In March 2013 I launched "Batman News 2.0", a complete redesign which focused on providing a great experience no matter what device you were reading the website on. I love technology and I'm always thinking of new ways to make the site even better. I look at the website like an app on your phone. Something that gets updated frequently over time, not a static site that stays the same for 15 years. With Batman vs. Superman starting to film next month, I knew that Batman News would be getting a lot of new readers, so now was the time to update. Let me walk you through what's new.
Breaking News/Network Bar
2014 is going to be a crazy year for Batman vs. Superman news, and now you'll never have to worry about missing the big story. In addition to highlighting breaking news, I've added a "More Heroes" menu. Did you know I started Spider-Man News last year too? My goal is to one day have an entire network of websites dedicated to the popular super hero movies. This is the first step into bringing them all together. Lastly, and this may be my favorite feature... as you scroll down the page you'll see the Batman News logo appear in the top right. When you hover over it, it spins around. Click it and you'll be taken right back to top of the page where you can explore more.
Countdown Widget
I've added a countdown widget to the home page. Only 522 more days until July 17, 2015! The widget is fully responsive, so it'll be there on all of your devices. The countdown to Batman vs. Superman can now live in your pocket on your smartphone.
Social Network Bar
I added Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ follow buttons to the bottom of each post. This will encourage readers to follow Batman News and stay connected throughout the production of Batman vs. Superman, and hopefully for many more years after that. Community and interacting with fans is important to me, and this will allow Batman News to get even bigger.
Enhanced Menus
If you go to any of the main items in the navigation at the top of the website, you'll see sub-menus for each category. For example, head on over to the Movies page, and you'll see a dropdown menu that says "News By Movie". This allows you to drill down and get news on just the movie you're interested in. Want to relive all the excitement from The Dark Knight Rises? Now it's easier than ever!
Blazer Six
Once again I had the honor of working with Brady and Brody at Blazer Six. They truly are the best in the business when it comes to WordPress development and design and I can't recommend them enough. Working with them over the past few weeks on these new features has been an absolute pleasure!
Wrap Up
So those are the new features. Not as huge as the big redesign last year, but I think they'll be useful for everyone that checks out the site during the Batman vs. Superman shoot. Once you start using the "Back to Top" Batman News logo in the top right, you'll wonder how you ever browsed the site without it. Take a look around, let me know what you think in the comments below, and send me an email if you discover any bugs. Thank you all so much for making Batman News the number one Batman website in the world! The next 522 days are going to be crazy. I can't wait!
