heavy.com
Many news sources try to provide different perspectives on current events. However, with the rise of parody and fake news sites, it is easy for the audience to be misled. The trust in mainstream media is decreasing, and then comes Heavy.com with a bag of mixed reviews. Some people praise it for its unbiased reporting, while others criticize it for its past mistakes. However, as the outlet continues to improve over time, its influence may grow.
What is Heavy.com?
Heavy.com is a real-time information and news outlet managed by Aaron Nobel, Editor-in-Chief. Heavy has been instrumental in setting a trustworthy image for the brand, with its numbers right there amongst the most popular news networks. Apart from rapid reporting and in-depth reporting of hard news, you will also find sports, features news, consumer trends and entertainment scoops.
Numbers speak volumes
Heavy's news platform attracts 25 million unique visitors a month. Its consumer-oriented content is well-known, with 16 million shoppers benefitting from its Gift and Shopping Guides every year. Besides that, Heavy's entertainment guides attract over 2 million readers annually.
History
In 1998, Simon Assaad and David Carson founded Heavy as a video-focused entertainment site aimed at young audiences. The platform's breakthrough came through the critically acclaimed pop culture phenomena - the Kung Faux series. Heavy rebranded itself in 2012 and today it attracts millions of readers each month. Mr. Assaad continues to serve as the CEO of the company.
Why should you stream on Heavy.com?
The heavy's liberal views do not interfere with their ability to cover events and deliver news in a timely fashion. They present news in an easy-to-digest format so that every user can understand. They cite the sources and present credible information. There have been a few instances where they've been on the wrong end of a few reports, but we cannot take away two decades of hard work based on a few lapses which are quite common in today's media.
Let's check out some of the reasons why people stream on Heavy.com.
High Verification Standards
Heavy.com has been known for publishing accurate information over the years. Recently, it has been given media attention because of a couple of inaccurate reports. Nonetheless, the news publication always claims responsibility and strives to publish accurate information. assumptions, skepticism, and conventional wisdom are challenged and verified so that viewers can get accurate information.
Hard News and Soft News
The website "Heavy.com" is not only focused on breaking news, but also drives the majority of its traffic through consumer-oriented feature stories. While breaking news might be the main attraction, their lifestyle guides, entertainment scoops, and sports content generate considerable traction.
Impressive Sports Coverage
As a massive sports fan, I enjoy reading Heavy's take on sports events. Quite recently, I read the featured story on the controversial Jon Jones vs Dominic Reyes fight at UFC 247. Apart from UFC, it covers a wide range of sports such as Basketball, Baseball, American Football, Golf, Tennis, Ice Hockey to name a few. Thus, if you want to stay up-to-date with what's happening in the world of sports, you can totally rely on Heavy.com.
Live Streaming Guides
With cord-cutting on the rise, people are looking for ways to switch to streaming services. Heavy.com does an excellent job of providing in-depth coverage on how users can switch to various streaming services. Not just the streaming platform but it covers each and every major event and shares information on how you can stream it.
Shopping & Gifts Section
What sets Heavy.com apart from other major media outlets is their focus on both hard news and a variety of content areas. I appreciate the Shopping and Gift sections, which provide users with information about deals and offers as well as product recommendations based on a variety of demographics.
Design
The website for Heavy.com is heavy in terms of its emphasis on lack of substance. The homepage is mainly composed of simple black and white graphics, which do not capture the attention of visitors when they first arrive. Additionally, there are no banner ads or other sections that would help to make the homepage more interesting or engaging.
Header
For example, in the News section, you can click on General to get news pertaining to all areas of life, Tech for updates on technology-related topics, or Crime for information on breaking news events.
The header section of their website simply features a category drop-down menu on the left and a search bar on the right. If you click on the drop-down menu, you will find categories such as News, Sports, Entertainment, Tech, Gaming, Streaming, Shopping, and Gifts. Each of these categories has a sub-category within it. For example, in the News section you can click on General to get news pertaining to all areas of life or Tech for updates on technology-related topics.
Hero Section
The Hero Section on Heavy.com has no banners. The first thing you see is the news section, with a top story under Top Story and the timeline of when it was published. There are more than dozens of stories published each day, so there?s a lot of competition for the banner story. I don?t know which editor decides who gets the banner, based either on how many views their story has or just by preference.
Body
The most unenjoyable section of the site is the body section, which is just a redundant copy of what you see at the end of the hero section. The story titles are in black with grey publishing times, and there are no accompanying graphics to give them any visual appeal. This results in a lot of white space which makes it dull. However, as you scroll further you find a different section called 'More From Heavy,' which at least has some variance in content placement.
Footer
The footer on the website has a black background and white text, which makes it stand out. There are options such as About, Contact Us, Editorial Guidelines, Privacy Policy, Privacy Rights, and Terms of Service in this section. Additionally, you have social media icons right under those options.
Inner Pages
The inner pages have a layout similar to the More from Heavy section that we saw on the homepage. By clicking on any of the titles, you'll be directed to a dedicated page that has complete information about the subject. The headline density has been used creatively and thus it doesn't feel monotonous.
Content
Each day, new news and featured stories are posted on the website. Regardless of when you visit, you will always find updated content on the website. Heavy provides comprehensive reporting on a variety of subjects such as News, Sports, Entertainment, Tech, Gaming, Streaming, Shopping, and Gifts.
Each category will have subcategories, for example clicking on the sports section will give you subcategories such as NFL, Basketball, UFC, Odds, Betting, College Football, Soccer, Golf, and WAGs.
Similarly, clicking on news will present you with Breaking News, Fast 5 Facts, Crime, Celebrities, Politics, and Money. Under entertainment, you will find Television, Celebs, Music, and Movies. Under Tech, you will find Google, Apple iOS/Android devices, Microsoft apps and smartphones.
Desktop/Mobile experience
I browsed Heavy.com using my desktop and iPhone XR and found that the website loads extremely fast. There is little content on the platform, so it's easy to navigate. I like their subtle affiliate links in the streaming section. Overall, I had a good experience browsing Heavy on iPhone XR. Navigation was seamless and the website was well-optimized for mobile use. So, there were some positive aspects to my experience, though the layout and visual could be improved
Plans & Pricing
You can browse Heavy.com for free, without any subscription or paid plans.
Suggestions I have for Heavy.com
The outlook of the news reporting site can't be influenced, but there are elements that can always be improved. These include more accurate reports, a better-looking website, an intuitive app, a platform for users to communicate.
Conclusion
Heavy.com is a good website if you want to spend time reading news and other soft stories. Their featured stories are commendable, and I really like their shopping and gifts section. I would urge you to visit the website for that section as well as the sports coverage.