Definitive guide
Best Journalist Websites of 2024 | 25 Examples + Templates
Hi – it's Ralph here 👋
In the past 10 years, I’ve designed 4+ websites for journalists. Here’s what I learned:
What Matters in Journalist Web Design (My Experience)
What I learned over the years building websites for journalists:
1. Author Profiles
I recommend adding the author’s brief biography and photo in an attempt to appeal to clients’ trust. People always like to gain extra information concerning the authors of the articles they read.
2. Search Functionality
As a web designer, I can suggest that you enable a filter or search functionality to let the visitors find specific articles or topics that pique their interests. Its proper usage can increase the time people spend on the site.
3. Interactive Timelines
I encourage you to implement the use of timelines so as to display information or even a story. Add poll questions and surveys to enhance response rates as well as readers’ participation. This should enable other readers to also submit their own experience, tip or story.
Focus on this, and you’ll be fine.
PS: I suggest taking a look at the website examples below. Get inspired by their designs and see which website builders they’ve used. Best of luck!
Home » Blogs » Website Examples »
My name is Ralph de Groot. I'm the founder and author at My Codeless Website. Wake me up for a great web design. I love writing about website examples, too!
P.S.: I always follow our editorial policy when writing my articles, to make sure they are really helpful and useful for you.
Best journalist website examples
- Tara Pixley
- The Times
- Michael Zonneveld
- Dana Wood
- Zina Kumok
- Linda Groothuijse
- Alice Driver
- Michelle Sandlin
- Drew Tewks
- New York Post
- The Blaze
- Bloom
- Scubby
- Elsebeth Egholm
- Samantha Altra
- CNN
- BBC
- The Intercept
- The Wall Street Journal
- Gulf Inside
- Reuters
- NBC News
- The Vanity Fair
- The Daily Guardian
- The Washington Post
1. Tara Pixley
URL: https://www.tarapixley.com/
Tara, a LA-based visual journalist, strategic storyteller, and teacher, holds a Ph.D. in communication and an MFA in photography. Explore her website for organized pages and high-quality images, reflecting her clean, minimalist aesthetic that mirrors her personality. Impressive!
- Bold logo
- Lots of whitespace
- Incredible image gallery
🚀 Here's the website builder I recommend to replicate this website
2. The Times
URL: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/
The Times looks so classy for a news website. I love how they aim to look professional with the use of a black palette. Black is an elegant color. Even for websites, a black color palette adds a note of gracefulness and high style. That is why black is for sites of companies that sell high-end products and services. Wow!
What you can learn from this great website design
- Classy background color
- Elicits gracefulness and high style
- Accessible to all users
🚀 Here's the website builder I recommend to replicate this website
3. Michiel Zonneveld
URL: https://michielzonneveld.nl/
Visit Michiel’s website to appreciate the beauty in simplicity. With clean design, engaging scrolling animations, and a focused work page, it captivates audiences without overwhelming design. The fantastic color scheme harmoniously reflects Michiel’s personality.
- Great scrolling animations
- Nice typing animation
- Great ‘work’ page
🚀 Here's the website builder I recommend to replicate this website
4. Dana Wood
URL: https://www.danawoodwriter.com/
Whether in editorial or on the brand side, Dana Wood meticulously attends to details, showcasing commitment. Her stunning and neat website is proof that extravagant designs aren’t necessary to captivate visitors. Experience simplicity at its best!
- Nice showcase
- Super clean website
- Clear value proposition
🚀 Here's the website builder I recommend to replicate this website
5. Zina Kumok
Explore Zina Kumok’s website and impressive portfolio for insights into personal finance from a skilled freelance writer. Her timeless design, emphasizing cleanliness and neatness, stands as a lasting choice for website aesthetics. Check it out and be inspired!
- Great, personal image
- Clear value proposition
- Added social proof thanks to the certificate
🚀 Here's the website builder I recommend to replicate this website
6. Linda Groothuijse
URL: https://www.lindagroothuijse.nl/
Discover Linda Groothuijse’s incredible website with a stylish menu, cool color scheme, and fantastic font style. Click the link now to explore and achieve similar results. Don’t miss out on the visual excellence it offers!
