Case Study: LAinsider.com
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Overview
Cox Interactive Media sought to expand its network of 22 urban portals to 60 to gain nationwide leverageI led a small team of producers and programmers in the ambitious construction and operation of the Los Angeles portal - the first site built and run without benefit of Cox partner support. The online ad market would collapse long before Cox could enjoy full nationwide expansion. But LAinsider.com operated for more than a year as one of the network's most popular and intricate portal sites, with category-winning guides to Los Angeles restaurants, outdoor recreation, traffic, air quality and entertainment. Screenshot tour |
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Neighborhood Guides
All 160 of them - a city-by-city breakdown of Los Angeles County seen through our guides, augmented with localized information on state, county and federal government services. I conceived, designed and managed construction.
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Restaurants
We built the largest online listing of L.A.-area restaurants, surpassing even Zagat for volume and detail. Our 10 Best Lists let users sort eateries by cuisine, locale, theme and price. Our lead critic hosted a popular message board for restaurant tips and recommendations, and contributed 600 reviews. By the time LAinsider closed, we had amassed more than 1,800 reviews.
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Traffic
We offered dynamic real-time traffic condition maps of freeways from Orange and Riverside Counties to Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. We built message boards for people to find carpool partners, share shortcuts, chat with a mechanic and vent road rage.
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Recreation
We built nap-of-the-earth guides to beaches, golf courses, trails and - what the heck - theme parks.
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Events / Venue Guides
Our events database carried more than 1,200 live events at any given time, covering L.A.'s clubs, theaters, art galleries, museums and cultural centers. Every Thursday, one of our producers picked the 10 to 15 best events for broad appeal.
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Sports
We established communities around the major L.A. pro and college teams. AP and Sportsticker provided scores, stats, standings and news. We also recruited a local sports radio host to moderate a lively message board on L.A. sports.
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Smog Watch
We pulled live maps of L.A. air quality conditions into the site from public utilities, giving users a uniquely local perspective on life in Los Angeles.
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