eBook platforms facilitate tremendous ease for digital publishers as well as eBook readers today. The popularity of eBooks has spiked demand for platforms that can consolidate all the backend operations as well as simplify the use of eBooks at the same time.
As a result, it is forecasted that the market for eBooks will rise to a value of $15.33 billion by the end of 2027. With these increasing figures for eBook sales, the digital publishing industry needs to respond by scaling its operations correspondingly.
It is here that the selection of the right eBook platforms helps deliver high-quality eBooks to the audience. Let’s understand the key features you should look for in a good eBook platform and the seven tips that can help you select the right one.
Table of Contents
I. 5 Essential Features of eBook Platforms in 2024
5 Essential Features of eBook Platforms in 2024
The first step to selecting the right eBook platform for your needs is to understand the current eBook trends and match them with the feature set of the eBook platforms you are considering.
The five key features listed below form the baseline for a good selection:
1. Personalization
Personalization capabilities put you at the forefront of the competition. Readers today actively seek out eBooks and related services that allow them to peruse the product according to their own preferences, for which personalization comes in handy.
2. User-Friendliness
Implementing an eBook platform at your organization is complicated enough – using it should be as easy as possible. It is advisable to look for intuitive, simple user interfaces with flatter learning curves.
3. AI Support
Advancements in AI have enabled several intelligent features for publishers as well as readers in the eBooks space. For example, adaptive learning is made possible in eBooks through AI. Seek out the platforms that have AI-backed features.
4. Licensing, Copyrights and Security
With a plethora of reading materials available online and several channels where users can share them, licensing and protecting your IP rights can become problematic. Search for platforms that have some type of licensing, copyright protection, and associated security available.
5. Timely Upgrades
The worst thing that can happen after purchasing a static eBook platform is discovering that the package does not cover frequent upgrades. Always partner with eBook platforms that provide ongoing support and timely upgrades to more stable and capable versions.
7 Tips for Choosing The Right eBook Platform in 2024
Features are the most important consideration when selecting an eBook platform. However, there are several other aspects that impact the functionality and usability of a platform for your enterprise.
Also, consider the following points before finalizing your selection for an eBook platform:
1. Check Device Compatibility
When considering device compatibility of the eBook platform, it is important to first understand how your target audience interacts with your products. Some use Apple devices, some use Windows devices, while others may use Android phones to open your apps or eBooks.
The platform you select should be able to deliver optimized reading experiences regardless of the platform users access the books from.
2. Check Interface
When implementing an eBook platform, the last thing you want to do is ring up the IT support team every third day to guide you through using the platform. While easy customization is important to fit the product to your workflows, it should not be acquired at the cost of compromising its usability.
Also, consider how easily the platform offers white labeling.
3. Check Content Formats
Selecting the eBook platform also largely depends on the file types your enterprise would be majorly working with. For example, for text-heavy books, PDF formats work fine – an eBook reader that can support PDFs should be good enough.
However, if you would rather also incorporate gamification and interactivity, then working with formats like EPUB would be more suitable. Therefore, you would need an eBook platform that can work with EPUB files.
4. Check Analytics
To be able to measure the performance of your products and help your enterprise understand the direction for the future, it is important to analyze the usage of your products. It is here that the analytics features of an eBook platform provide excellent insight into your publishing operations and user satisfaction.
Analytics also enable data-driven strategizing for enterprises seeking to scale up in the near future.
5. Check Commerce Capabilities
For enterprises seeking to run eBook stores right from their platforms, you should explore the eStore capabilities of the shortlisted platforms. You can either look for integrations with your existing stores or features to create and run stores through the platform itself.
White labeling capabilities also make a big difference when businesses need to set up a branded store.
6. Check Security and Encryption
If your enterprise creates its own digital content for publishing, it helps to have an eBook platform that can curb piracy, theft, leaks, etc., through inbuilt security measures.
Consider selecting a platform that has a DRM (Digital Rights Management) that enables you to secure your eBooks, protect them through copyrights, control their distribution, and allow access only to authorized and verified users.
7. Check Costs
One of the key considerations when selecting the right eBook platform is to align the features, functions, and capabilities with your goals and budget. Deciding on a range of budget rather than a fixed point helps to accommodate more functionality by allowing a reasonably higher expense.
Do keep in mind that more advanced features are not always good – consider the feature set based on your budget and scaling needs.
KITABOO: All-In-One Digital Publishing
eBook platforms provide a robust architecture that allows enterprises to unleash their creativity in creating high-quality eBooks for the masses. The best platforms offer advanced features like licensing and distribution control, better security, easy distribution, and more control over eBook usage.
Additionally, it helps to choose eBook platforms that resonate with the type of content you majorly work with.
If you are looking for a well-rounded solution that checks all the boxes, consider KITABOO. KITABOO’s functional features and comprehensive toolset allow publishers to streamline their operations right from creating eBooks to distributing them. The platform has a robust analytics module that provides in-depth insight that focuses both on the backend and the frontend as well.
Visit KITABOO to explore the full list of robust features that make it the best choice for eBook platforms in 2024.
Discover How An Ebook Conversion, Publishing & Distribution Platform Can Help You
Kitaboo is a cloud-based content platform to create-publish & securely distribute interactive mobile-ready ebooks.
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