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FoodNetwork.com Revamp Aims to Boost Engagement

Sep 24, 2008  •  Post A Comment

Food Network is giving its Web site a facelift on Thursday morning to make the Web site look more like the TV network. The revamped site will include improved search, a new home-grown video player, additional clips and a look and feel that more closely mimics the TV network.
The goal is to drive more engagement, repeat visits and time spent online, said Deanna Brown, president of Scripps Digital, in an interview with TelevisionWeek.
FoodNetwork.com draws an average of more than 9 million monthly unique visitors, according to Nielsen Online. The network wants more.
“We want to create a seamless environment for viewers who go searching for information, and I am hoping to attract more viewers more frequently,” she said. “This is how you create a modern-day brand. You need a fantastic on-air experience and a fantastic online experience.”
The timing of the makeover is strategic, because the holiday season is one of the most popular times of year for food-centric Web sites.
Ms. Brown said in addition to improved search, the navigation on the site has been refashioned for ease of use. Also, the pages for the network’s star chefs now include deeper, more detailed information, she said.
The color palette of the Web site will shift from lime green to include more of the reds used on-air and in off-air promos, while the “voice” of the site in the articles and headlines will more closely mirror the on-air voice, Ms. Brown said. “If viewers are online, we want them to feel like this is the same network,” she said.
Scripps said the site generated more than 5.2 million video views online in July.

103 Comments

  1. I can no longer find the TV schedule of Food Network shows on my computer! And I often found recipes I wanted to print! How come?

  2. I don’t like the new Foodnetwork site at all. I personally liked having a new window open when I checked the reviews of a recipe. It allowed me to simply close that window and go right back to the page I was on. I also used to be able to bring up the list of shows much easier.

  3. I think the new website is horrible. I have been online for 45 minuts trying to get recipes from a show that was on a day ago and I still have not been able to find it. Before I could just go on and print a receipt from any day without a problem.

  4. why have you elemated the TV schedule.

  5. The new website is terrible – confusing and unorganized. And where is the TV schedule with the recipies for each show posted? Nowhere I can find. I’ll use the site less, not more.

  6. Wow, who sold them this new website? After visiting it twice and getting all confused I have not been back. If it is about getting people to revisit they failed miserably. Where is the TV schedule?

  7. The new Food Network website is awful. Can’t find a TV schedule for the next couple of weeks when I used to be able to view it for the next two months. And, it’s very difficult to find recipes. Is there any way get the Food Network to go back to the old and much better website?

  8. Where is the TV Schedule? I cannot find a way to contact the site. Where’s the email address?

  9. Where is the TV schedule? I cannot find a way to contact the site – where’s the email address?

  10. I agree with all of the above. I HATE the new website. It was so much easier before. Please think about making it simpler like it used to be. I like to click on the tv schedule which I print out so I know what I’m going to view today. It was frustrating having to click on the afternoon and evening to get everything printed out. It’s also hard to print out recipes. Please rethink your website. This is awful.
    Carol

  11. I agree–the new format is anything but user friendly and it’s impossible to see a daily schedule any more. What’s up with this? Please change it baccccccccccccccckkkk!

  12. I am glad it’s not just me who really dislikes the new web page. It is entirely too busy, confusing, and not accurate. Please try to simplify. It is hard to get the information asked for. You goofed with this one! What was wrong with the “old ” one? It worked simply and fast. Thanks for the chance to blow off steam!

  13. Agree with above comments. Can no longer find schedule. Your TV chefs should rebell.

  14. I too want to get the tv schedule daily.

  15. I was very surprised at the new web site and kept thinking I was doing something wrong because I could not pull up the tv schedules. I finally gave up and will not be back to the web site. I probably will watch the tv shows less also because finding the info on the web site is too time consuming and confusing

  16. I was getting more and more frustrated, I tried every tab and link, on several pages, I got blank pages, I was looking to see what the show that just finished was. It was a cooking competition for pastry chefs. I did searches to no avail…then I went back to google and put in “food network tv schedule” and got this page where everyone concludes that the site is super frustrating and counter productive. I finally found a link that was called “Guide” so I thought, at last ! But no, it was a page asking what foods I was interested in.
    Cuuuum-on, this website is not user friendly, and sure it keeps you there a bit longer, the first time, but you become so frustrated, you leave vowing never to come back.
    Lundy in Alabama…a FN regular watcher.

  17. Is Ms Brown reading the critiquing of the website?
    It is not user friendly…..let’s go back to the way it was…..if it’s not broken, please don’t fix it!

  18. This new website is absolutely terrible …
    I agree with everyone else, what happened to the TV schedule? …
    I wonder if the character who sold them this website is a former wall street investment banker genius …
    really bad!

