796
1 Sep 10

We recently re-launched the customer community for our digital publishing platform. Here’s why we did it and what you can expect.

Mike Newton Christiansen
Customer service, News

Gartner Group, in its recent report Predicts 2010: Customer Service Meets CRM, stated that “Consumer willingness to perform all possible customer service functions, themselves, will be universal by 2011.” What Gartner is referring to is that, today, consumers not only want to help themselves when it comes to customer service—they demand it! Consumers, like you, now insist on having instant access to insightful information that will help you maximize the performance of the products you buy. This trend has been our guiding principal as we started rebuilding our Community Portal.

So with that thought in mind, here is a run-down of the improved version:

1. Why did we setup a new Community Portal?

We wanted to make sure that we were serving our clients’ needs the best way possible, with easy access to any information you might need. Plus, it gives us the ability to deliver relevant information based on how you’re using the system.

In addition, we wanted to be prepared for social media interaction, so we can serve you where you’re looking for assistance (such as Facebook or Twitter). With this new portal, we have these capabilities, as well as integration with our current CRM system. That integration means we can provide the correct data for each specific client, Bottom line: we can serve each of our clients better and faster.

2. How did we improve the Community Portal to serve our...

794
27 Aug 10

Simple analysis of online magazines will tell you how captivating your content is. Here’s how it’s done

Joakim Ditlev

Do you judge a book or magazine or by its cover? The old saying urges you not to. But with so many interesting publications to read, and with so little time, you can’t help being captivated by a great-looking cover. No doubt, the cover is of great importance as to whether you catch the reader’s interest, and whether they start reading the magazine. This is true for printed magazines, but it’s even more prevalent in the online world. The big difference: on the Web, you can quickly and easily measure how many eyeballs you’ve caught, and what share of those eyeballs you’ve engaged.

Expect low bounce rates on online magazines

The way to measure your readership level is indicated by what’s called the ‘bounce rate’. The bounce rate is defined as the percentage of readers “bouncing” off the first page of their visit. That means, if a reader enters your online magazine and exits without browsing more pages, that reader is measured as a ‘bounce’. A high bounce rate indicates irrelevancy or performance issues with your online publication, so you would like this rate to be as low as possible. In other words, a bouncing reader is someone who dumped your magazine by judging the content and look of its cover.

...

793
24 Aug 10

Get your readers to sit up and start clicking your digital publication with these tried-and-true practices

Now that you’ve built a really cool zmag, how can you ensure that your newest digital publication gets the attention of your most important audiences? Here are some tried-and-true practices that guarantee your readers will sit up and start clicking:

  1. Include a direct link to your digital publication within your email signature
    That way, every outbound email you send will be an advertisement for your digital publication.
  2. Examples on banner promotion of digital publicationsPromote zmags on your website with appealing calls to action
    Include at least one CTA on your website, such as posting a mini-edition of your magazine on your homepage that captures your readers’ attention and invites them to check out your interactive online version.
    See examples to the right
  3. Utilize advertising networks on external sites
    For instance, create a banner ad that notifies readers about your interactive online version, and use the banner in an ad campaign.
    Or, build a key ad-words campaign with main keywords.
  4. Leverage social networks to increase awareness, generate “buzz” about your content, and drive SEO rankings
    Include direct links...
791
20 Aug 10

Learn where readers come from by examining inbound traffic channels

Use Web analytics to improve your aimA digital magazine is a great vehicle for expanding reach and educating your audience. Expanding your company’s reach to the right audience will ultimately generate more sales, but how do you find the right audience? Learning where your readers are coming from is very valuable knowledge - especially if you need to prove the impact of your advertising dollars, or you want to measure the impact of your social media efforts.

It all begins with inbound traffic

When Zmags customers initially launch a digital magazine, catalog or brochure, they usually start by inserting a link on a webpage hidden within a submenu. And because digital magazines are often shared between readers, or are found on search engines, this basic approach will, in most cases, add a little more volume to your overall readership.

However, the real fun and big results begin when you start promoting your digital magazine on various channels, such as the front page of your website or your business partners’ websites, or by including a link to your magazine in customer newsletters, or by promoting your zmag on social media.

Use Web analytics to improve your aim

Promoting your content on any channel where it makes sense will add to your overall readership...

790
17 Aug 10

The editor of MagDesigner.net shares valuable advice for marketers and publishers who want to bring their digital magazines to life.

