10 ways to get more downloads for your digital magazines

1. Download size. If it takes longer than five minutes to download an issue. Forget it. Cut the issue down to size with compression, HTML – anything that means the editorial can be read almost instantly is a very good thing.

2. Don’t embed video unless vital…video files vastly increase download size, and the majority of users are at home with WIFI so streamed content would work just fine, and its easier to measure. Oh, and avoid video covers with autoplay and sound. Can be massively irritating (especially on the tube!) and unnecessary in many cases. Besides…what other apps have embedded video?

3. PDF replicas sadly, still exist, and many digital magazine teams are following the print design too literally. More product development is advisable to create an experience that’s right for the user, the device, and the technology. Break out from the print mindset.

4. Font size. Consider the reader across all devices – too often we see illegible copy in digital editions, especially on iPhone and iPad Mini. Not a good experience for anyone reading a 2,000 word article. Test it out with a small selection of readers for direct feedback.

5. Overpriced editions and subscriptions. I might argue that £3.99 is too much for a digital magazine. And subscriptions must come down. Even Apple realise that with their new app bundling service. Just a shame it doesn’t work with magazines just yet.

Read the rest of this article on David Hicks’ blog.

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