New York Times RFP

Delivered February 5th, 2018. Contributors: Estel M., Becca R., ChristineD, Ashley N., Andrea G., Alexandra H. and

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Media Behaviors: Other News Outlets

Although information on how journalists consume information from other news outlets specifically wasn't available in industry reports, studies, surveys or peer-reviewed journals, we found helpful data from various sources and used the available data to pull together key findings: Journalists are increasingly consuming multimedia content instead of text stories. Online newsroom quality and access influence journalists' decision to choose and cover potential news stories. 

We found relevant findings from a 2016 survey that shows how news journalists consume news about brands in general, including news brands. We also found other supplementary surveys that show what story elements journalists consider for shareability.

Below you'll find a deep dive into our findings.

THE NEWS MARKET SURVEYThe most helpful resource we found to answer your question is TheNewsMarket's 2016 survey about how journalists consume press relations content. According to TheNewsMarket survey, traditional press releases are moving down journalists' priority list when it comes to news content consumption. Instead, multimedia content and material heavy with images and videos were rated as the most useful by journalists. Below are TheNewsMarket's 2016 survey findings in answer to your questions:

■ Sources
• Journalists see online newsrooms as an important daily resource for information, with 66% of surveyed journalists visiting one every week.

• While agency feeds such as Reuters, AP, etc. are highly valued as 'external hard news' sources, journalists are also increasingly using free online sources such as corporate newsrooms and video aggregation services to build their stories. 

• Over one-third of surveyed journalists rated News Agencies as 'very useful'; one-fourth rated video content aggregation sites as 'very useful', and one-fifth rated Online Newsrooms as 'very useful'.

• 75% of surveyed journalists say press releases distribution services are insufficient. 
 
■ Content
• More than 50% of surveyed journalists identified a brand's multimedia gallery as a priority.

• On a scale of 1-5, surveyed journalists rated the following content types based on usefulness:
◆ Executive biographies - 2.37 (Least useful)
◆ Fact sheets - 3.65
◆ Press releases - 3.76
◆ Infographics - 3.39
◆ Images - 4.29
◆ Video - 4.07 (Very useful)

• The 4 most important content types to journalists were: Text stories with video, Multimedia gallery, Contact information, and Text stories. 

• 62% said they would like to receive email alerts from a brand's online newsroom; 17% said they value RSS alerts; and 14% said they value Twitter alerts. 

■ Online Newsroom Quality and Access
• 60% of surveyed journalists said brands' online newsrooms are 'satisfactory' while only 17% rated them as 'very useful'. 

• 45% are frustrated with the lack of helpful materials available in an online newsroom. 

• 93% said they were frustrated when they couldn't download high resolution content from an online newsroom. 

• 92% were frustrated with unclear content rights and restrictions.

• 41% want greater clarity regarding content rights information.
ANALYSISIn light of the survey's findings, TheNewsMarket concluded in an article that journalists are increasingly consuming multimedia and are looking for quality in brands' online newsrooms. Ed Lamoureaux, senior vice president at TheNewsMarket, said that "News is no longer viable if there isn’t a video, photo or infographic available."

Generally, we only use sources less than two years old, however, because of limited data available on this project, we decided to use a 2015 Edelman study that has valuable insights and is quite consistent with the 2016 study discussed above. 

According to the Edelman study, 75% of journalists feel pressure to visualize how their stories can be shared on social platforms. Journalists use 5 elements to make their news shareable: images/video, localization, topic trends, human voice and brevity. A 2017 study from Muck Rack also revealed that 72.4% of surveyed journalists track how many times their stories were shared on social media. 

 TheNewsMarket also pointed out that journalists need original story material with plenty of ancillary assets to write and repackage stories. Therefore, brands which provide journalists with quality and numerous material end up attracting journalists to their newsroom sites. 
 
