News / Business
CigarAdvisor.com gets major makeover
Cigar news, reviews and info website now offers more content and reader feedback
"When we first launched the site it was basically a portal for cigar news," said Cigar Advisor's content editor, Gary Korb. "We had all the required 'Cigars 101' info like how to light a cigar, cello on or off, etc., press releases, original content, interviews, and cigar reviews. But the site was very rigid in terms of how we posted. For one, I couldn't post the blog and our weekly cigar survey on the old site; I had to do it on Blogger.com where it was linked via RSS feed to the home page."
The new site offers much more flexibility and control, not only for Korb, but more importantly, for Cigar Advisor readers. For example, all of the cigar reviews on CigarAdvisor.com have been merged with the customer cigar reviews on the Famous Smoke Shop website. Additionally, by appearing on every page in the upper right-hand corner, the latest cigar reviews can now be found much more easily.
"The cigar reviews were one of the weakest links on the old site," said Korb. "I couldn't get cigars reviewed fast enough, and even our contributing reviewers could only handle so many. Readers who browse the beefed-up Cigar Advisor Cigar Reviews page will not only find literally hundreds of more cigar reviews, but now they can instantly add their own cigar reviews."
A new side-bar feature on the site that came about as a result of Cigar Advisor's weekly cigar newsletter are the Cigartoons by Jerry King. King is an award-winning cartoonist whose work has appeared in such magazines as Golf Digest, Playboy and others, as well as on greeting cards for American Greetings and many more.
The most significant improvement to the website is the ability for readers to leave comments.
"Other than email feedback, there was no way for site visitors to respond to the content," said Korb. "I really enjoy the real-time interaction, too. Most cigar smokers tell it like it is, and being part of such a niche market it's important to listen to your fellow cigar smokers. In some cases, like the Q&A page, someone will offer an entirely different take to an answer, or they'll bring up something I may have overlooked, so I learn from the readers as well."
As far as any additional improvements in the works for CigarAdvisor.com, Korb could not say, but he did add this: "I'd like the readers to get comfortable with the site as it stands now, and in the not-too-distant future look forward to seeing some money-saving cigar promotions and CigarAdvisor contests."
To see all the new features on the website, please visit www.CigarAdvisor.com.
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