Magazine Websites Websites for magazine publishers have changed dramatically over the past 2-years, from somewhat static HTML sites managed by IT technicians, to full-blown content management systems (CMS) that return content management and control to the publisher. With the explosion of magazine CMS software and the realisation by publishers that websites are much more than online shopfronts, indeed tools for content management, a lot of new publishers are surfacing in the new mediascape. Even hard-headed print publishers are ready to acknowledge the efficiencies and profitibability of a good magazine website. Today a magazine’s web design is core to its brand and just as important as any print or digital page-flipper presentation of the publication. A great magazine website attracts new readers and quickly informs media buyers and advertisers of the professionalism of the publication. The magazine web brings readers and advertisers together in real time and an engaging platform. Most publishers invest significantly in costly print cycles, but then neglect what is becoming just as strong a point-of-sale as any other in their publishing business, their magazine website. Advertising budgets are hungry for quality online channels, making publication websites either another pillar in the loyalty a publisher builds with advertisers and readers, or sadly for many publishers who don’t get it – an alternative. A printed publication is well augmented with a great website and offers plenty of bundling opportunities with reduced costs, but if a print publisher does not offer a magazine website, the advertiser will look elsewhere. And this can be the first crack in what might have been an enduring loyalty.
Magazine Website Design Usability and user experience are critical design considerations. Magazine websites are built on many types of CMS platforms, and EzyMedia chooses WordPress. WordPress is the world’s most popular CMS, with thousands of individuals and development communities continuously updating the publishing software with new functionality, new plugins or widgets. We developed our own proprietary in 2006, but simply could not keep up with the evolution of opensource software and so moved to WordPress in 2010. Publisher web design and magazine style elements are also part of the content workflow. A strategically positioned ad might get a few more clicks, but a “Submit Article” button in the same place might drive a whole lot more loyalty and engagement, which in turn leads to more traffic and higher priced advertising. Getting the mix right requires insight into the business end of publishing, well beyond the simplistic understanding of how to write some HTML and build any old website. WordPress is the ideal underlying publishing technology, and EzyMedia’s themes and magazine web design templates is the perfect match. The WordPress magazine CMS software allows magazine publishers to easily create new articles, insert images/video/audio and updates quickly without the need for technicians expert in complex magazine publishing software. Content can be managed from anywhere at anytime, with full versioning capability and tracking of changes. Embargo articles, assign to categories
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