  19. I thought it was me! This web-site is brutal, I spent an hour looking for one simple show to no avail. What happened to the TV schedual? I agree with all of the above to the power of 10, it is so confusing, please make it simple again!

  20. ditto to everything above. it’s very frustrating not to be able to find the tv schedule of shows and print recipes. i really enjoyed it before.

  21. Where is the daily TV schedule. This new web page is horrible.

  22. I agree with all the negative comments.I hate it.

  23. Finding a program is now impossible. Why did you stop using the TV schedule? Please return to the old format.

  24. can someone tell me how to find the old tv schedule and recipes of the day. this new format is really bad, why did you change it, what am doing wrong, why can’t I find it.

  25. Who ever designed this new site has no clue what the consumer is looking for.
    The site is terrible, the worse one I have ever tried to navigate.
    I suggest you do not pass go do not collect $100.00 and go charging back to the site that works. Someone was asleep at the switch when they placed their stamp of approval on this piece of junk.
    I am interested recipes not all the other stuff you are trying to promote.

  26. Very disappointed that I can no longer view the daily show recipes on-line.It was nice to watch the shows and then turn on the computer to print the recipes that I thought would be good to try. I am not interested in just watching the shows. Bad idea on the new format.

  27. This takes the prize for stupid ideas. It’s no longer possible to get a recipe off the schedule without giving information that is hard to remember at the moment I’m asking for the recipe. The former way was far superior. The person(s) responsible for the new format’s design and approval deserve to be fired outright.

  28. Help, I agree with many of the posts.
    The “new” site is dreadful and,time consuming.
    Has anyone else noiticed the size of the print, should you actually find,that for which you are looking?
    Even if you choose the largest font,it prints out a miniscule version.
    I personally am, about over it!
    Guess it was great while it lasted.

  29. Please, please, please bring back the old format of a schedule. I am so frustrated. I absolutely hate this format. I can’t find anyone or anythink that use to be at my finger tips. Are you re-thinking your position.
    I have almost quite this foodnetwork entirely. Not worth the effort or the results.
    Sent 10/18/08

  30. So disappointed with the new web site…it was so convenient to pull up the show after watching and print the recipes…Please consider going back to the old more efficient way..

  31. Jeers. . . I too am soooo disappointed — my complaint is the slowness of the site. When you click on something it has to load so much that it takes forever to get to different screens.

  32. YOU HAVE MADE A BIG MISTAKE NOT LISTING TV SCHEDULE. CANNOT ALWAYS WRITE RECIPES DOWN, I USUALLY PRINT THEM.
    BIG MISTAKE ON YOUR PART.
    MARILYN.

  33. YOU HAVE RUINED YOUR CONNECTION WITH THE PUBLIC, WITHOUT TV SCHEDULE.
    MARILYN.

  34. I do not like your new website. I need the TV Schedule.
    That way I can go back to whatever program I wish and
    print the recipe. Please bring back the TV Schedule.

  35. The new format does NOT include a tv schedule. I can’t believe that a woman in the position of having input into the decision to make this change would have seen fit to eliminate it. Shame on you!!!

  36. I refer to this site everyday and went back to look at resipes from last week and can’t find them and the site is very slow. There is way to much information on the site! I am trying to find the tv show that someone asked about new ideas for entertaining because they bring the same old thing to potlucks..I was hoping to go back and print those recipes and can’t remember what chef show had them…..

  37. web page horrible cannot find tv programs. if it isnt broke why try and fix it?

  38. I wish I could see just how horrible the new website is–I can’t even access it! My computer crashes every time I try to access it. I’m on a MAC. Do I need to install something? HELP!

  39. LOVED THE TV SCHEDULE AND THE RECIPES, YOU COULD WATCH THE SHOW AND THEN GET THE RECIPES LATER. WHY THE CHANGE SO CONFUSING,PLASE RETURN THE TV SCEDULE AND THE RECIPES . LOOKED FORWARD TO THE TV SCHEDULE AND RECIPES. THANK YOU.

  40. I absolutely do not like this new website – I have always referred to your daily schedules of recipes to print the ones I want to use and now I can no longer find a schedule or recipes. Please bring it all back like it used to be. Change, we like, but not this change. Where are the recipes and daily scheduling!? WANT IT BACK…NOW. MISSED GREAT RECIPES.

  41. It’s no longer easy to find a recently aired recipe or tv schedule. Why watch if you can’t use the site?

  42. Like most things, “new and improved”, it’s not!!
    This one takes the cake. Please leave it the way it was. No use going to the site now, can’t find ANYTHING.