Ominously, the report notes that "If multimedia material is not offered to supplement press releases, brands are at risk of discouraging over half of media targets from publishing their story, or even being interested in their content and returning to them as a source long term."
CONCLUSIONTo wrap it up, despite lack of publicly available data around journalists' consumption of news about peer news brands, we've used available data to pull together the following key findings: Journalists are increasingly consuming multimedia content from brands instead of text stories. Online newsroom quality as well as access to ancillary material also influence journalists' decision to choose and cover potential news stories. Finally, brands which don't provide supplementary multimedia material to press releases risk discouraging journalists from covering their story. 

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Best-In-Class Media Relations Pages

When defining "best-in-class" as the most engaging and user-friendly media and press web pages, the top four may include eReleases, Make-A-Wish America, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and St. Baldrick's. 

What makes a Web page "best-in-class"?There are seven essentials to creating a "best-in-class" web page. These essentials include having a company overview, press contact information, product information, media assets, clients, notable media mentions, and past press releases. 

A well written company overview would be composed of an introduction to the company, the date the company was founded or launched, investors or funding rounds, biographies of the CEO and other leaders within the company, addresses of office locations, the size of the company's team, a list of awards or recognitions, customer growth and/or employee growth from the launching of the company to present day. 

The "press contact" and "product information" pages are self-explanatory. They should be easily navigated. 

A well written "media assets" page should be composed of photos of the CEO, founder or co-founders, and other leaders within the company,  photos of the company offices, photos the product or service offered,  a video demonstration, and the company logos and icons. 

The "clients" page should be composed of client testimonials of clients from well-known companies and/or websites, to familiarize prospective clients with the company and to make a selling point for their products or services. 

 Notable media mentions should only be included if they are in a positive light and if there is a significant amount of information about the company in question. Companies should not a claim a media mention if they are only mentioned once. 

 Past press releases should only be offered on the page if they held significance for the company. If a company releases press releases often, every single press release should not be included on this page. The page should only include important moments in the company's history. 

When keeping these "seven essentials" in mind, while in no particular order, the following four media and/or press web pages are distinguished examples of what would be considered "best-in-class". 
e Releases Based in Baltimore, Maryland and launched by Mickey Kennedy in 1998, eReleases was utilized as a way to meet the press release distribution needs of small and medium-sized businesses. Now considered a "best-in-class" web page, eReleases has grown substantially, to provide distribution needs of companies of all sizes. 

The companies press release distribution sends releases to more than 4,200 websites, databases, and online services, reaching more than 150,000 journalists. 

Key reasons that eReleases was selected as a "best-in-class" web page include its easy to understand packages, its effort to make visitors feel comfortable and welcome on the page, its FAQ page, which provides clients with answers to over 40 commonly asked questions, and its press release writing services. These services include examples of the company's PR writing work, which provides prospective clients with examples of what eReleases could do for them before they commit to buying a package. 

Make-A-Wish® America Make-A-Wish® America is a non-profit organization aiming to make life for kids with critical illnesses better. Key reasons that Make-A-Wish® America is considered a "best-in-class" web page include its in depth "About Us" page, which can be considered its company overview, its full-bodied media kit, its news releases, its banners and badges, an easily accessible and user-friendly request form, and its blog content. All of these components are simply placed throughout the web page, making it nearly effortless for clients to find what they're looking for. 

St. Baldrick's St. Baldricks is a "volunteer and donor powered charity dedicated to raising money for lifesaving childhood cancer research and funds". The company, founded in 2005, has raised more than $232 million in support of the research of childhood cancer. 

Key reasons that St. Baldricks is considered a "best-in-class" web page include its well-designed section for press releases, facts and multimedia, including info-graphics, its "contact information" section, which kindly sports the phrase, “On Deadline? We Can Help.”, its "Why We Exist" page, which provides those looking to donate with an in depth look behind the formation of the foundation, its "Get Involved" page, its "Our Community" page, its "See the Impact" page, its blog, and its donation section. Every part of the page is easily seen, easily accessed, and easy to understand. Everything is laid out strategically and the web page, in general, is very user-friendly and engaging. 