- Very unique web design style
- Cool color scheme
- Nice menu design
🚀 Here's the website builder I recommend to replicate this website
7. Alice Driver
URL: https://www.alicedriver.com/
Explore Alice Driver’s website for a valuable blend of excellent content and effective web design principles. Simplifying, avoiding information overload, enhances the user experience. Learn from the neat and organized layout, utilizing white spaces for visual appeal. Seize the opportunity for inspiration!
- Classy, minimalistic web design style
- Great description of Alice’s work
- Minimalistic menu
🚀 Here's the website builder I recommend to replicate this website
8. Michelle Sandlin
URL: https://michellesandlin.com/
Michelle Sandlin excels at keeping her audience engaged through unpolished video messages, images, and compelling writing. The distinctive logo on her website adds to her unique appeal. Click the link to discover more about her—you won’t be disappointed. Trust me on this!
- Unique web design style
- Nice color scheme
- Awesome logo
🚀 Here's the website builder I recommend to replicate this website
9. Drew Tewksbury
URL: https://www.drewtewksbury.com/
Explore Drew Tewksbury’s journalist website for a perfect blend of epic background images and a harmonious color scheme. Notice the clear value proposition above the fold, showcasing professionalism. To experience it firsthand, click the link above!
- Epic background image which blends in with the color scheme
- Amazing images
- Clear value proposition above the fold
🚀 Here's the website builder I recommend to replicate this website
10. New York Post
URL: https://nypost.com/
Take note of the New York Post’s website approach—centralized news focuses visitors and prevents overwhelm. Disorganized layouts and distracting images can affect viewer mood negatively. Learn from this example and aim for simplicity in design to enhance user experience.
What you can learn from this great journalist website example:
- New and original web design
- Centered content
- Unique menu navigation
🚀 Here's the website builder I recommend to replicate this website
11. TheBlaze
URL: https://www.theblaze.com/
The Blaze’s featured photos bring a vibrant pop of color, making the entire website look fabulous. Colors wield incredible power to captivate readers and enhance engagement. The thoughtful color pairings in this design are a true showstopper, emphasizing the importance of visual appeal.
What you can learn from this great website example:
- Subtle color scheme in the background
- Memorable web design
- Creative concept!
🚀 Here's the website builder I recommend to replicate this website
12. Bloomberg
URL: https://www.bloomberg.com/asia
Experience the artistic flair on Bloomberg’s website with a vibrant tapestry of dancing lines. The super cool linear flow provides a clear sense of direction, adding style to the page. If you’re a fan of lines and want to jazz up your website, this is the inspiration you’ve been looking for!
What you can learn from this great website example:
- Wide range of color schemes – striking, bold, bright
- Motion graphics are of superb quality!
- Use of lines as part of the whole web design
🚀 Here's the website builder I recommend to replicate this website
13. Scubby
URL: https://scubby.com/
Scubby’s website design is sleek and polished, resembling a shiny sports car ready to zoom into action. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the website is rich with the information you crave. The clean white spaces and touch of minimalist elegance contribute to a lovely vibe. Explore the perfect blend of style and substance!
What you can learn from this great website example:
- Professional web design
- Lots of white spaces
- Nice choice of blue tones
🚀 Here's the website builder I recommend to replicate this website
14. Elsebeth Egholm
URL: https://elsebethegholm.dk/
Elsebeth’s website impresses with its organized content and visuals, creating an appealing and easy-to-navigate experience. The sleek black-and-white design adds style while facilitating a seamless process for users to grab copies of her books. The convenient online shopping feature allows you to effortlessly add her literary gems to your cart. Well done indeed!
What you can learn from this great website example:
- A clear focus on the book
- Nice website look & feel, which matches the book
- Clear call to action
🚀 Here's the website builder I recommend to replicate this website
15. Samantha Altea
URL: https://samanthaaltea.com/
Samantha embraced the magic of a squeaky-clean website, recognizing the transformative power of words. On her homepage, she skillfully crafted a vibrant word collage, capturing the essence of her fantastic work. The result? An amazing website experience!
