Digital Magazines 2009 — Supplement to Folio - (Page cover2) DIGITAL MAGAZINE CEO: WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE NEWEST RELEASE This spring, Nxtbook Media will be rolling out version 3.0 of their digital magazine interface.Years in the making, Nxtbook 3.0 is currently being beta-tested with select clients and planned for mass release by mid-year. Nxtbook Media CEO Michael Biggerstaff discusses how the company’s latest version was created. Q: What can readers expect from Nxtbook 3.0? Q: Speaking of analytics, what can publishers expect? A: By the time 3.0 goes mainstream, our publishers will have the most robust reporting system ever seen in the industry. From segmentation to automated reports and multiple levels of customization, publishers will be better armed than ever to make the case for revenue generation. Q: Speaking of revenue generation, what changes will be made there? A: The most obvious change that we’ve made is the introduction of something we’re calling the “content forward interface,” or CFI for short. Simply put, we felt that the buttons and menus around other digital magazine products were competing with publishers’ content for attention. Knowing that reader engagement is a key “reason to be” for our product, we’ve decided to focus the readers’ eyes on the content. We’re using muted buttons that become more vibrant on mouse-over. In short, we want people to notice the interface less and notice the editorial and advertising more. Q: Have controls been moved around? A: On one hand, Nxtbook 3.0 shows a maturation of our product but on the other hand, publishers will also see us moving where digital magazines haven’t before. We’ve tweaked the “Nxtbook 9” so that the sponsorships in and around the magazine will use IAB standards, which will make it easier for publishers to drop in existing creative. However, we’re also introducing multi-layer advertisements. Readers who mouse-over a small IAB micro-bar will be treated to an expanded ad, which can even use video and animation. Q: In terms of helping publishers to grow circulation, what are you doing? A: Absolutely. When we looked at other interfaces, we saw things users do once or rarely like PRINT side by side with more commonly used features like ZOOM. With 3.0, we’ve moved the “power” features close to the page and the functional, but less sticky features further away. Again, it’s about keeping readers inside the magazine. Q: It sounds like a lot of thought went into 3.0? A: The release of Nxtbook 3.0 coincides with the introduction of eMagazines.com, a digital newsstand for publishers to offer their magazines. All Nxtbook customers will have the ability to place their content at eMagazines.com for no set-up fees at all. They’re a tremendous partner to have and we’re excited about it. Q: What’s the best way for readers to see the new Nxtbook 3.0 in action? A: Without a doubt. Earlier versions of the Nxtbook were largely homegrown. In this case, however, we hired an award-winning design firm to assist us. Then, “alpha” versions were shown to focus groups. We observed and videotaped subjects interacting with the product. Finally, we’re paying close attention to how readers interact with the beta product through surveys and analytics. A: Stay tuned to our blog at http://nxtbook.com/blog. We’ve already posted some sneak-peek video “trailers” of 3.0 and will be sharing 3.0 links in the coming weeks. http://www.eMagazines.com http://www.eMagazines.com http://nxtbook.com/blog http://www.nxtbookmedia.com
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