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is the "world's leader in the search for a cure for cystic fibrosis" and is entirely donor funded. Key reasons that the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is considered a "best-in-class" web page include its extensive "About Us" page, which includes brief overviews the company's mission, career opportunities, board of trustees, leadership positions, governance, and policies, its "news" page, which provides visitors easy access to the foundation's press releases, its blog, and its "chapters" page. As well as its four main pages listed above, the web page also provides visitors with easily accessible links to its "What is CF?", "Life with CF", "Care", "Assistance Services", "Research", and "Get Involved" pages. The web page is laid out in an extremely welcoming manner and is particularly user-friendly and navigable. 

ConclusionWhile every web page listed above does not follow the required "seven essentials" of a "best-in-class" web page exactly, each page stands out as particularly user-friendly and remarkably engaging. Each page consists of most, if not all of the "seven essentials" required to consider a web page "best-in-class" in its own way.

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Best-In-Class Career Pages

The five case studies of best in class corporate career pages from the US news organizations and from non-profit entities pertain to the following: AOL, Comcast, FMG's The Onion, Foundation Center, and Philanthropy. Their corporate career pages were included in several top corporate career pages lists by financial consulting, recruiting and technology websites. This can be attributed to several factors such as simplicity, good design, useful content, and other outstanding features that made their sites more engaging and user-friendly.
AOL
 AOL is a media and technology company that provides news and other content online. The company is included in the pre-compiled list of the 20 best corporate career websites as consolidated by a software and technology reviewer. In its corporate career site, the company included all their sub-brands like Huffington Post, TechCrunch and others. This immediately gives the job applicant an overview of the total company. Other information that they have provided includes their benefits, values, mission, divisions and locations, which will make it easy for job seekers to become more engaged to match their preference with the company’s offerings.
COMCAST
 Comcast is another media and technology company that operates through broadcast television and other communications segment. The company is considered as one of the examples of companies having the best career web page by a software evaluation company.
For Comcast, the FAQ in its corporate career page stood out. The FAQs are highly organized and very detailed, making it easy and user-friendly for job applicants to navigate through the application process. All the specific questions that a job applicant might ask were already laid out and every technical concern that have been encountered in the past were already addressed. In addition to this, their career site includes all the steps and the sequence in the job application process. There’s also a “Check Status” button that can help applicants know where they stand.

FMG’s The Onion
 FMG’s The Onion is a satirical news website that offers quirky news contents. Their corporate career site was included in the best ten company career web pages list compiled by a recruitment company.

While The Onion site is not serious, its corporate career page is real and professional looking. In some of its job postings, there are some real jobs with descriptions that amplify The Onion’s brand of humor. This is a good example of what companies should be highlighting in their career pages. The page should represent well their brand of products or services.

Philanthropy and Foundation Center
 Philanthropy and Foundation Center are two US non-profit companies that promotes philanthropy mission and work for the social good. These companies’ career web pages are listed as some of the best non-profit career sites by a financial consulting company.

Both these companies’ career sites feature organized job listings and well-functioning filter and search options. Job descriptions are very detailed and applications can already be made at a click of a button.
This will make it easy for applicants or volunteers to find jobs easily even if there are numerous listings.

CONCLUSION
Based on separate pre-compiled lists from financial consulting, technology and recruiting entities, the five case studies of best in class corporate career pages involves AOL, Comcast, FMG's The Onion, Foundation Center, and Philanthropy.  AOL, Comcast, and FMG's The Onion are media and news companies while the Foundation Center and Philanthropy are non-profit organizations. Having their corporate career pages considered as best-in-class are all due to good site design, detailed content, ease of use, and appropriate site branding.

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Online behaviors of job seekers

In terms of behaviors, job seekers utilizing corporate career pages like to use filtering tools, learn about the company culture, utilize tools which allow them to keep track of the jobs they have applied to and which ones they are interested in, and they want an experience that is fast and easy. The vast majority are searching for jobs from their mobile phone. In terms of their needs and preferences, job seekers are looking for transparency, a streamlined experience, and expect to see information related to the job title, salary, company mission, and job details posted up-front. They also want to be impressed by the company, and see what makes the company fun. 

behaviors For job seekers, company career pages are used to learn more about the company, especially in terms of the company's culture. They use these pages to try to understand what they can expect from the job/company/management. 

