Shabby-chic

Conde Nast has finally given the online content for W magazine a website of its very very own, reports Advertising Age.

WMagazine.com has launched in beta. Content from the magazine has already been moved from Style.com, where it previously resided as a sub-set of that site, to the new domain.

The decision to create a standalone site for W is the first in a series of planned online transitions by Conde Nast. Epicurious.com currently hosts content from its Gourmet and Bon Appetit print titles, but those will get their own sites in the next year or so.

The shift to individual sites from themed portals represents the evolution of web thinking as the emphasis on "titles as brands" grows. It also gives each magazine's team room to create a unique persona for the sites, which that can help gain and retain web visitors.