Why Should You Invest in A News App for Your Online Magazine?

An online news app can help a news outlet to reach more people and get more engagement. Here are some of the information to understand the reasons to get a news app.  

There was a time when people delved deep into the content of newspapers and magazines to learn what's happening around. But with the advent of the internet and smartphones, now, people are not hooked to these anymore.

People live a fast-paced life, and they want to get all the information, preferably in byte-sized bits. Social media can be a good information source if it is not littered with fake, clickbait, and scam news. Although online magazines serve the purpose, you as a news mogul need to up your game one step further.  

You need to invest in a news app to reach millions of people around the world.  

You may think, "but I already have an online newspaper; why do I need an app then?” Simple, there are several reasons. Upon studying the statistics of online magazines and newspapers, it is found that:

●    Online magazines have low engagement rates. On the other hand, social media is a huge platform to discuss the latest news and gossip.

●    The churn rate is quite high, especially if readers encounter mistakes in the writing. (Readers may think that the writers and the editors are compromising quality for quantity and deadlines).

●    Online magazines usually reach out to customers via pop-ups and push notifications. Tools like Adblocker can prevent these messages, taking them as spam. When this happens, online magazines will have problems with attracting and retaining readers.

How does an app overcome all these obstacles?

1. User Experience

Primarily, it all boils down to the structure and overall user experience of the app. The news app should come with easy and advanced navigation; for example, users must be able to search news using filters. These filters are as follows:

●    Category (national, international, regional, religious, science and technology, political, tourism, off-beat news)

●    Topic

●    Date

●    Relevancy (breaking news, popular news, etc.)

●    Author                  

Apart from that, the app must allow users to save articles and collections for later reading.

2. Social media 

The news app should have a social media presence, and people must be able to rate the content on these platforms. Also, people must comment on this news and share it among friends, family, and known circles.

Social media allows readers to follow influencers and see what they are sharing. Also, they can share specific quotes from articles if they want.

3. Personalization   

Here, technologies like Machine Learning (ML) and AI (Artificial Intelligence) offer personalized content to readers. This technology allows readers to have a human presence and use social filters to suggest content depending on relevance and popularity.

Also, apps can use the technology SmartNews to tell us what exactly readers want to read, and the content can be curated accordingly.

4. Diversity

News sources that offer diversity are bound to be more popular. Audio and video news are much more effective than plain, old, boring textual content.

If you are sticking to the old formula, then ensure that the news is byte-sized. Alternatively, if you want to attract tech-savvy viewers, trying technologies like VR can be a gamechanger.

5. Communication

A news app allows readers to connect with the news outlet. Executives at the news channel can respond to the comments left by readers. We can say the same thing about responding to complaints made by newsreaders.

6. Create perfect content

While offering news to readers, it's always essential to focus on the content's accuracy and authenticity.

7. Instant accessibility

A news app allows readers to read the news anywhere and anytime. They should enjoy the article even after connecting to WiFi. This will allow people to spend some of their leisure time and stay occupied.

Papers with quizzes, crosswords, and other sections can help with that too.

8. Subscription plans

News outlets can put the option of Subscribe, asking people to click on it if they want to receive similar content. Subscribers would receive emails and notifications whenever new content is updated.

Of course, a company needs to monetize the app in some form; both subscription programs and advertisements would be excellent options.

While getting an app, it's also required to choose an appropriate technology stack, hybrid or native. Also, ensure that the app has an efficient CMS (Content Management System) and a metered paywall for paid subscriptions.

Having a news app can assist a news outlet in reaching more people than ever. Also, it's a sure-shot way of earning revenues and profits, if done correctly.

Some prime examples of news apps are as follows: 

• Google News

Google News is an app that collects information from various sources and showcases news according to the readers' interests. This app is available on both Android and iOS devices.

The app is updated, and now it looks ultra-sleek and modern. It has improved its user experience and user interface by eliminating performance issues in the process.

• The Guardian

This app comes from the house of a renowned news outlet. The app is accessible to both Android and iOS users, and the user experience is a masterpiece.

The app is free, but it comes with a paid subscription plan too. The app provides customized news and real-time alerts.

• The Economic Times

This is another iconic news source and operating in the field for quite some time. The app is a true testament to the level of expertise it puts on each news.

The app is known for providing information on the finance industry and offers regular updates.

People can access the app's content, even if the app is closed, through widgets.

• Pocket (Read it Later)

In this app, users can create spaces that would consist of news from different categories. People can save links to different articles, videos, and podcasts in their news spaces, to visit them later. This app offers the best offline reading facility.

Other noteworthy mentions are:

● BBC News

● Inshorts

● Reddit

● Financial Times

● Flipboard

● News Dog

If you are looking to get an online news app for your business, contact mobile development experts immediately.