One challenge job seekers face when it comes to utilizing company career pages is that they find it a challenge when it comes to tracking their activity (e.g. which jobs they have applied for, which jobs they are interested in etc). In a 2016 survey of job seekers, 87% said they struggled with the aforementioned, at 74% said they feel it is important to be able to keep track of their job search, because they feel their job search will be more successful that way. 

Furthermore, 79% of the survey takers find a lot of value in using simple job tracking tools. For these job seekers, a simple and streamlined search is what appeals to them, especially since many of them are using multiple career pages during their job search: 48% of survey respondents said they use between four and six different job boards when looking for a job. 

In terms of which types of career pages / job boards / job search outlets they are utilizing, we gathered the following set of data: 

Company website — 86%
Search engine results — 52%
Peers — 45%
Industry associations — 31%
Social media networks — 30%
News sites — 27%
Recruiter/hiring manager — 22%
Outside recruiter — 13%
Other — 2% 

Job seekers are also using filters when sorting through job opportunities, and they expect these filters to be present on the job board they are utilizing. These include filters for sorting job options by location, salary, and job type. They are also looking for job boards that are optimized for mobile use, especially considering that 87% of job seekers say that they search from jobs via their smartphone. 

needs and preferences With regard to their preferences, job seekers expect to see certain types of information presented up front while conducting their job search: 89% say they expect to see job details, 72% expect to see the salary, 69% expect to see an overview of the company, 54% expect to be able to see which type of candidate would be the best fit, 54% expect to see the job title, 40% expect to see information pertaining to the company's culture, and 27% expect to see the company's mission statement. 

Job seekers are also looking for transparency. Some companies are already tapping into this pain point by introducing tools which provide more transparency to the candidates. For instance, Johnson & Johnson launched a new job seeking platform in 2017 that provides candidates the ability to "track in real time where they stand in the hiring process." 

Job seekers also want the career page and job searching experience to be quick and easy. They are looking for strong search results. Job seekers are also looking for a career page which provides insight on the company's culture including the style of leadership, the attributes of the employees, the company values and beliefs, what makes the company impressive, and what makes the company fun. 

additional information During our research, we came across some interesting findings related to this topic, which we felt might also be of use to you: 

First, this resource provides 20 examples of company career pages along with descriptions about what makes each one great. Noted is that most of these examples are applying the knowledge discussed in this report. 

Next, this article discusses common mistakes that companies make when developing their career pages. These insights can help shine a light on what job seekers do not want in a corporate career page. 

conclusion The behaviors, needs, and preferences of job seekers who utilize corporate career pages are provided and detailed in this overview. Also provided are some additional insights which help to showcase some best practices in terms of company career page design. 

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Job Seeker Considerations

Although 47% of those who participated in a recent LinkedIn survey mentioned that compensation is still the biggest reason why job seekers wanted to chase a position, there are still other key considerations that will make job seekers decide to apply for a job. Other key factors are: role fit and skill development (37%), promotion chances (36%), bigger work challenges (36%), heavier role impact (29%), and more favorable company culture (25%). Aside from this, other reasons that can influence job seekers to apply for jobs are: company direction, flexible work options, job location, manager’s disposition, job security, title prestige, type of job and others.
KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR JOB APPLICATION DECISIONS
Based on a recent LinkedIn survey, 47% of the respondents mentioned that compensation is still the biggest motivator when deciding to pursue a job. Next to this, 37% of the respondents cited job fit and opportunities to broaden their skills as another consideration. Employees feel that they can better perform if they are playing to their strengths in the right job. Employers can benefit from this also as they will get better results from employees who are in the right career path. 

In terms of skill development, job seekers feel more empowered if they have the right skills to do their job. Due to this, they are looking at the training and development programs that a company can offer to advance their professional development.

For the 36% who checked first for promotion opportunities before pursuing their application, working in a progressive career will make them feel more motivated to give their all in order to get to the next level.

