Advantages & Disadvantages of Online Magazines

The convenience of online magazines are marking them a real presence online. Online magazines and even magazine-like blogs gain thousands of followers and generate high revenue, but there are downsides to the online world of print. Online magazines do not have the same kind of physical presence that paper magazines do, and sometimes people will not take them as seriously.

Online magazines allow for a wider audience. For magazines looking to make profit by means of ads, this means a larger audience for revenue. The use of social networking and links will help spread word about the magazine to this worldwide audience.

Reader participation is another advantage of an online publication. The use of Internet forums, like buttons, "wall" posts and the ability to link in and out of the website allows for more reader participation and opinion. Some readers like to have their opinions heard, making open audience participation a personable advantage for gaining readers.

It's convenient. The use of computer programs to make the online magazine will help the speed at which issues will be produced. Not having to put the publication into print will also speed along the process. Corrections are also easy to make to online magazines. Gaining photos, interviews, follow-up questions and citing sources and social networks becomes easier when publishing an online magazine.

Depending on what kind of web-hosting you have come across, the world of online magazines offers writers and designers unlimited space to publish their content. This means you will not have to worry about ad-space or cutting down certain articles to make them fit. This also allows for content such as size-heavy video interviews.

Creating an online magazine is easier than printing one, making it a market for anyone who knows web design and how to write articles. This large population of online magazines hurts the odds of your magazine getting popular, gaining revenue or getting noticed.

It does not have a physical presence. Having a magazine online will not allow a reader to simply toss the magazine into her carry-on while flying or heading to work. While magazines can be read on e-readers and tablets, the inability to mark pages and feel it in your hands does not appeal to those who prefer handheld reading material.

It doesn't sound professional. Even in the age of technology there are still those who view online publications as something sketchy and unprofessional, which is a problem for magazines that rely on contacting people for interviews.

The social networking that is usually desirable with online magazines can also be a hassle for keeping a clean quality magazine. Social networking and forums on the magazine's website can lead to open "haters" voicing their opinions, making forum and website moderation important.

If your website is not doing well in terms of visitors it will be hard to make a profit. Poor advertising of your magazine will result in lack of visitors.