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Does my magazine need a mobile application?

The paper press is in crisis. Fewer and fewer people come nowadays to a kiosk to buy a newspaper or magazine. For this reason, currently less advertisers invest in this advertising medium. On the other hand, the amount of mobile devices users is increasing and many people use their phones to stay informed. In fact, for the printed press, the tablets are the best device, because of the size of the screen and its resolution, it is an ideal device to have access to the content in a quality and comfortable way.

mobile application

A recent study of the British consultancy PPA, shows that 96% of the owners of a tablet in the UK, read a digital magazine last year. In fact, 55% did this in the last three months. This is not even everything, because 68% is reading things, thanks to their tablets headers that they never read before on paper.  The fellowship between tablets and press seems more than obvious. But does a magazine actually needs a mobile application? What kind of mobile presence should be published? Econsultancy indicates a number of factors that need to be taken into account.

One of the most important things depends on the functioning of the publication. Does my audience have a tablet? How and where do they have access to Wi-Fi? What is their favourite system? The easiest way to answer this question is to take a look on the visitors statistics of mobile users, registrated by the webpage. With this data, we can see how many users have visited the website through mobile terminals and with what devices and platforms.

OBJECTIVES of the mobile application

What do you want to offer to the readers? By answering this question it is important to take into account that there are two options. The first one consists of a digital version of the printed edition, so an app-PDF suffice. It is cheap, convenient and allows the printed publication to have presence beyond the mobile web. The second is based on an interactive edition with added content. It is a bit more expensive to build and requires a greater investment of time. In change, it offers more options for monetization, greater loyalty to the readers and it can help to increase the sales of the printed edition.

PLATFORM

This point is related to the audience factor, since everything depends on their favourite mobile operating system. In general, it is better to choose for a multiplatform mobile application, especially from the iron competition between iOS and Android. This is not everything, you also have to take into account each of the devices. It is necessary to develop a mobile application optimized for different operating systems, but also for different devices and their  features, screen size, resolution, RAM memory, etc. Developing a mobile application for several devices requires a higher investment of time and money, a meticulous development process and a constant evaluation. In change, it allows to reach a greater number of the target audience.

LAUNCHING AND PROMOTION

The date of issue or renewal should match with the content with the date of the printed edition. However, interactive editions with extra content and other features, do need a more constant update. It is also important to do promotion through the printed magazine, social networks and web pages. The more promotion you do, the more downloads and installations you get, what improves ASO positioning of the mobile publication at Marketplaces.

APP MONETIZATION

This is a factor that Econcultancy did not take into account, but that is very important in the world of mobile applications. Interactive applications can adjust well to the payment policies and even to the freemium content, especially for the supply of extra content not found in the printed edition. However, advertising is also a considerable choice, especially since they in these publications are often less annoying, since readers have already assumed that magazines and newspapers carry advertising.

All these points of view have a positive conception: for editors of a communication medium, the mobile application could not have expected these results when it was announced. And if you still are not convinced, one more fact: Throughout this year, tablets will surpass laptops distribution.

If you also want to develop a mobile app of a determined publication, remember that in Yeeply you have more than 5,000 freelance developers who are keen on to help you. Do not stay out of the mobile market only because you don’t know the professional that you need. Visit Yeeply web and get satisfied with the high quality and reasonable prices.

Julia Bergshoef

Proyecto App

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