Meanwhile, having a highly impactful role is important for 29% of the respondents as they need to have a sense that what they are doing will greatly affect the company’s results. Company culture is also another important factor for the 25%.  This will enable them to work in an environment that is conducive to the success of the individual and the company.
OTHER FACTORS INFLUENCING JOB APPLICATIONS
Other factors that can also drive job seekers to apply are company purpose, flexible working conditions, job location, boss’s character, job stability, job title, role type and others.

 Company purpose that includes their mission, vision, values, principles and other foundation aspects can give the potential job seekers a sense that the company is trying to do what is right for the future of the business, for the employees, for its customers, and for everyone being impacted by its actions.

Having flexible work options like telecommuting setup, work from home options, remote working arrangements, and other alternative ways to complete the required work anywhere are getting to be attractive options for job seekers. In a new research done by Indeed Hiring Lab, searches related to jobs with flexible working options went up to 32% just last year.

 Work-life balance is also another consideration for most job applicants. They are usually looking for companies who have programs and training on how this balance can be achieved in order to make employees more productive and prevent burn-out.

 Job location is also another consideration especially for job seekers with families who cannot readily migrate to another place near the job. Jobs that are near the residences of targeted applicants are more attractive than those that are located several miles away even if there are more attractive options for the other job.

Another aspect that job seekers are looking for is the capability and the attitude of the company leaders that include their potential bosses. Having good bosses can help employees succeed and prevent toxic working environment.

 Job stability can also somehow entice candidates to apply as it will be stressful for employees to regularly think of uncertainties while doing their work.

For some people, having a prestigious title feed their pride in their work and help them gain the respect of their peers. Even if the compensation is not up to par with their expectations, a prestigious title can make up for this given the high impression that this can generate.
WAYS TO MAKE THE JOB APPLICATION PROCESS ATTRACTIVE FOR JOB SEEKERS
With regard to the actual job application process, it will help if employers can be more transparent in sharing key details of their companies and the jobs being posted in their corporate career pages, social media linked LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and other sites. This will help job seekers understand the position better and encourage applications if jobs match their preferences.

A more streamlined application process and speed of application processing are also ways to drive candidates to continue pursuing their applications.

CONCLUSION
While compensation is still a major aspect being considered by job applicants when pursuing a job, other key considerations are coming into play when job seekers look for jobs. These factors include job fit, training and development opportunities, chances for professional advancement, broader work challenges, more purposeful work impact, and a good company culture. Flexible work arrangements, company mission, location, leadership behavior, job security, job titles, and career path type, ease of job application, and information transparency are also enticing features that may motivate job seekers to continue their application.

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Investors Seeking Information

The number one thing that investors tend to look at are financial reports. They also look for information regarding the companies goals and attitudes. I go into specifics below.
Financial ReportsBoth current and prospective investors look at financial reports in order to determine "a company's ability to continue issuing dividends, or to generate cash flow, or to continue growing at its historical rate (depending upon their investment philosophies)." In other words, investors want to determine how much money a company can generate and if they can sustain their growth.

More specifically, investors may look at a 10-K Annual Report, a 10-Q Quarterly Report, and an 8-K Current Event report. Based on this research, I would argue it might be helpful to include one of these reports on the investor page.

When looking at financial reports, both current and prospective investors will look at net profit, sales, margins, customer acquisition cost, customer churn rates, debt, accounts receivable turnover, break-even point and personal investment. If the number one reason to invest is to make money, then it seems logical that net profit, sales, margins, debt and accounts receivable turnover would be the most important parts of an annual report.
Other Areas of InterestWhile the financial data is key, there are other areas that investors may find interesting. These include company presentations, news/press releases, and contact information. Presentations give investors an idea of past performance, as well as where the company might go next.  Press releases can give investors information about "day-to-day operations and financial performance." Any of these options could be useful to have on the investor page.
Current vs. Prospective InvestorsThe research does not really separate current and prospective investors. It would seem these two types of investors tend to look for the same things. However, there is some data on what investors look for in a start-up. Since this type of investor would be a prospective investor, I applied some of this research.

