention to every detail.

At Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, the leading news publisher in the Cologne region in Germany, we faced similar challenges when we realised our Web site, ksta.de, was impossible to develop further under the current conditions, and growth was not feasible. Our content creation was too slow, our distribution was not up-to-date, and our technical infrastructure was outdated.

Our vision was to use AI and personalisation, be mobile-first and user-centric,  and have a fast Web site, smart paywall, and state-of-the-art CMS.

But in reality, we had an old Web site and system and a lot of discussions. We needed a new strategy to address our challenges.

To achieve our vision, we set a new main goal: getting things done instead of being perfect and slow. We knew we had to take a risky approach to achieve our goals. We decided to completely transform the old site and the entire infrastructure with a big bang to rebuild it within eight months with a fixed launch date.

We set eight firm goals for the MVP (minimum viable product):

• Replace the old tech stack to improve our technical performance.
• Improve the old front end to keep our readers happy and drive subscriptions.
• Replace our content management system to allow our editors to go digital-first.
• Integrate a new ad solution to increase revenue streams.
• Replace our paywall systems to improve conversion rates and work on a smart paywall.
• Introduce Topicpages and NLP to our Web site to improve SEO.
• Integrate AI on ksta.de to personalise the user experience.
• Implement hyperlocal personalisation to target our different user groups and increase our reach appropriately.

A long journey

Of course, it was not as easy. Replacing the old tech stack threatened to become our showstopper. Building up knowledge and getting internal skills took too much time. Our unconventional solution? We built two Web sites at once and excluded the tech stack replacement.

To stay on time, we had to cut the MVP scope and move to a tech stack. Our developers were more familiar with launching the MVP of ksta.de. Parallel, we built a second new Web site with external resources.

Our strategy paid off. We successfully relaunched the site without further major complications and on time, with a big bang relaunch in November and a smaller relaunch with the new tech stack in January.

These were our results: 

• We successfully relaunched our Web site with a new front and back end.
• We introduced a new content management system for 200 editors, including onboarding and training.
• We boosted the page speed and increased the site performance.
• Our SEO values improved significantly — even without AMP.
• We launched an AI recommendation system.
• We implemented hyperlocal personalisation so our readers in Cologne and the surrounding region can choose which local news they want to read.
• Our conversion rates doubled, and all subscribers were successfully migrated.
• Pageviews and visit rates increased after the relaunch.
• Our revenue streams have improved significantly.

Our greatest gain, however, is this: The relaunch allowed us to move off our dead-end and paved the way for further growth and development. By prioritising getting things done over perfection, we were able to achieve our objectives, improve our Web site and meet the needs of our readers and stakeholders.

Lessons learned

Our risky approach to product development was not without challenges. We learned valuable lessons along the way:

Communication is key: We communicated openly and frequently with our team and stakeholders, which helped us stay on track and meet our goals.

Focus on the user: We prioritised the user experience and hyperlocal personalisation to improve our reach and engagement.

Planning is crucial: We carefully planned and executed each step of the process to meet our launch date and achieve our goals.

Take calculated risks: Our approach was risky, but we weighed the pros and cons and took calculated risks to achieve our goals.

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