Reading Magazines Online, Are Print Magazines a Thing of the Past?

Reading Magazines Online, Are Print Magazines a Thing of the Past?

Ever since the Internet first rose to prominence, the decline in the printed magazine industry has been evident. More and more people are seeking their news and information from online sources. In the UK magazine world, for instance, figures suggest that by 2023 more than half of the magazines in print today will have ceased to exist.

There are many advantages to online magazine content, not least the ability to create html5 flipbooks, which give the online reader a similar experience to reading a book or magazine in print. Let’s take a look at this in more detail.

How creating an online flipbook can enhance the reading experience

Traditionally people have enjoyed the experience of flipping the pages of a magazine. Before the Internet was around, sitting and flipping through a print magazine was a popular activity. Flipbooks provide the opportunity for people to continue having this experience, in a digital context. This is especially the case when people are reading content on a mobile device, when they almost feel as though they are holding a book, and swiping is like turning a page.

Flipbook functionality provides a similar experience to reading a print magazine, with advantages such as the ability to link to websites and video content. Let’s face it, it’s a lot easier to simply click on a link in an online flipbook, than it is to be reading a print magazine, and then have to take time to go online to take a look at suggested digital content.

What are the other advantages of online magazine content?

It isn’t just flipbook functionality that makes online magazine content a better experience than printed content. From a publishing point of view it’s more cost effective, in relation to manpower, equipment and processing. From a reader point of view, there are several benefits to be had from reading a magazine online.

  • Access to content anytime and anywhere.
  • Easy navigation to other related content that may be of interest.
  • Ability to read and store many online magazines without taking up additional space in the home or office.
  • Improved clarity of print and graphics.
  • Ability to provide immediate comment on some articles.

Considering all of these advantages, it’s hardly surprising that readers are moving away from print magazines, to get their content online. As this trend looks set to continue so former print giants, such as many of the big US news magazines continue to try and embrace the digital experience, in order to maintain their existence.

There is absolutely no doubt that the traditional print magazine industry will never be the same as it once was. At one time it presented the only way to enable people to sit and read about the latest news and entertainment. With the emergence of the Internet that is no longer the case. Now people can read all the content they need in an improved, and more easily accessible, manner. Whether print content will ever die out completely is debatable, but it looks set to continue to decrease.