Choosing the wrong digital magazine software can lead to months of rebuilding, migration, and you will have to explain to stakeholders why the platform you support just doesn't work. The payoffs are much greater than the average individual knows.
If you're looking to launch a brand-new magazine or take an established print title online, the platform you select will impact your reader experience, your production process and your income. There are several dozen options available, so a demo and a price page comparison is not enough to make the right decision.
This write-up will explain the 5 most critical factors to consider when making a commitment to a digital magazine software. Go through them, and you'll come out with a much better understanding of which one is really suitable for your needs.
1. Can the software accommodate your content format and design requirements?
Digital magazine software isn't one-size-fits-all. Some make it especially for PDF based flipbooks, and others will have totally responsive HTML5 based flipbooks, which will adjust to whatever screen size you're viewing in. First, make sure you know what type of content you're creating.
So, is your magazine going to be very text dependent, or will design and imagery be the main components? Need integrating video, audio or clickable ads, surveys, etc.? A site that does great work with clean, text-heavy designs may not be so hot when it comes to including a video of a product or an animated infographic.
Do not forget the editor interface either! Some platforms have a drag-and-drop builder that provides your design team complete creative control. Some use the import feature to import an existing InDesign or PDF file, which is great if you have a production workflow established within your team. The secret is alignment – your software should fit your current process, not you into your current process.
2. Does software work well for mobile and across devices?
More than 55% of global Web traffic is generated by mobile devices, and digital mag readers are no different. If your site is not mobile-friendly and provides a clunky or inconsistent mobile experience, you will lose readers before they get past the first page.
Try to find platforms that actually have responsive design (not just a scaled down version, but true to reading on a smaller screen). Test mobile preview yourself in course of trial period. Navigate through an article, click on a link and compare the images on a tablet and on a phone.
Check if there is an app for this platform, or if they have Progressive Web App (PWA) support. Both of these give readers the ability to read your magazine without using a browser, which will usually make it faster and more engaging. If your audience is mobile-first, then this box must be checked.
3. What monetization and subscription options does the platform have?
Creating a digital magazine when there is no clear method of monetisation is a quick way to burnout. The right software should enable you to monetize your business in one of three ways: paid subscription, single issue sales, and advertising, or a mix of all three.
Review platform's inbuilt subscription management features. Are readers able to register and handle their subscription from the platform? Does it allow for recurring billing, trial periods and tiered access? If it is using third party integrations for these features, understand which ones it is using and how well they work.
Another aspect to consider is advertising. Some platforms offer the ability to sell and place interactive ads right into the magazine design. Some only have a static banner feature. If you're relying on ads for your business model, you should not be on a platform with limited ad functionality.
4. Does the platform offer valuable analytics?
Forget publishing without analytics – it's akin to running a campaign without any reporting. To really grasp the content that's working for your readers, and what they're ignoring, you must have data.
However, the most effective digital magazine platforms offer fine-grained analytics — stats by page, average reading time, click-throughs on embedded links and subscriber trends over time. Other sites, such as Joomag, take it a step further and provide heatmaps that let you know where readers are hanging out on every page.
Prior to selecting a platform, request a live demonstration of the platform's analytics dashboard with the sales team. Take note of ease of extraction and sharing of reports (particularly if producing sponsored content and need to be able to show reach to advertisers. If you haven't got strong analytics on your platform, your growth strategy is going to be limited.
Conclusion
Digital magazine software is a lifetime decision. Whether you're evaluating a platform before you sign up, the above five checkboxes offer you a structured evaluation of any platform before you sign in.
Begin by narrowing down your choices to 2 or 3 platforms that fit the most criteria for you. Utilize free trials, test out your content in the editor and involve your production team in the testing process. The platform that feels right in demo doesn't always feel right in real use.
Some up-front work will pay off later during the painful migration.
A fine digital magazine software program you can trust is PageTurnPro digital magazine software.
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