What you can learn from this great website example:
- Playful design
- Unique styling
- Bold and powerful design
🚀 Here's the website builder I recommend to replicate this website
16. CNN
CNN, a renowned news platform globally, offers a must-see website for staying updated on worldwide events. Explore their neat and organized Featured Section for highlights, or effortlessly search specific topics to stay informed with ease.
What you can learn from this great website design
- Lots and lots of white spaces!
- Unique mouse cursor – it matches well with the page designs
- Wide range of visual media
🚀 Here's the website builder I recommend to replicate this website
17. BBC
URL: https://www.bbc.com/
BBC, the UK’s national broadcaster, not only delivers essential news on its website but also provides every report in multiple languages. How cool is that? Wherever you are, you can read any article in the language most comfortable for you, enhancing accessibility for a global audience.
What you can learn from this great website design
- BBC news in other languages
- Sleek web design
- Lots of resources – blogs, videos, and press reviews!
🚀 Here's the website builder I recommend to replicate this website
18. The Intercept
URL: https://theintercept.com/
The Intercept smartly emphasizes its news with large featured images for each, making it visually engaging and increasing audience interest. Incorporating images on a website enhances the user experience, presenting crucial information in a more digestible and compelling manner.
What you can learn from this great website design
- Bringing news to life by having a large featured image
- Simple yet sleek web design
- Well-thought-out graphic illustrations
🚀 Here's the website builder I recommend to replicate this website
19. The Wall Street Journal
URL: https://www.wsj.com/
The Wall Street Journal’s website exudes a polished, essay-like aesthetic. The neat and educational pages efficiently deliver news on politics, economy, business, real estate, life, and work. It’s a great resource for comprehensive and well-presented information. Great stuff indeed!
What you can learn from this great website design
- Professional web design
- Well-formatted content that is easy to scan
- Clean menu structure
🚀 Here's the website builder I recommend to replicate this website
20. Gulf Inside
Gulf Inside, a comprehensive news and information website from the UAE, exudes professionalism and sleek design. The chosen font style complements the overall vibe, creating a well-polished look. To explore more, visit their website now for a firsthand experience!
What you can learn from this great website design
- Great use of white space
- Easy menu navigation
- Great choice of elements
🚀 Here's the website builder I recommend to replicate this website
21. Reuters
Reuter decided to use a lot of orange tones for its news website, which is an excellent choice. For those of you who don’t know, orange is often used to portray youth, playfulness, and being bold. It is also seen as healthy, energizing, and attention-grabbing – perfect for a platform as profound as this!
What you can learn from this great website design
- Great choice of colors
- Well-planned information architecture
- Accessible to all users
🚀 Here's the website builder I recommend to replicate this website
22. NBC News
NBC News’ website features a dynamic design with a white background and red accents. The homepage showcases top news, videos, and sections covering diverse topics. Clear navigation allows users to explore easily. NBC News’ design emphasizes a visually engaging layout and comprehensive news coverage, providing a user-friendly platform for audiences seeking up-to-date and diverse information.
What you can learn from this great website design
- Fast load times
- Browser consistency
- Good usability
🚀 Here's the website builder I recommend to replicate this website
23. Vanity Fair
URL: https://www.vanityfair.com/
Vanity Fair has the most stylish font to keep you in awe and engaged. The fundamental strategy for using typography is to choose the appropriate typeface. The typeface should be as simple as possible. It should not be overly small or shabby, like this one. Color, typeface, and text size are all important factors in attracting your target audience.
What you can learn from this great website design
- Stylish fonts
- Accessible to all users
- Organized web layout
🚀 Here's the website builder I recommend to replicate this website
24. The Daily Guardian
URL: https://thedailyguardian.com/
The Daily Guardian will surely become your daily guardian with your everyday news. Its stylish and modern style got you hooked on its website. I love the white spaces that are present in the design since it makes it look clean and sleek. I also love the font they used for the logo which makes it look trendy yet professional.