Prospective investors tend to look at company attitudes and missions.  Many investors want a company that has a certain amount of confidence (but not arrogance) in their success. Prospective investors may also be interested in the company's founder, especially their "mindset (and) passion."  Given the interest start-up (i.e. prospective) investors have in the company's mindset and attitudes, it may be useful to include something addressing those areas on the investor page.

Prospective investors may also look at the company's overall business and investment plans.  Investors will want to see the following: 

"1. A Rock-Solid Solid Business Plan
2. A Unique Idea
3. A Strong Narrative
4. Business Readiness
5. What You Need, Where It Will Go, And When They’ll Get It Back
6. A Clear Investment Structure."

Most of the items in this list provide clarity and transparency for investors, especially in terms of how a company will actually go about making their investors money.  This kind of information may also be useful to current investors for the same reasons.

Based on the research, current investors are likely already aware of company missions and plans, so it would probably be unnecessary to include information regarding confidence and attitudes. Instead, current investors are likely to be more interested in success and stability. One area that current investors are likely to look at is accuracy. Investors need to know "that they can rely on the financial information that is available to them when they make investment decisions." Current investors would therefore want the assurance that the company is following the principles of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). Including some sort of assurance of accounting standards on an investor page might be useful.

Overall, current investors would be most interested in how well the company is doing and if they are making money, which leads back to the financial reports discussed at the beginning.
SUMMARYIn summary, the number one thing both current and prospective investors look at when deciding to invest is financial reports.  Prospective investors might look at a company's mission, and current investors might be more interested in current profits, but both seem to be most interested in whether the company will make money and grow.

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New York Times B2B Offerings

The New York Times offers a variety of B2B services that include opportunities for co-branded publishing in other news outlets, conference sponsorship, reprint or licensing opportunities, product development, and innovative advertising content. 

Publishing AlliancesAllows for the international section of the NYT to be published in other newspapers outside the USA. The International Weekly section is a standalone supplement that offers co-branding to the other publishers. Their website states both "34 newspapers in 25 countries" and "20 host papers in 16 countries across the globe" though it is unclear which is the most updated figure.

Although prices, were not specified on the website, Helen Konstantopoulus, the managing director of develoment, can be reached for more information:
Telephone: 971-428-9457 
Email: hkonstantopoulos@nytimes.com 

NYT SyndicateProvides that use and licensing of "articles, commentary, images and multimedia to thousands of clients worldwide." This is for more select and singular media for use. Some of these productions are available to be translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic and Chinese. The news service is home to images, archived content for reproduction, videos, cartoons, and more.

In order to find pricing opitons, you will need to register via this link or contact:
 Aidan McNulty, Director 
Telephone:212 556 4015  
Email: mcnulaj@nytimes.com 
NYT ConferencesThe publishing company tends to host panels and conferences on a wide variety of topics. Current topics cast a wide net from luxury brands, education, democracy, to a working summit. Locations for these events have a global reach. NYT offers the chance to become a sponsor at these events wherein the company "can deliver on a wide variety of goals — thought leadership, V.I.P. client treatment, generating borrowed interest via media (print, online, social), introductions to individual delegates, product demo or showcase, branding, use of conference content or content generation, media relations or other objectives." For example, ArtNet is the headline sponsor for the upcoming Art Leaders Network conference. Other sponsorship benefits as listed on the ALN website offer the ability to "Host delegates at private cocktail or dinner receptions, conduct on-site polling, develop custom content, display product and amplify your sponsorship through on-site branding and extensive print, digital and social media promotion."

Jessica Flood Executive Director of Sponsorship and 
Business Development can be emailed via this link for pricing options.

Licensing and Product DevelopmentLooking to develop a special service with NYT's seal and branding? The company offers the chance to work in order to develop products and services backed by their legacy and expertise. Current products from this division includes the Wine Club, books, stationary sets, and magazines.

