Essential Information when Selecting an Online Publishing Software Package
The wrong digital publishing software can break any inventive online publication. The most important decision to take when you’re producing an online publication is picking your software provider. Setting the format for the message is simply a small part of their job. Amongst the features you should examine closely, simple usability is the main one. If you can’t run the software it doesn’t matter how great it is claimed to be! The e-brochure you’re creating should matter enough to you that you test out several providers. Further major preparations you need to make are about security. The second thing on the list are hackers. Are there steps placed to ensure security on the package? How about the content? What does the digital publishing software provider have in place which stops the general public copying and pasting the content?
Have you a business plan for your electronic publication yet? Whatever your business plan may look like, you have to ponder these matters, possibly not for each individual issue but instead for your company as a whole. What use are you making of non-traditional media? How are you handling ads? Search engine usable content will also be highly important as you consider how to market this ezine.
How about mixing paid for and free content? You could think of offering a variety of subscription choices. Also, the nature of your content - is it monetized or is this solely a not-for-profit venture? Will you be providing summaries and teasers to sell your ebrochure? What’s the availability of your e-brochure? Will it be private in which case you’ll be able to investigate all your hosting possibilities or will it be public? You will probably be best hosting directly with your supplier. Have you examined how you will cope with back copies?
Technical support is a big consideration in the choice of vendor. How do you contact them? A fast emergency response is the next concern. Are there useful how-tos and FAQs available? These are things you should look at prior to an emergency, you will be glad you did!
Your decision-making is being tested - choose cautiously. Without the best host the publication will not flourish as well as it should.