What you can learn from this great website design
- Great use of white space
- Modern font style
- Minimalist design
🚀 Here's the website builder I recommend to replicate this website
25. The Washington Post
URL: https://www.washingtonpost.com/
The Washington Post used long vertical lines to divide each news nicely. Aligning information in a design creates a clear path for the eye to follow. Remember that the human eye enjoys following roads, trails, and rivers. When you disrupt that sequence, the eye will wonder why.
What you can learn from this great website design
- Clean. professional design
- Accessible to all
- Clean news structure
🚀 Here's the website builder I recommend to replicate this website
These are my favourites.
BONUS – Here is my favorite template
URL: https://mycodelesswebsite.com/try-theme/copywriter
Why this is such a great template
- Clean design, great to turn visitors into customers
- Wordpress compatible, easy to customize
- Free download if you’re a Divi member
BONUS: Elegant Themes
URL: https://www.elegantthemes.com/
Although this one shouldn't be on the list - I couldn't keep this one from you. Elegant themes has amazing website themes and leads by example. Their own homepage looks stunning.
What can you learn from this great website
- Playful design
- Clear call to actions
- Great user experience
Award-Winning Web Designers 🎉
I highly recommend you to have a look at their portfolios
WEBFLOW EXPERT
HIGH-END
Arch Web Design
archcowebdesign.com
We're a Canadian Webflow agency that helps SaaS companies increase their revenue using high-converting websites. We've worked with over 200 SaaS companies and see an average 3.7x increase in website leads.
✓ Top Companies worked with:
Hugo (acquired by Calendly), SmartSuite,
DuxSoup
✓ Our average client increases their conversions by 3.7x in 90 days
✓ We've helped our clients secure $200M in funding
Vrrb
vrrb.com
Vrrb is an award-winning creative agency based in Los Angeles. 14+ years of experience building extraordinary websites, applications, and digital solutions for the world's most recognizable brands.
✓ Our core services include branding, website design/development, mobile apps, digital strategy, and ongoing support
✓ We work with companies (50+ employees) and funded startups to accelerate growth
✓ Clients include Ferrari, Visa, HP, UCLA, and Behr Paint
Checklist: 5 ways to make your constructing website beautiful and highly converting
1. Showcase your work with great images
When you’re hiring someone to do something which is important to you, you want to make sure they do it right.
And sure, they can tell you they’re the best at what they do. But wouldn’t it be better to see some proof?
Your visitors think just like this. That’s why you need to establish social proof by showcasing previous projects with great images.
When it comes to creating social proof, more is better. This goes for the entire construction industry.
2. Use video footage to make your website come alive
In the list with website examples you found some cool websites which use video background in the header of their website. If you have video footage yourself, definitely consider doing this as well.
- It makes your website come alive
- It adds credibility and makes you look professional
3. Use a ‘smart lead form’ to turn visitors into clients
Getting someone to visit your website is one thing. Getting them to do business with you is the next one.
Sure, you can add your contact information to your website – you should – but don’t expect people to be calling right away.
Make it easy. Add a ‘discuss your project’ contact form to enable them to get in touch with you.
Make it as easy as possible. I recommend not using more than 3 fields in your contact form.
4. Collect real testimonials from real clients
By now you probably realized social proof is extremely important when it comes to building a great website. Take it to the next level, and add testimonials from real clients in the construction industry.
Don’t write them yourself, don’t ask your friends to write them. They’ll feel something is off.
Want to go for the perfect score? Include video testimonials. Trust me, this will turn your website into a conversion machine.
5. Watch people using your website without telling them what do do
Once your website is ready it’s time to launch. Well, almost.
Invite some friends or colleagues and put them in front of a computer. Ask them to pretend to be a potential customer and have them visit your website.
Now sit next to them, and don’t say anything (this will be harder than you think).
Do this with at least 5 people and learn from their behaviour:
- Did they follow the steps you expected them to?
- Did your website load fast enough?
- Was everything clear to them?
I wish you the best of luck!