Guest blog entry by Russell Clark, editor of magdesigner.net“Designers need to make things simpler.” That’s the call-out from Russell Clark, whom we asked for advice for designers of digital magazines. He came up with these 10 design hints when creating great digital magazines:

  1. Simplicity.
    It's the key to good digital magazine design. Keep your design clean and simple. Don't try and put too much on a page. Overcrowding of text icons and unnecessary lines/patterns may seem like a good idea in theory, but can make for a more confusing reader experience.
  2. Keep font size bold and large.
    Everyone who sees your title will do so under different circumstances; different-sized monitors, different color settings, and different resolutions. The environment in which people view your digital magazines will never be constant. You cannot accommodate everyone, but you can make it more accessible for most, by ensuring text is easier to read.
  3. Make things obvious.
    Don't be afraid to point things out; use calls-to-action like "CLICK HERE" or "CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO". It may be a bit ugly on the page, but it works. This venue isn't like a standard website; readers aren't always familiar with the way digital magazines...
788
13 Aug 10

Analytics and benchmarking of digital magazines is not as complicated as it sounds

Modern marketing means ‘accountable’ marketing. And with accountability comes an increased need for proving that the marketing budget-spend is paying off as expected. That is the primary reason why Web analytics is becoming hot these days. With more and more marketing activities moving online, measuring results is becoming easier. Or let me put it this way: Getting a lot of data about your marketing programs, audience and ROI has become easy. But, unfortunately, that raw data is just numbers and stats. What about converting all this data into understandable metrics and useful business intelligence? For most marketers, crunching data is not a beloved part of the job, but it can be, if you’re working with the right analytics tools.

Analytics of online publications

Get the analytics whitepaperA key part of most digital publishing solutions is the capability to capture data on reader usage. It is very valuable to know not only which magazine or brochure is the most popular, but also how many readers are actually reading it, and how much time they spend on a particular page. Measuring actual readership online closes the loop that, with print, you would typically need to setup focus...

786
12 Aug 10

Zmags new Showcase site gives you a monthly menu of the best digital magazines

Well... tasting is actually the only thing you can’t do with these digital magazines, but no doubt they’ll surely appeal to just about all of your senses. With our showcase site officially launched today, we present you with a full array of eye-catching and engaging digital magazines created by Zmags creative customers.

Watch these digital magazines on Zmags Showcase siteWe created the Showcase site to pool the greatest digital magazines that are not only visually appealing, but also and apply some advanced features, to inspire our customers and show the world how far Flash-based digital magazines have come.

A panel of Zmags experts has selected a few extraordinary samples from Zmags database and now it’s up to you to comment and vote for the best magazine. Each month we’ll announce the winner based on the number of votes, and we’ll update the showcase site with great new examples. To submit your vote, subscribe to the comment feed of your favorite publications, or on the entire showcase site, so you don’t miss the latest entries on the digital magazine menu.

Check out the Showcase right now and watch, listen, feel and interact with the top digital...

783
11 Aug 10

Its web audience expands three-fold, making an expanded advertiser program possible

Targeting health-conscious consumers, Today’s Diet...

739
26 Jul 10

Online magazines being read on iPads -17.8% more often on Sundays

Joakim Ditlev

Now that Zmags Mobile BETA has been out for a month, we’re now looking into what kind of mobile devices are most popular for reading online magazines. After collecting and analyzing statistical data from all of our customers’ online publications, we found that the iPhone by far is the most used mobile device. As the chart below shows, 56 % of mobile readers use their iPhone to read magazines on-the-fly.

iPad by far the most popular device for online magazines

Using the Ipad for reading Online MagazinesWith more than 50 million units sold, the iPhone is by far the most widely used smartphone for web browsing, so it’s not surprising to see the iPhone taking the lead in share of mobile visits. But when you consider that there have been 50 million iPhones sold so far compared to three million-plus iPads, you will be surprised to learn that iPads are used more often, relatively speaking; with indexed numbers, iPads are used around seven times more than the iPhone for reading online magazines. It’s also worth noting that the iPad has already surpassed Android-powered smartphones on our usage charts. Given the millions of Android phones in the market and the...

730
14 Jul 10

Here is a chance to recap the most interesting Q&A from the event—check out the Top 10 below.

Question 1: Does Zmags Mobile work with the new 4G?

Yes, it does. In fact, all versions of iPhones are supported by Zmags, including the new iPhone 4G.

Question 2: When will the Zmags Mobile launch?

Zmags Mobile was launched in BETA mode in June. Right now we’re in the process of collecting feedback and developing its full range of capabilities. In the very near future we’ll have the full version of Zmags Mobile available.

Zmags makes it easier to deliver content on mobile devices - including the iPadQuestion 3: What is the cost of the Zmags Mobile solution?

All Zmags customers have automatically been upgraded to the Zmags Mobile BETA version at no additional cost. We carefully considered this decision, and decided that basic access is important, and we wanted to ensure that the content was accessible for all our customers.

Question 4: Will my online browsing experience through a Zmags magazine have the same flow as a printed magazine? Also, can I zoom and toggle between portrait and landscape mode?

Yes it will. When you rotate your mobile device, you will see a single page in portrait mode that fills nearly the entire screen. When rotating the screen to landscape mode, you will be able to see the full spread just like it...

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