Tips to improve online reading experience for digital magazine publishers

Digital publishing has taken an interesting journey. We went from flipping pages to swiping on whatever device we’ve got at hand. From having monthly magazines sent into the press, publishers can now simply upload massive files with a simple click - and no holding back on the number of pages or space!

Digital magazines are popular today because nobody wants to buy extra room for storage. Users are able to rid themselves of reader’s guilt and invest in as many magazine subscriptions as they like without having to dedicate a bookshelf for the same. Digital magazines also allow users to buy a single copy at their convenience and give immediate access.

1. Look into the font

Change your font size to 16px, h1 tp 24px, h3 to 22 and h3 to 18px. Nobody’s reading every single headline you churn, make sure they’re scannable. In the little time your reader sweeps their eyes across the screen, they need content that is comforting to their eye. Focus on the font size and style on both desktop and mobile. Getting your design bit of things sorted can make a huge visual difference.

2. Gamble advertisements right

The digital magazine might be the exact copy of your print edition or a wholly different design but you need to look into the placement of ads. This is because in digital magazines, readers aren’t terribly against well placed ads. Advatorials are a popular way to get the readers invested - it’s a magazine, they are here to read. You can also use the ads to break up the gray-ness of the matter and add to the visual experience.

3. Never doubt the power of a good newsletter

We’ve learned that the only way to make the most of your content is, by constantly reusing/repurposing it. A good newsletter can help you catch readers’ attention and lead them to all that content in your archives. It’s important to tease your readers every now and then to keep them coming - the newsletter also breaks down the form of content. You never know when something is popular again - use newsletters to break the monotony of magazines while helping readers find their way to the perfect copy!

4. Don’t hesitate to re-design

Often with digital magazines, publishers stick with their print template designs to keep the familiarity in place. However the digital platforms brings with it a series of benefits that publishers must take advantage of. This is why we urge you to re-design and re-think. You can cater to your mobile first audience by designing for a smartscreen. This adds to the readability and allows you to access features that you weren’t able to on a print setting.

5. Find your ideal reader

Let’s say you’ve made all these tweaks to your digital magazine, who’s guiding you? Before you set out on the process of re-evaluating your magazine, you need to form an ideal digital reader for your content. This involves deciding what age group you’re focusing on, what’s their socio-economic background, what device they are using, how the content fits their lifestyle and more. It’s important to have your reader in mind so you can tweak and make the right tweaks.

6. Find your digital balance

Formatting content has been discussed however how do you step out of your print ways? You need to present content for a digital audience. Digital magazines can be way more interactive and layered than your typical print ones. This is why the approach to content must evolve. Digital content is often less formal, carries more “shareable” phrases and more importantly, calls to the digitally savvy.

7. Visualize digitally

Don’t restrict yourself to images, digital media gives you a platform to share links, have QR codes to take your audience from magazine to the product page. Visualize your magazine for a digital audience - they have tools to dig deeper into your content. Give them interactive content, add layers, explore the scope of scrolls and simply do more!

These are a few tips to enhance reader experience on your digital magazine. We encourage you to explore the multiple layers of the digital publishing world. Curious to know how we support digital publishers? Here’s a link to the experience through our clients - https://quintype-web.quintype.io/case-study.