Growth hacking: 5 powerful strategies to promote a construction firm website
1. Go viral with a viral give-away
Imagine.
You send your website to 5 friends. Who each send it to 5 friends.
Now these friends also send it to 5 friends. Oeh la la! Continue this loop for a while, and your website is actually going viral.
Viral Loops is a referral marketing tool which helps you to explode your website with new visitors.
We’ve used Viral loops to create virality with multiple websites. It allows you to build a sustainable referral scheme which helps you to grow your website rapidly.
2. Do a press release
Yaiks! A press release? That’s not for small businesses, right?
Well. It is actually. Journalists LOVE small businesses and the entrepreneurs behind them. It makes sense – if you’re at a birthday party, friends are probably always asking how your business is doing.
Everybody loves entrepreneurs.
Write a press release about a milestone your company achieved. It doesn’t really matter what it is your company did, just make it juicy and interesting.
Create a list of journalists and reach out to them. The key in this process is the followup. If you’re just sending them just one email you’re probably not going to have a lot of success. Remind them at least once within a period of 7 days.
Being featured by local news outlets actually is good for your seo. The more websites mentioning you on their website, the higher you’ll rank in the search engine.
3. Use a LinkedIn-bot to generate traffic on autopilot
Allright. You’re now probably thinking one of two things:
- That sounds spammy. I’m not going to do that.
- A bot? How does that even work? I’m not a scientist.
Trust me, I thought the same as you. But it’s not as sketchy as it seems.
Dux-Soup is a LinkedIn tool which allows you to ‘look’ at 100 LinkedIn profiles per day.
This tool automatically visits LinkedIn profiles of people of your choice. In the past, I’ve used this a lot to get in touch with business owners.
I would have Dux-Soup open the profiles of 100 business owners per day.
It’s actually pretty simple:
- Download the Dux-Soup tool
- Open your LinkedIn account
- Search for ‘business owner’ or any other job description’
- Click the ‘Visit profiles’ button.
Now here comes the important part: Make sure your LinkedIn profile is optimized.
This means:
- A good looking profile picture
- A good tagline which describes what you do
- A great profile description which demonstrates your skills as a constructor
- Some nice portfolio projects on your LinkedIn profile
Let’s say 20% of every profile visit converts into a ‘return-visit’. That will mean 20 potential business owners who look at your LinkedIn profile every day.
That’s 600 potential leads in a month.
4. Target hot traffic with retargeting ads
Imagine.
A potential client is looking for construction services and stumbled upon your website. But after scrolling through your website for 30 seconds, he or she got a phone call from a friend. After calling for 20 minutes they forgot about your website and they close down their computer.
Auch.
That’s why I use retargeting advertisements to bring back these lost leads.
This will enable you to display advertisements to people who visited your website.
Just install a Facebook pixel on your website to target all your website visitors with an advertisement on Facebook or Instagram.
5. Outsource your social media management
Back in 2015 social media could have enormous impact in your business. Nowadays, not so much.
There’s way more competition than before. That being said, it can still be done. You just need to be consistent.
That’s where most businesses fail. They handle the social media themselves. For a while. And then they forget about it.
That’s why I recommend you to have a look at Fiverr. It’s a platform which allows you to hire professionals overseas. They’re seriously good – and cheap! The past few years I hired multiple professional digital marketing experts for as little as $100 per month.
FAQ
What makes a good journalist website?
A great journalist website should have a clean design, be easy to navigate and include a lot of social proof. Have a look at this page for great example websites.
How to create a journalist website?
- Analyze the best examples on this page
- Make notes of what you like – and what you don’t like
- Design your own site with this a drag & drop website builder
- Publish your website with our recommended hosting platform.
How much does a journalist website cost?
A web designer will charge anywhere between $1500 and $5000 for a decent website. However, this article will teach you to do it yourself for less than $100.
What information is needed on a journalist website?
Your website will need at least the following pages: ‘Home, About us, Contact, Portfolio’. To create trust with your visitor it’s important to show lots of pictures about your team and your latest projects.