A new build for sunlive.co.nz is complete and operating; offering users more news, more content variety, more business opportunities and more control. New features on the website include traffic cams so people can keep an eye on the city, a humorous ‘Not the News' section, improved user interface, an Editor's Picks section and more spaces for businesses to advertise.

Due to the site changeover, some people may have difficulty loading SunLive.co.nz as the web address may not be properly directing to the new site. A likely fix to problems encountered is to refresh the web browser (in Internet Explorer press Ctrl+F5) or directly type into the web address bar: www.sunlive.co.nz

The new website comes 15 months after the original was released in June 2009 and is now updated owing to a steady audience growth, demand for ad space and to improve user interface.

New Features:

Traffic cams
Provided by TrustPower, with help from EOL and Tauranga City Council, these cameras snap some of the busiest intersections around the city and refresh every two minutes. They are great to check before jumping in the car to drive home at the end of the day during rush hour.

The traffic cams can be accessed from the new navigation pane at the top of all SunLive pages.

Shopping
The new shopping section, also accessible from the new navigation pane, is home to daily, weekly and monthly specials for products sourced from the region.

Not the News
This is the new humorous section of SunLive, where people can find the works of journalist Cliff Edge and other unprofessional writers, to enjoy the lighter side of the news. Already featured there are ingenuine articles on issues such as the Rugby World Cup and embattled Act MP David Garrett.

Advertising space
There are three new advertising slots on SunLive enabling more businesses to take advantage of directly reaching their target market. On the old site, the four ad spots offered were often fully booked, making it hard to accommodate new advertisers. But the new site has seven spots, with three new ‘tile' spaces, which will better meet demand.

Editor's Picks
The Editor's Picks section appears to the right of all SunLive news pages and features articles selected by the newsroom team.

To begin with, the Editor's Picks is populated with election articles, helping people as a quick reference point to decide who to vote for.

News categories
To help people navigate through the news, issues and current events happening in the Bay of Plenty, the local news categories are streamlined, and three lifestyles highlighted.

In the second tier of the new navigation pane at the top of all SunLive pages, there are quick link buttons to City Life, Marine and Rural. In these categories people can find articles relating to the named lifestyle.

The Local News quick link button also has a new category breakdown.

Mobile Site
Now when SunLive is visited from a mobile device, the website will automatically redirect to a mobile version, making reading SunLive on-the-run all the more easier.

There are many more new features on the website and these are best explored by users taking a moment to browse the new double-decker navigation pane at the top of all SunLive pages.

User Changes
There are a few minor steps users will have to undertake to have the new SunLive working perfectly for them.

When logging in to the new site for the first time, users will need to set a new password. Once logged in users will find it easier to post comments, vote on polls, enter competitions and modify their profile.

Also, people may need to re-bookmark sunlive.co.nz depending on how it was previously listed.