When magazines were first published, they were actually similar in format to books; they consisted of many pages and were hard-backed – although they were actually smaller than the books that were produced at that time (during the seventeen-hundreds). Print publishing has gone through many changes over time, even up to and including the last few decades, but due to technological advancements, the future of the press now lies with publications being online. To know how to create an online magazine, keep reading and you’ll learn all the tricks.

Millions of people across the world are making the switch to digital publications and ditching the paper – it’s not only greener, but also convenient; we are, after all, a generation that uses smart devices, and we are turning to apps and downloads to cover all our entertainment requirements. One of the many advantages to this change is that people across the world can now access your publications, day and night, twenty-four hours per day. All you need to start an online magazine is a little motivation and ambition, and a creative mind. This venture may be just the move you need to make to promote your existing business, or you may be heavily passionate about a certain subject and you want to share your knowledge. Either way, creating an online magazine doesn’t have to be expensive; the internet will have the ideal online magazine software potentially accessible to you, for either free or at low-cost packages spread over a monthly subscription.

How to Create an Online Magazine?

You don’t need to be a rocket scientist for making a magazine. Your first steps, when thinking about how to create an online magazine? You need to think about how much money you are willing to invest to get your publication off the ground. Be realistic about your expectations, and how much money you’ll be making as your digital magazine goes live, and how you’re going to expand your ideas – and publications – to bring in revenue. Having a budget set aside for advertising is a good idea – and don’t be tempted to overspend, or take shortcuts regarding advertising; this will be your main promotional platform. If you intend on having people working on – and contributing to – your site, then take into consideration their needs and possible expenses. Once you’ve figured out your budget, you can then start to assemble your business plan, which will encompass your long-term goals for your digital magazine; keep in mind that you’re not going to get rich quickly! Learning how to create an online magazine takes dedication, and can be very time-consuming, but you can help yourself and your business by pinpointing what your magazine’s mission will be, its style and genre, who your potential audience is – and how you will attract a said audience?

Your magazine should establish a structure, and stick to it.

How often will it be published?

How committed are you to this?

Will you be just as committed to undertaking research for your publication?

Take note of what your competitors are doing and what’s working for them; make full use of social media – this way you can enhance you magazine’s status as well as obtain subscribers.

Title

Take time when naming your magazine – this can really make or break a business; make sure it’s a relevant and fitting title. Brainstorming, and making a list of ideas over a number of days before making the final decision is recommended; you need a name that will complement the magazine’s content.

Remember to register and trademark your business and e-zine; this will enhance its status and grant you authenticity. Select a relevant URL for your website, and a hosting package with a reputable web development company, one which understands your requirements, in addition to providing a degree of technical support, which will help to take some stress away from you.

Logo

It could be worth hiring a freelance designer for your logo; many people think they can design, but what sometimes works on paper doesn’t always work online, so a specialist’s expertise in this area would really highlight the professionalism of your magazine. Consider your colour schemes, and give guidelines to your designer by all means; the more information they have, the easier it will be to engineer your perfect design, in the minimal amount of time.

Layout

To create an online magazine that is well read, try to keep to a clean, well-structured layout – magazine layout software will assist you here – and outline your content, to showcase the topics you want to see; always ensuring they are relevant to your industry. On the whole, people prefer short, concise articles; no more than five hundred words is ideal – and using appropriate titles and keywords will help search engines – and people – find your articles.

Adding a feature wherein readers can leave you feedback, or a comments section, is a great method for getting subscribers involved, but it’s also a great tool for marketing; you’ll notice faults and areas for improvement; after all, people generally prefer to complain rather than compliment, so don’t take criticism to heart; take constructive criticism on board. Offer features such as newsletters, and competitions, to bring traffic to your page and encourage people to return time and again. By keeping all these points in mind, you’ll soon be on your way to being an online publisher, earning recognition for your skills.