Media groups often operate multiple online news brands, each with its own editorial focus and audience. Depending on the media, the divide between the sister sites can be:

• geographical - different portals for different regions of the country to better focus on local events, politics and issues. 

• subject-based - verticals focused on different subjects (health, sports, economy, culture, etc.)

Such a networked website ecosystem provides many advantages: driving engagement from a specific audience, addressing more specialized issues, and building a position of a reputable news source on a specific subject range. However, risks are coming from these sites being operated in silos. When editorial teams don’t interact and cooperate, they miss opportunities to retain users within the group ecosystem. Increasing cross-traffic while maintaining user interest is key to maximizing engagement and monetization.

Goal

Increase traffic and engagement across multiple news sites within a media group.

How it works

By using onsite notifications, publishers can highlight relevant content from sister sites without interrupting the user experience. These subtle, visually engaging messages appear while users browse a site, offering timely suggestions for additional, related content published on another platform owned by the same group.

Benefits

• Boosts traffic across owned media assets

• Encourages audience discovery of niche platforms (e.g., sports, lifestyle, business)

• Improves retention by guiding users through a curated content journey

• Maximizes ROI on content by increasing exposure without paid ads

Best practices

• Segment users by interest or behavior for more relevant cross-promotion. For example, a user reading a sports article on GeneralNews.com sees an onsite notification promoting SportsBuzz.net with the message: "Looking for full match coverage and live commentary? Explore SportsBuzz.net."

  Meanwhile, a user browsing a health article receives a notification for HealthDaily.com:

  “Interested in the latest medical news, expert opinions, and research breakthroughs? Explore MedicineNewsSite.com”

• Schedule notifications during high-traffic periods

• Test different copies and placements

Display rules and targeting options

• One-time display per user
  Each onsite notification is shown only once to a user, avoiding repetition and maintaining a non-intrusive experience.

• Flexible targeting conditions
  Enhance relevance by adding optional display rules based on:

  • Time on page (e.g., only show after 10 seconds)

  • Number of pages visited

  • Current URL or content category

  • Device type (mobile, desktop, tablet)

  • Web push subscription status (target only subscribers or non-subscribers)

• Custom display duration
  Decide how long the notification stays visible.

• Onsite Inbox support
  Store all onsite notifications in an Inbox component, allowing users to revisit them anytime during their session, especially helpful for longer reads or multitasking users.