Did you notice something different when you opened your homepage today?
Swift Current Online has rolled out a radical new redesign that takes advantage of the latest technology and the way you interact online, both on desktop and mobile.
“We’ve had our best minds behind the rebuild and it’s been months in the works,” said Morgan Butler, General Manager for Golden West and Homefield in Swift Current. “We want to make sure that we are keeping up with the times, serving our audience the best and making sure that we are serving our clients the best we can.”
What’s different?
The biggest change to the website is the homepage itself, with all your local news, sports, agriculture, community, and national news stories in one scrollable feed, and each article is categorized so you can sort through the content that matters to you most. Also, the homepage is now easier to use on your phone and tablet through your web browser and on the new Swift Current Online app, which is now available on the iOS App Store and Google Play. Current Swift Current Live app users will receive the new app if they have automatic updates turned on, or they can download the update themselves through their app store.
Another big change is the Menu button on the right-hand corner of the page that gives you one-click access to the different article categories, online streaming for your favourite local radio stations and Podcastville shows, popular features like the Events Calendar, Greeting Zone and Trading Post, links to HelloGoodBuy, LocalJobShop and the garage sale listings, and information on contests including the “Sweet Swift Escape”, where a lucky person visiting Swift Current Online will win a $2000 travel voucher.
Over 20 years of being your local homepage.
When Swift Current Online launched for the very first time in 2001, the World Wide Web was transitioning from novelty to necessity. There were no smartphones, tablets, or social media. Very few of the news stories on the website had photos, and shareable video and podcasts were about a decade away.
Now as these changes roll out, the Internet is very much a part of our daily lives. Websites are being viewed more on mobile devices, apps and social media help provide immediate and constant updates on breaking news, and many of our news stories now have multiple photos, as well as video and audio clips embedded within the articles.
But one thing hasn’t changed over the years... our commitment to being the leading source of local information for Swift Current and southwest Saskatchewan. Our reporters are passionate about sharing stories about your community and the people who call it home while bringing you the latest news every day, and we are driven to support growth in our local businesses.
“What’s great is actually what’s staying the same,” Butler added. “It’s the same local content, news, weather, and sports. None of that is going to change and I think that’s the best part of it.”
In 2021, Swift Current Online had 15.49 million page views with 1.2 million users visiting the website.
We hope you enjoy the changes we’ve made and if you have any questions, need help getting around the new website, or have suggestions on what we can add or make better for you, please feel free to contact us.
Golden West Broadcasting Ltd. is the parent company of Swift Current Online, Homefield, CKSW 570, CJSN 1490, The Eagle 94.1 and Magic 97.1.
Check out our different homepage designs over the last two decades (screenshots from the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine)