Epicurious.com, the premier award- winning food site, unveils an entirely new site design intended to further personalize the experience for the user’s needs and showcase a cleaner, more sophisticated look. Epi 2.0 features include added search and browse capabilities, enhanced recipe and menu functionality, streamlined navigation, related content, a more personalized and intuitive user experience, and a robust blog, The Epi-Log, with six new guest contributors.
The new Epicurious.com will retain the more than 60,000 recipes (25,000 professionally tested recipes and 35,000 submitted by home cooks) and useful features users have come to rely on, but with easier navigation and better tools. Enhancements, tools, and features will continue to be introduced over the course of the next 18 months, but major updates to the site for launch include:
— New Content Categories: All content (recipes, features, videos, etc.)
now falls within three categories: Recipes & Menus, Articles & Guides,
and Community. Easy-to-use subcategories like “Healthy” and “Quick and
Easy” help users find the content they’re seeking. Users can delve
further into topics by using drop-down menus in each section, clicking
arrows to get more specific information, or using the navigation rail
on the left.
— Sign In for Added Features: Registered users have access to new
features like the recently introduced My Epi — a personalized user
space on Epicurious for foodies to connect and draw inspiration from
each other — and established favorite features like the user’s Recipe
Box, now accessible on every page of Epicurious via the bar at the top
of the screen, and blog comments. When users arrive at the home page,
they will be able to sign in on the left side of the page.
— Recipe Search Bar: In addition to browsing the Recipe Central area in
the middle of the home page, users can search for recipes in the new
search bar, which now incorporates member recipes in addition to
editor-tested recipes. With advanced search, users can look for
specific content or broaden their search by using browse pages. New
search features allow users to sort recipes and menus by “Newest” or
“Highest Rated.”
— Browse Features by Topic: Every day, Epicurious publishes original and
exclusive features, written by the food world’s top experts. New
topical sections show the latest articles within each category.
— New Sections and Index Pages: New sections like “How to Cook,” “Chefs
& Experts,” and “Kitchen & Equipment” house related content in an easy-
to-find location. New index pages allow users to quickly find hundreds
of interesting articles that have previously appeared on
Epicurious.com.
— Epi Chat for Real-Time Food Discussions: Epicurious.com was one of the
first sites to create forums on the Web, and the millions of users
active on the forums will now be able to use our overhauled chat room,
Epi Chat, in order to see who else is on the site, create their own
rooms, use an avatar, and communicate in real time on any food topic.
“Epicurious.com has been a pioneer for more than 12 years in the food world online, and our users have always been very involved in the site, whether by uploading their favorite recipes, commenting on blog entries and recipes, or having a lively discussion in our popular forums,” said Tanya Steel, editor in chief of Epicurious.com. “Through the ongoing process of streamlining and personalizing Epicurious.com, we are committed to making the site an even easier place for our users to find their culinary inspiration, share with others, and shape the site.”
The Epi-Log, a new blog from Epicurious.com, features Epicurious editors and guest bloggers covering topics including food, wine, chefs, cooking, recipes, news, blogs, family, and more. Guest contributors include:
— Chef Rick Bayless of Chicago’s Topolobampo and Frontera Grill
— Melissa Clark, author of 18 cookbooks and well-known food journalist
— Natalie MacLean, best-selling author of Red, White and Drunk All Over
and award-winning wine expert
— Neal Pollack, author of best-selling book and popular blog Alternadad
— Amy Sherman, author of the popular “Cooking With Amy” blog
— Michael Y. Park, Brooklyn-based food writer and journalist
Visa Signature and Haagen-Dazs ice cream have signed on as the launch advertisers on the new Epicurious.com. Visa Signature will take over the home page for a day and will exclusively sponsor Technique Videos, Chef Videos, and Recipe Videos, in addition to other high-profile placements. Haagen-Dazs will be seen on the home page and other prominent locations throughout the site.
Epicurious.com will continue to add tools, applications, and enhancements over the next 18 months so that the site will remain ahead of the industry with best-in-class Web site technology.
