Reading experience has become increasingly more important over the years as more digital channels are competing for audience’s attention. The same editorial style can’t always be used with all the platforms available today. You can’t afford to simply produce content the way you used to. Because readers are bombarded with hundreds and even thousands of content and ad messages daily, you now have to think about how to create an immersive reader experience in order for your titles to really connect effectively.

Today we feature Mequoda’s 2014 Study on Digital Magazine Reader Habits to help you in knowing who are today’s digital magazine audience before delving into the process of immersion. It will cover digital magazine readers’ profile, behavior and preferences to help you map out your readers’ journey to an immersive reading experience.

Mequoda’s study holds a lot of digital magazine statistics that answer what this type of readers want and how publishers can meet their needs. Below are just key findings of the report, but there are other fascinating insights in the study that you can take advantage of. If you wish to know more than what we sifted here, a link is provided below to download the full report, for free.

Hopefully this will help get you off the ground and start reviewing and taking your digital strategy to a whole new level!

Apple iPad still the tablet leader

The study presented opportunity in the 14.5% tablet readers, who plan to purchase new tablets in the next 12 months and 30%, who consider it. As more and more tablets are being purchased, audience expands congruously.

It’s hard to believe how the tablet market has exploded as quickly as it has since the first iPad debuted few years ago. Until today, iPad remains to be the skipper among tablets, cornering 58% ownership among digital readers.

Magazines have always been about reaching readers at a very personal level. Combine that with quality content and interactive features that digital provides and a good thing just got even better, explaining why 70% of participants highly values digital magazine medium. 42% of tablet users also prefers all their issues in one device– in their tablets. This could be attributable to the fact that with bigger-than-smart phone tablets, content can be available wherever there is connectivity, at the tap and swipe of a finger.

Digital magazines start eating into print readership

20% of participants say they read digital magazines every day on their tablets, a 6% increase from previous year, and 64% read on a monthly basis. This number is expected to increase as more and more media outlets are making a move to a digital-first strategy.

Tablet users’ propensity to pay for apps, magazine or subscriptions is dependent on the quality of its respective digital media content. The report shows that within the last 12 months, 27% of tablet users spent from $100 to $299 on their tablets, while more than half (53%) spent up to $99.

While there are more regular issues of magazine subscriptions than single-copies in the market, it’s not surprising to know that 21% of tablet owners opted in for new digital magazines or subscriptions in the past 30 days.

Readers charmed by features that print magazines can’t do

If your digital magazine is just an electronic version of your print publication, you’re wasting a huge opportunity! The study shows that the most important features for readers include clickable links and scrollable texts. 50% of digital magazine subscribers expect the latter. Access to back-issues is also a major consideration for most tablet users.

Another finding to note is that 75% of respondents prefer digital publications with 20 articles or less.

Readers, iffy on digital magazines having higher prices than the printed editions

One of the issues lying in the grey area of digital magazine publishing is price. Some questions are still on the process of being answered. How will readers value it? Will readers, over time, begin to realize the added value of digital magazines and be willing to pay more? Responses from the study show that 91% of tablet readers believe a digital edition should cost less than print edition.

Amusingly, they are also more than willing to to pay for non-replica digital subscriptions. Further from Mequoda, PriceWaterhouseCoopers has even predicted that consumer spending on digital magazines will top $80.2B by 2016. Read the full study here: Mequoda

Digital magazine is completely different from reading print media, giving readers an enhanced online content experience. This shake-up has already reached publishers’ doors. And it’s high time for you to learn more about the new opportunities brought in by the proliferation of mobile and tablet devices. You don’t have to crawl your way alone, Realview can help!

Let’s have a no-obligation sit down or, keep reading to learn how to improve digital magazine readers’ engagement through our interactivity guide!