Moving away to go digital with your publication, or starting a new one altogether is a very exciting thing to do. The online version is a gateway to possibilities, interaction and accessibility to the whole world. However, one of the key actions in this process is the choice of the best digital magazine software. There are far too many options, and each of them has a certain range of features and pricing models that can be difficult to select the right one.
Locating the Best Digital Magazine Software
The decision of the optimal software to use in your online magazine is not just about the cost. You must think of the ways in which the platform will be able to facilitate your content, connect with your readers, and make you build your audience. The following are the key criteria that need to be considered.
- Ease of Use
The most important thing is the ability of your team to learn and use the software as fast as possible. The steep learning curve of a platform may result in a production delay and frustration, and distract you in creating quality content. Find software that has a user-friendly UI & a simple workflow.
- Drag-and-Drop Editors: A large number of the new platforms have the drag-and-drop option, which means that you can create layouts without the role of any programming skills. This is an enormous advantage to inventive teams who desire to work on design and not technical implementation.
- Templates: It can be an excellent place to start with templates, which are ready-made pieces of work that are a good option, particularly when you are not used to digital publishing. They assist in preserving the consistency and accelerate the design procedure.
- Design and Customization
Your magazine possesses its own brand and style, and your online software must provide you with the opportunity to reveal it. Shun the sites that make you look like a generic, cookie-cutter appearance.
- Brand Identity: You should be able to use your own fonts, color palettes and logos with the help of the software. Complete personalization makes your digital version an actual continuation of your brand.
- White-Labeling: You have your digital magazine branded by some of them. Find some form of a white-label choice, meaning that it will display your brand only, which will leave a more professional and smooth experience to the reader.
- Interactive Features
The possibility of incorporating the elements of interaction can be listed among the largest strengths of digital magazines compared to print. These options have the potential to make readers much more engaged and your content livelier and more memorable.
Which features of your content need to be the most important:
- Video and Audio: Is it possible to use YouTube and Vimeo videos or even audio clips such as podcasts and interviews directly in your pages?
- Hyperlinks: It has the capability to not only add external links (to advertiser websites or the source material) but also internal links (to other articles).
- Image Galleries and Pop-ups: To add extra information to the main page layout, interactive slideshow and pop-up windows can be utilized.
- Animations: Minor animations can make your otherwise lifeless pages come to life to attract the attention of the reader to the important information.
- Distributions and Availability
What will be the access points of your magazine to the readers? The appropriate software will allow you to share your content on the different platforms and devices.
- Cross-Platform Compatibility: Your online magazine has to be readable on computers, tabs & mobile phones. It is a must that has a responsive design that automatically aligns to the various size screens.
- Web-Based vs. App-Based: There are also web-based magazines (HTML5) that can be read using any browser, whereas others have to download a special app which can be used to read offline and provide notifications.
- Embedding Options: Does your magazine have an option of embedding it on your site? It is an excellent way to generate traffic and retain the readers in your digital ecosystem.
- Monetization Options
When you want to earn money out of your magazine, the software that you have selected must be able to help your monetization strategy.
- Subscriptions & Paywalls: Look for in-built tools to support subscriptions, one issue sales & paywalls to secure premium content.
- Advertising: Does it have different types of ads, such as banner ads, sponsored content or interactive advertorials? That is a big plus with the capability to control your ad inventory.
- E-commerce Integration: In case you sell products, the shopping cart integration or direct linkage into product pages will give you another revenue stream right out of the content of your magazine.
- Reader Insights and Analytics
In order to expand your publication, you must know your readers. Strong analytics gives you priceless information about the attention that your audience pays to what you have to offer.
- Important Metrics: The software must monitor such metrics as total reads, unique visitors, time spent reading per page and clicks on links. This information will assist you to determine your popular articles and subjects.
- Audience Demographics: There are sophisticated platforms that provide information on the geographical location and the device of your readers.
- Integration with Google Analytics: The option to integrate your digital magazine to Google Analytics will be able to give you an additional insight and be able to monitor the performance of your content in addition to your other web properties.
Conclusion
Choosing the best digital magazine software is a fundamental choice that will influence your workflow and interaction with the readers as well as the success. Although it can be very tempting to go to the cheapest option or the one with the most features, the most suitable platform is the one, which suits your particular objectives.
Take the time to consider alternative possibilities within the above criterion of evaluation. Take out free trials, demand demos, and do not be afraid to ask the sales teams specific questions regarding their features. With a careful and well-informed decision, you will enable your team to develop a beautiful online magazine that will engage your audience and will establish a follower community of readers.
A fine magazine software option that you can try for free for 15 days is PageTurnPro digital magazine software.
