With more people using mobile devices to consume content, digital publishers, internal communications teams, and content marketers need mobile-optimized content.
It’s not enough to have content that looks great on desktop computers; you need to ensure it looks equally impressive on mobile devices, too.
Let’s look at why that is and how businesses can get a leg up on the competition with Joomag’s adaptive technology.
According to Cisco, “Over 70% of the global population will have mobile connectivity by 2023. The total number of global mobile subscribers will grow from 5.1 billion (66 percent of the population) in 2018 to 5.7 billion (71 percent of the population) by 2023.”
But here’s the thing about mobile content: Different technologies feature different distribution and viewing experiences.
Two of the most common mobile options are responsive and adaptive technology, which allow digital publications like magazines, catalogs, newsletters, and brochures to be read on various devices.
However, there’s a big challenge digital publications often contend with: variable device screen sizes and resolutions. In other words, not every device is created equal and delivers the same content experience.
Responsive technology is useful for Websites, but it's far from ideal for digital content.
Responsive design involves building content like websites that automatically adjust their layouts and content according to the device's screen size and capabilities.
Unfortunately, it's not a great reading experience on mobile devices.
“Responsive design often turns into solving a puzzle — how to reorganize elements on larger pages to fit skinnier, longer pages or vice versa,” says Nielsen Norman Group.
“However, ensuring that elements fit within a page is not enough. For a responsive design to be successful, the design must also be usable at all screen resolutions and sizes.”
Digital publications must leverage technology that allows them to adapt to different devices, ensuring their content is properly displayed and easily read in the process.
This is where adaptive technology comes into play.
Adaptive technology creates a customized user experience for each device. In contrast, responsive technology simply creates a single layout that adjusts to fit any screen size.
For digital publications, adaptive technology is the better choice for several reasons:
1. Greater control over design: With adaptive technology, designers and marketers have more control over the appearance of a publication on different devices. Instead of relying on a single layout that may not look good on every screen size, they can create custom layouts and design elements specific to each device.
2. Enhanced user experience: Adaptive technology allows for a more tailored and seamless user experience on different devices. For example, a magazine that uses adaptive technology will display its content optimized for the specific screen size and device, which increases readability and engagement.
The reader needs to zoom in and out or scroll horizontally. If you’ve read a PDF on a mobile device, you already know how it works.
3. Improved performance: Adaptive technology can result in faster loading times and improved performance on different devices. A publication only needs to load specific content and design elements for a particular device rather than loading a single layout that may be resource-intensive for smaller screens.
In addition, adaptive technology is better from an SEO standpoint because Google and other search engines prefer websites that load quickly and offer a good user experience. Additionally, having separate versions of a site for each device makes it easier for search engines to understand and index the content.
4. Better analytics: Adaptive technology can provide more accurate analytics because it enables publishers to track user behavior on a per-device basis more accurately. It can be particularly useful for understanding how users interact with the publication on different devices and making informed decisions about content and design.
5. Greater control over advertising: Adaptive technology gives publishers more control over the ads displayed within their publications in addition to ad sizes and locations. That’s important because nonoptimal ad placement or size can disrupt the user experience.
6. More customization options: With adaptive technology, publishers can customize the content and design of their websites for different devices. It’s useful for creating a more personalized user experience and differentiating the site from its competitors.
Joomag recently released a new feature within its Crater Editor™ that enhances the capabilities of mobile-optimized publications.
The feature allows users to create standard single or double-spread publications, long-reads from scratch, or upload PDF files that are all compatible with mobile devices.
This is a huge advantage for businesses and individuals looking to create mobile versions of their digital magazines, product catalogs, travel brochures, and other interactive publications.
Why? Because now they can increase readability and overall user experience while maintaining the design flow, feel, and aesthetic of the publication.
In short, with Joomag, you can create mobile-optimized publications that look great on all devices thanks to adaptive technology.
There are several key benefits for publishers using our Crater Editor™ to create mobile versions of their desktop publications.
Increased reach: By creating mobile versions of their publications, publishers can broaden their reach and make their content available to a larger and more diverse audience (like those who primarily consume content on their mobile devices).
Improved readability: Creating mobile-optimized publications is a great way to ensure your readers have an enjoyable experience while reading your content on their mobile devices. By designing content specifically for smaller screens, you can provide long-form magazines that are much easier to read and navigate. The end result is an uninterrupted and seamless viewing experience.
Higher credibility: A polished and professional design gives readers the impression that the content is credible and trustworthy. A poorly designed piece can detract from the message and give the impression that the content is not well-researched or authoritative.
Enhanced engagement: Digital publishers can now create more immersive and engaging content due to increased readability on mobile devices. This allows them to tailor their publications to the mobile user experience and boost engagement with features such as swipe-to-navigate and tap-to-zoom.
Mobile versions may also include interactive features like polls, quizzes, and embedded video content, which can help keep readers engaged and interested in digital content.
Increased Conversion or Subscription Rates: Better user experience coupled with increased engagement can lead to higher conversion rates and greater reader satisfaction.
Higher Retention: Keeping an existing customer is less expensive than finding a new one. A personalized mobile experience can go a long way toward retaining customers.
Increased revenue potential: By making content more accessible and engaging for a broader audience, publishers can drive revenue from advertising, subscriptions, and other monetization strategies.
Adaptive content supports multiple devices, increases your reach, and streamlines communication in ways that optimally build brand awareness.
The best part is that it keeps you top of mind with customers while future-proofing your mobile content.
If you're not sure where to get started with adaptive technology, our team is here to help.
Reach out to learn more about Joomag’s adaptive technology and how it can work for your business.
A: It optimizes content specifically for the screen size and device type, eliminating the need for readers to zoom in and out or scroll horizontally, thereby enhancing readability and engagement.