Short and summarized News app – Way2online

By bhavna

Posted on May 31, 2017

Way2Online is a Hyderabad-based ‘media on mobile’ company that caters to seekers of news & information both in English and regional Indian languages. Its mission is to create a fresh news experience with strong focus on all things local, and understanding what dominates the news space every day. Way2Online was incepted in May 2005.

Whereas Way2Online SMS app has been launched on 2014 March. Way2Online SMS app has been rebranded and pivoted as Way2Online App – short news app from Dec 2015 and is the brainchild of Raju Vanapala, its Founder & CEO, who was inspired to explore the opportunities available in the local language space upon realizing that the concept of SMS became obsolete. He wished to create a product that could remain as relevant for the mass population as its predecessor – Way2sms was at its prime, and thus, forayed into the short news segment with the Way2Online app.

By pivoting the business towards short news in local languages, the company is gaining significant traction, and is witnessing steady adoption by users across India. There are very few early players in the Indian market who saw an opportunity, and dived headlong into the business of news apps in local language. Way2Online App is one such app which tapped this largely unexplored area of business by introducing short summarized news across 8 local languages in a magazine style format.

App screen shot

Additionally, each piece of news aggregated and summarized from various sources is presented in less than 400 characters along with an attention grabbing picture or video. From smart snippets and blurbs to moving strips on the screen, the Way2Online App makes news more palatable and riveting than ever before.

Way2Online App is also exemplifying mobile-first technology by building media within mobile screens. Its USP lies in easy download and smooth news skimming, and crafting content as ‘media on mobile’. It makes an effort to make news selection comprehensive by shifting from the shadows of traditional sources, and including other channels like blogs and RSS feeds. What’s more, by tweaking technology, the app is also able to reach out to customers based in tier-2 & tier-3 cities, i.e. areas that usually suffer from challenges like bandwidth availability and smartphone penetration.

The Way2Online app is targeted at consumers who prefer to access information in their local or native language. Its strategy is to go viral, and reach each & every individual across the country mostly via word of mouth. The app expects to become the go-to place for those readers, who wish to stay abreast of latest happenings without spending too much time on detail.

Way2Online App has already seen a phenomenal growth in the number of its news consumers within 3 months of its launch, a clear indicator of how successful the short news format is. The app draws 70% of its users from the local language space, which further proves that local language news is a lucrative market for growth. Seeing such immense traction for short news in local space, Way2Online App expects to hit 2.5 billion screen views per month in the next six months. It also hopes to record 25 million downloads within a year.

Short and summarized News app – Way2online