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Regional newspapers are in a prime position to become the dominant news and information providers of the electronic publishing age - but they need to develop, innovate and move fast if they are to stay ahead of the game.

This was the message to delegates from several of the speakers at a New Media Conference organised in Solihull by The Newspaper Society.

Jonathan Turpin, Chief Executive of Fish4, warned delegates that, although there were a number of reasons for publishers to be complacent: "We mustn't take our foot off the accelerator. The most serious competitors are yet to come."

Fish4 is a joint venture between five of the major players from the UK regional press: Guardian Regional Media Group; Newsquest; Northcliffe; Regional Independent Media and Trinity Mirror plc.

It is currently the number one UK site - in terms of traffic - for jobs, number three for homes, and number five for used cars.

But Mr Turpin said: "We will hold the advantage [on classified volumes] for only another six to 12 months.

"We have made a fantastic start with Fish4, but now we have to really move forward - and that means moving beyond traditional classified."

He said they needed to get "much more personal with our customers", adding value, giving them a service, and making their life simple. For example, with property, he suggested offering virtual tours, mortgages and household insurance policies. For motors, it would mean road test reports, used car warranties and finance deals.

Another speaker, Henry Copeland of Pressflex, was upbeat about the regional press's role: "The world's most popular website is the local newspaper's," he said.

Every day, 40 per cent of internet users visit their local paper's site first when going online, he said.

His practical tips for newspapers included putting news on your home page - not just a flashy design on which you click to continue into the site.

"You wouldn't cover the front page of your newspaper with the words 'This is a newspaper. Turn the page to see some news'," he said.

He also advised newspaper publishers to use their masthead as their URL - and promote the website heavily in their print products - and to spend money on content, not technology. He was also a big fan of e-mail publishing.

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