weather.com’s Sunny Forecast

weather.com®, the Web site of The Weather Channel®, is the most trusted source of online weather information and the most popular source of weather, news and information on the Web. The site is committed to making a difference in people’s lives by providing them with reliable weather information that they can use to plan their everyday activities. With an impressive reach of more than 25 million people each month, weather.com’s content currently ranks to the 10th most popular on the Web according to Nielsen Net//Ratings.

This success, along with unique content and an intuitive layout contributed to weather.com being named the best general interest Web site in 2004 by the Web Marketing Association. The award-winning site serves as a convenient resource for busy consumers planning their lives, an important tool for people in the path of a severe storm and a place where weather-watchers can be inspired by Mother Nature. weather.com’s eye-catching design considers all of these uses. weather.com’s experienced design team has successfully engaged users by offering a seasonally relevant and appealing experience through careful branding, dynamic content and easy-to-navigate interactivity.

While developing its current design, the weather.com team acknowledged the importance of thoroughly understanding its audience, reviewed the best practices inside and outside the industry and focused on showcasing its unique attributes and exclusive offerings. The proposed solution was then tested through focus groups and usability tests and was rolled out through a series of small steps, as opposed to a dramatic overnight change. weather.com understands that changing user behavior is difficult once habits are formed—even if the new experience promises to be more engaging.

Because of the respect weather.com shows its users, the site experiences a very close relationship with its engaged community and constantly seeks consumer feedback—both before implementing a change and after. The site monitors user feedback on a daily basis. Loyal users may even notice changes or additions in site content based on suggestions or requests from consumers. Delivering the most relevant information is important to weather.com for several reasons, one of which being the vital service that the site provides, especially during severe weather.

The Weather Channel and weather.com are very proud of the trust that people place in them. This is never more important than when dangerous weather conditions are threatening. During this current, very active hurricane season, weather.com users’ made it clear that the site was the place to go for the most reliable and timely, online weather reports. As a result, weather.com served more users than ever before. In September, its content was ranked the ninth most popular on the Web by Nielsen NetRatings—its highest ranking in site history. During this busy time, when it was crucial that people had access to the site’s exclusive reports, both from popular meteorologists in the eye of the storm and from renowned experts in the studio, weather.com did not encounter any technical issues. Luckily, weather.com employs a team of highly skilled IT professionals who ensure that every person who wants information from The Weather Channel receives it—and receives it quickly. This respected team began planning for what was predicted to be an active hurricane season months in advance and successfully executed a very controlled optimization of weather.com’s infrastructure. The advanced planning paid off and people along the East Coast and around the world reaped the benefits.

In 2005, weather.com will continue to listen to its users and provide them with the tools they need to plan their day, get the most out of their lives and "keep an eye" on loved ones around the globe. The site will remain dedicated to delivering the best weather information via the consumer's device of choice. In addition to adding new content and functionality to weather.com, the company will continue to evolve its desktop applications, mobile products and subscription services to ensure that people always have convienient access to the weather reports that they trust most.