Control Engineering site redesign announced

Changes improve look and feel, moving more content above the fold, providing easier access to information of interest to the audience at www.controleng.com.

By Mark T. Hoske September 3, 2013

Control Engineering, part of CFE Media, announces the redesign of its website to improve the experience for site visitors to www.controleng.com. Changes improve the look and feel, moving more content above the fold, providing easier access to information of interest to the audience. Up top a search box provides access to more than 35,000 pages of information, along with direct links to eGuides, Webcasts, Newsletters, Magazine, and Advertise areas.

“The goal behind the website redesign was to help our website visitors get to the information they are searching for quickly,” explained Paul Brouch, CFE Media director of operations. “This meant reorganizing all of the content on our site into a navigation bar sorted logically by topic and subtopic areas. Prior to going live, we contacted a number of website users and key partners to get their opinions on the new look, feel, and organization. We wanted to make sure that the website, once live, would be as valuable as possible to the end user,” Brouch said.

Nine new pull-down menus lead to reorganized topical pages, prompted by subscriber input:

– Trending, at present, includes:  Apps for Engineers, Case Study Database, Products, Wireless, PID and APC, and the Online Training Center

– New Products: All Products, Control Systems, Process Manufacturing, Discrete Manufacturing, System Integration, Networking and Security, Info Management

– Control System: PLCs and PACs, CNCs and Motion Control, PID and Advanced Control, Embedded Systems, Dedicated Controls, Industrial PCs, HMI and OI

– Process Manufacturing: IO Modules and DAQ, Simulators and Optimizers, Diagnostics and Asset Management, Process Safety, PID and APC, Sensors and Actuators, HMI and OI, DCS and SCADA and Controllers

– Discrete Manufacturing: Mechatronics, Machine Safety, PLCs and PACs, Motors and Drives, Sensors and Vision, Robotics, CNC and Motion Control, HMI and OI

– System Integration: System Integrators, Asset Management, Project Management, Energy Efficiency, Energy and Power

– Networking and Security: Visualization and Cloud, Cyber Security, Ethernet, Wireless, Other Networks, I/O Systems and Modules

– Info Management: HMI and OI, Mobility, PLM and Control Design, Manufacturing IT and MES, Industrial PCs

– Education & Training: Research, Online Training Center, Case Studies, Webcasts, eGuides, Videos.

Five lead articles scroll through a module on the left, featured articles continue in the featured article area in the middle, and on the right, all news, products, and features appear in the Recent News box.

In the next level down is a module featuring Webcasts, Videos, Products, Education, and Global coverage areas of the site. A rotating module promotes two CFE Media software programs, the ContentStream content syndication software and CFE Media’s Apps for Engineers. Site poll remains a popular area. Below that, a module provides entry to Events and Awards, eGuides, Magazine Archives, Blogs, Integrator Guide, and the Case Study Database areas of the site.

To help power users of the prior site design, much of that organizational structure remains intact, accessible from a new large footer on the site.

Engineering interaction: Please use the comments area at the bottom of the page to add your opinions or suggestions about the site redesign.

– Mark T. Hoske, content manager, CFE Media, Control Engineering, mhoske@cfemedia.com.


Author Bio: Mark Hoske has been Control Engineering editor/content manager since 1994 and in a leadership role since 1999, covering all major areas: control systems, networking and information systems, control equipment and energy, and system integration, everything that comprises or facilitates the control loop. He has been writing about technology since 1987, writing professionally since 1982, and has a Bachelor of Science in Journalism degree from UW-Madison.