It seems like the New York Times is finally catching on to what you knew all along — niche markets are where the money’s at online.The Times recently decided to revamp its health blog “Well,” making it look more like an independent website than a Times blog (see pre and post design samples below). The new design clearly reflects editorial and marketing changes, such as giving non-timely stories more prominence, forcing heavily commented stories to a sidebar called “Well Community,” pushing tools, quizzes and recipes up higher, and allowing readers to peruse the site by subtopic (Body, Mind, Food, Fitness, and so on).Well is also getting more writers, another move that subtly differentiates a publication from a blog. And the navigation bar and other visual cues found on the rest of NYTimes.com are mostly missing.The branding of micro-sites is a smart move by the Times, especially since Well has not only seasonal stories, but content that’s sure to get consistent search engine traffic (such as an article on what works when trying to lose weight). But the design also lets the site stay current with news-cycle content and timely articles.One catch in all this smart marketing might be tying Well to the Times’ metered paywall. Fans of an independent microsite may not see any worth in buying a subscription to an entire new agency if they don’t really view the other content. But I suspect that this re-branding move is a precursor to the Gray Lady rolling out micro-subscriptions. And as we all know, niche subscriptions are better revenue Models online.
