Three-Quarters of Publishers Claim Online Publishing is as Important as Print

Newspaper and magazine sales are declining at a steady rate as consumers turn to online media for their content.

However, print is still a vital part of publishers’ operations and 94 per cent still place it as the number one area of their business.

This is according to a new survey conducted by News & Tech, which found publishers are not willing to turn their back on traditional print anytime soon.

However, they are also looking to other areas in order to boost revenue and digital is something they can no longer ignore.

Indeed, while print is still the number one source of revenue for many, 75 per cent of publishers who took part in the study identified online publishing and eCommerce as equally important.

Among the respondents were representatives from many US state newspapers and 65 per cent said they are now putting significant focus on mobile publishing, with a further 20 per cent identifying app development as an area of significant focus.

On top of this, 65 per cent even said they have developed a mobile application in the past 12 months as they attempt to stay ahead of the competition.

When asked what technologies and innovations would most benefit their business, 39 per cent cited investing in content management systems and other software as crucial, while a quarter said production technology and software are vital.

Interestingly, some 13 per cent of publishers revealed they are investigating the opportunities available to them should they offer digital ad agency services.

Publishing companies need to ensure they have a digital service to complement their print offering. The Daily Mail in the UK has done this very well in creating a digital platform designed with tablets in mind calledMail Plus that adds more content to the physical newspaper and Mail Online services.

Creating a digital infrastructure is pivotal to the success of the venture and firms must ensure they use the best online payment solution available.