  43. WHERE IS THE TV FOOD SCHEDULE? I like to see a show on TV, then go to the computer to pick it out of the schedule, read and print it. I can then browse through other shows and select other items to read and print. Please bring back the show schedule! I like to be able to go back to a week before and also go ahead to select show. PLEASE !!!!

  44. Help! Where is the TV schedule where I can find recipes and copy them? I am very frustrated! I love the Food Network but was really pleased to be able to get recipes. Please bring back the easy to get TV schedule and recipes!!!!

  45. You have my E-mail, please advise me, are you bringing back the daily schedules, as before? If you do not I will stop watching the FOOD CHANNEL. Let me know

  46. I enjoy the foodnetwork very much, not only is it recipe helpful, but also very entertaining.
    I have found the website to be frustrating, the other one was much easier to obtain information.
    Simple is quicker and better

  47. I, too, am very frustrated by Food Network’s newer web site design. It used to be so easy to locate a recipe (by host, or by show, or by recipe). Now I spend many nerve rattling minutes before I give up. One can’t even find a recipe for a show that has just gone off the air or may still be on!!!! New and improved is definitely neither!!!!!

  48. I do NOT like the new website; I do not want to see a video, when all I want is to get a recipe. It is confusing and redirect you rather than get you to a recipe. And where is the TV schedule with the recipies for each show posted? Nowhere I can find it. I’ll use the site less, not more.

  49. I can’t believe how difficult this website has become. I takes so long to download – each step is like pouring molassas from a bottle. Most times I give us. It is very hard to search something from one week back that was on tv.
    I hope they can put it back to the old website.

  50. I agree with all of the above comments. I print many recipes (already have two xerox boxes full) but this new system is very difficult to use. Please return to the old system ASAP.

  51. I also do not like the new Food Network format. I use to go the site on Saturday mornings and look up all the recipes they showed throughout the week and pick ones I wanted to try.
    i also used this schedule to plan my Meals in Wheels menu for seniors.
    Please reconsider posting the weekly schedule.

  52. I love the Food Network, however I do not like the format for daily tv schedule. I use to be able to find recipes very quickly. I simply went to the weekly schedule and clicked on my favorite chef. It is much more convulted to find the schedule. Please advise. P.S. Why don’t you go back to the original format???

  53. I can’t believe I can’t get the recipies that I want right after watching one of the episodes. How dumb is that?

  54. OMG!!!!!! Where on earth and the solar system did you EVER find this group of “stars”??? They have very little talent, and OMG they complain and whien about everything.. They don’t don’t accept that they made an error or they coukdn’t cook that dY, T’S ALWAYS SOMEONE ELSE DISSING THEM or gdtting in there way or just getting in there space so it throws there game plan off. I’m so surprised that foodnetwork would even deal with this group of serious misfits. It shows that you were really just scrambing to find a show for nine weeks or how ever long the tests run.. Bring back more contestants like Guy , or the Hardy boys or even Big Dady, they had ideas and personality and I sure don’t ever remember them whining like this group and I’m being polite when I say WHINING>>>PLEASE

  55. i have been searching for a few days now to find my favorite chefs. I clicked shows and wanted the schedule but to no avail. I don’t want to have to spend hours finding my few recipes that I want. Should I stop trying? Frustrated. Please advise. Do not like it if you have changed the format.

  56. The page for recipes on tv comes up but
    when i hit morning nothing will happen.
    I love this site and I’m upset that all of a sudden it won’t go thru.

  57. When are you folks going to STOP messing with your weg page. Just about time I figure it out again you change it. Now I can no longer find a day by day, hour by hour schedule. It appears the only way too find something is you have to access it by chef and try to find the recipe. I am getting to the point I no longer want to go to your site. Very sorry because I have enjoyed your site in the past.

  58. since all the changes in last months food network’s has become very complicated. if i was rating on a scale to 1-10 being 10 the highest score i would rate it at 5. i cannot find recipes that aired today for instance paula deen 11 am central time. i cannot even find the tv listings for today

  59. I don;t Care about the web site,that show you,you only want a young crowd to watch.hence there goes the people that cook,because young people work long hours
    and don’t want to watch a food show when they come home from work. We really have lives and otherthings to do.! There goes a good thing,no more food channel too bad!

  60. I would like to have the recipes for the day easier to find as by date or catagory. I am sure this would be easier to navagate. Thanks Vik.

  61. When will we be seeing new programs?
    Every thing I see now goes back as much as five years. I have satilite and I have
    set it up to record new programs of several shows. Lately all I get is repeats. Get away from the crouded studios and get back to the teaching, one
    on one.

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