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Can you easily read and load the software?
This is perhaps the most important question to ask, after
all, if you don’t like various aspects of the technology
solution neither will your customers.
Take a PDF of one of your own publications and ask for a preview digital
edition that you can test and view. Nearly all e-publishing suppliers will
provide a free preview edition for you to sample on your own computer.
Test the functionality of the software. Is the interface easy to read? Are the
navigation tools easy to understand and operate? Are the page-turning
controls fast and smooth?
Just as importantly, see how quickly the software loads, how long it takes
to appear on the screen but also the load time of each page as you flip
through the publication. The longer it takes, the more readers you will
lose. Test the closing mechanism behind the solution and see how the
solution cooperates with the various other programs you operate on your
computer system. Does it interfere?
When the Association of Online Publishers looked at these questions, they
found that half their survey respondents ‘rated the print version as more
satisfying than the (online version) from a point of user-satisfaction’. This is
mainly because many e-publishing technologies just aren’t good enough
to competently reproduce the offline publication in an online version.
Key tip #1: Test the software as if you were an ordinary consumer. What
do you like, what don’t you like? Compare different technology side by
side. Take notes.
Key tip #2: Don’t sacrifice technical performance in a bid to cut costs.
The most competent solution in the long term will pay dividends.
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