For information on pricing Greg Miller, Director of  Content Licensing and Operations can be contacted:
Telephone: 212-556 4666
Email: gregory.miller@nytimes.com

Idea LabThe Idea Lab doesn't offer much in the way of explanation. It hosts a series of Social, Video, Infographic, Paid Post, UGC, 2nd Screen, and Games samples. Each has a set identified as Newspaper Innovations and Advertisement Innovations.

Pricing can be found by contacting Alex Ward Director, Editorial of
Book Development:
Telephone: 212 556 1362 
Email:ward@nytimes.com 

ReprintsIf you're looking to re purpose content from the NYT, turn to PARS. Reprints, Licensing and Display Products is in charge of permissions and licensing for NYT.

For information regarding pricing on reprints contact contact PARS International at (212) 221-9595.  

While it is not able to answer this question, we also found a publication that talks about NYT strategy to move forward in the digital world which we believe will be of interest to you. It states that the main pillar of their business model is still invested on a subscription model.

ConclusionThe company offers a variety of ways to either develop, share, or produce content on a B2B scale. The website's What We Do section is a comprehensive list of their offerings to external companies.

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Case Studies: Attracting Businesses

While there is no preexisting information to fully answer your question, we've used the available data to pull together key findings: consistently rated good UX design elements included supportive content, thoughtful use of white space, minimal text, animations, and sticky nav.

MethodologyWe were unable to find rich, informative case studies or white papers that dived deep into a company website. Our first strategy was to find white papers or case studies that offered a wealth of information. A website x-ray search was performed on top consulting websites such as IBM, Deloitte, and E&Y but found no supportive literature on the topic. Second we attempted to search for articles and literature on what was considered best when it came to UX design for B2B companies, but articles tended to draw from all manners of websites and we found no consensus or top consistent picks. Lastly we looked for awards given out to websites for UX design that were also B2B but the awards we found did not offer a lot of information for why the websites were chosen, and were often done annually which could lead to outdated techniques and information.

Helpful FindingsInstead of case studies for best in class design, we've collected what we felt were the best articles that broke down the elements of best B2B website design. In some cases, an example company website is offered, an example the author feels showcases the best of that particular design element.

Content SupportB2B purchase cycles are typically longer than a B2C purchase cycle. They are prone to intense amounts of research, larger audiences, and are not open to the same levels of impulse purchases as B2C transactions. Various authors have thus pointed out the importance of content such as "webinars, e-books, white papers, and comparison charts". In the case of Sprint, their website was able to briefly explain products and services to their audience, then provide case studies and successful partnerships that highlighted the value of those services.

Minimal/White Space UseSeveral websites highlight the importance of design that is straight to the point and does not overwhelm the audience. One website applaud's company Continu's Product Page for their balanced white space that allows the Call to Actions to really shine. It also highlighted product features via bullet points rather than in paragraph format so customers could quickly digest product information. 

In another article ranking top B2B website design, Quid was applauded for its minimal design. This helps scale down loading times, which is important for ranking with Google these days. Sonikpass also was applauded for it's minimal use of text, providing only highlights instead of dense sentence and paragraph forms.

While not relevant to website design specifically, we found this series of case studies on successful B2B campaigns to be insightful. They may be of use to your goal in re imagining the NYT website or generate ideas for your RFP. There was one specific case that focused on website design and use, although elements of UX are not clearly defined.

AnimationsUsing clever animations that don't bring down the page's loading time is a great way to catch audience attention. MUV Interactive achieved this with a mouse sensitive interactive animation that informed the audience about their product.

 Recurly's site uses color change animations to indicate to the user when they have successfully clicked on a button. This is a great use of responsive user design.

Sticky NavLong landing pages are a common trend. With a sticky nav option, audiences can scroll until their heart's content without the worry of having to scroll back to important information. This is a pretty common application in current websites, and is show in Zenefit's customer page.

ConclusionThere is a very limited consensus about what defines a truly great B2B website and a lot of different elements at hand. While there are some common threads such as the use of white space and call to actions, which websites best exemplify this isn't easily defined. The articles listed in our sources are a great place to understand UX design concepts as a theory, with singular website examples of specific elements.